Why you should use micro-influencers in your marketing

It’s no secret that influencer marketing is a hyper-effective tool for brand awareness.

Investing in an influencer campaign is basically the digital version of word of mouth.

Unfortunately, we don’t all have the budget to engage top names like the D’Amelio sisters or Addison Rae.

Fortunately, we don’t have to.

Brands often think they need to work with highly coveted influencers. After all, they've got out-of-this-world followership.

But, chances are, partnering with huge influencers wouldn’t necessarily reach a targeted and relevant community.

There is such thing as the net being cast a little too wide, if you catch my drift. What’s really valuable is the ability to gain a new, highly engaged audience.

And to do this, you need to work with someone with high engagement rates. Someone who's relevant to your product or service and who can connect you with people who are actually interested in what you're offering.

Hello, micro-influencers.

There’s a common misconception that the more followers creators have, the more influential they are. But we live in an age where the number of followers isn’t the only metric used for determining 'influence.'

Things like authenticity, trust, connection and engagement play a huge part in what brands now consider valuable to their marketing strategies. And these are things micro-influencers tend to have in the bag.

And that’s why you should 100% be considering them as a part of your marketing toolbox.

But what is a micro-influencer?

According to Sprout Social, a micro influencer is 'an influencer with a follower count within the range of 10,000–100,000 followers.'

The benefits of using micro-influencers, who make up 2.7% of total Instagram users, are abundant. They charge lower rates, and they usually have highly engaged audiences. In fact, they often see much higher conversion rates, compared to influencers with larger followings.

Even Forbes calls micro-influencers 'an underutilized tool that can separate brands from their competition.'

So, here are the four main reasons your brand should utilise them.

Availability.

Brands are always seeking to engage macro-influencers and leverage their massive followings. The high demand often means more complicated and long-term contracts. These often constrain what brands can and can’t do with their influencer campaigns.

But this is not the case with micro-influencers. They tend to have greater availability while also being able to cater more time and care to your campaign.

Higher audience engagement rates.

Micro-influencers actually boast up to a 60% increased engagement rate compared to macro-influencers, according to Social Bakers. They also have a 20% higher conversion rate when it comes to helping brands boost their e-commerce sales.

Why? Because users tend to trust these influencers, since they feel like ‘real people.' So their followers are more likely to comment, engage, and most importantly, convert.

Niche audiences.

From hyper-specific food bloggers to mom-fluencers, to wholesome comfort creators, finding a micro-influencer suited to your product or service, no matter how niche, is almost always possible.

Many micro-influencers have very niche audiences. They often tailor their content to a specific interest, set of values, or lifestyle. This means, when you find the right fit, you can be confident you're reaching the right target market.

Improved trust.

When you see the same influencer across multiple brand campaigns, it kind of waters down the authenticity of their word. Consumers are constantly bombarded with different adverts left, right and centre. And this creates a level of distrust toward pushy corporate brands and marketing in general.

A trusted influencer with a smaller following comes across more genuine than someone who's pushing products they probably don’t ever use.

So partnering with a micro-influencer can help your brand become more credible in the eyes of your consumers. It can also connect you with new customers who may be on the fence and need a little extra convincing.

Bigger isn’t always better.

There are so many reasons why micro-influencers are a must-have for social media strategies today. With a smaller yet highly engaged following, your brand is more likely to actually benefit from the trusted credibility, authenticity and connections these creators have to offer.

Plus, there are a whole lot more to choose from. There's such an array of unique talents and interests out there. Or, in the words of Nicki Minaj, ‘Who wants to look, you know, simple, when you could look… STUNNING?'

-Sophie, Writer

🎙️ Listen Now:
Micro-influencers are the future of marketing, and we discussed why on this week’s YAP Podcast. Hear our take on how they’re shaking up the industry here!