By now, we’re all well-versed in the benefits of influencer marketing. It’s an authentic and effective way to reach out to your target audience. But could you be missing a trick by going after the biggest social media movers and shakers?
Sure, influencers with lots of followers (we’re talking in the tens and hundreds of thousands) can get you the reach you’re after in one fell swoop. But micro-influencers – social media personalities with smaller followings – could also play an important part in your influencer strategy.
Here’s why you should consider working with micro-influencers when promoting your brand and your products:
Authenticity
Just as celebrity endorsements are now being seen as old hat, promotions made by the biggest social media influencers also have the potential to turn your audience off from the content they’re viewing.
Micro-influencers don’t tend to make a living from social media. Instead, they’re normal people who post as a sideline. This means they don’t have the time to create super-glossy, super-perfect social media snippets. Instead, their posts are a bit more real, a bit more authentic. And, as we know, this is what makes their audiences respect them and their opinions.
Affordability
Influencer marketing is now a $2 billion industry. It’s no longer possible to send out a few freebies and get quality promotional content in return. The biggest influencers can command huge sums for their services. And there are brands out there willing to pay.
When you’re a smaller company, you don’t have the influencer marketing budget to compete with the big boys. But, with micro-influencers, you can still get your slice of the pie. You can make your budget go further and engage with multiple influencers at once rather than putting all of your eggs in the one basket.
Enthusiasm for Your Brand
Micro-influencers are easy to find. Just look for people who are already following you on social media. Coming across micro-influencers in this way, means they’re much more likely to have a genuine enthusiasm for your brand. And this enthusiasm will translate into the content they create. Bigger influencers, on the other hand, are chosen for their social media standing and may not have even heard of your brand before.
Easier Relationships
The relationship you have with your influencer is key to getting the best quality promotional content. You need to work with them to negotiate payment, devise content and stipulate deadlines.
Macro-influencers are now pseudo-celebrities with all of the associated ego. It can be difficult to handle them and avoid unnecessary friction. Micro-influencers, on the other hand, tend to be more down to earth and more open to collaborative working, which makes your job a heck of a lot easier.
Niche Appeal
Micro-influencers often appeal to a niche audience by posting on a niche topic. When you find and work with micro-influencers properly aligned with your own business niche, you’re on to a winner. Through them, you have access to an audience who are much more likely to care about your brand and your products. This means better engagement and better conversion.
They’re Proven to be More Effective
There’s research out there to suggest that micro-influencers are actually much more effective than macro-influencers at promoting your brand. They can deliver 60% higher engagement rates, offer a much better ROI and drive more online conversations related to their posts.
In fact, it seems that as follower numbers increase and surpass the 100k mark, engagement actually decreases. This makes macro-influencers much less effective for the money you spend with them.
Micro-influencers are cheaper, more authentic and easier to work with. What’s not to love? As you take your influencer marketing strategy forward, be sure to consider micro-influencers and all of the many benefits they could have for your business and branding.
On Press Loft, there is an easy and efficient way for brands and social influencers to connect and collaborate on sponsored posts, giveaways, product reviews and more. Channels include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, vlogs and blogs.
Brands submit a Collaboration Alert detailing their campaign and follower requirements and these alerts are sent to our network of 1000s of bloggers and social media influencers that match the requirements. Influencers apply through our platform and brands then select who they would like to work with.
Brands + PR Agencies:
SUBMIT A COLLABORATION ALERT FOR £75
Journalists + Influencers:
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES
