5 Ways Micro-Influencers are Going to Change Your Marketing Strategy
Written by: Caroline McDonough
In a world where we’re checking our social profiles an average of 17 times a day, social platforms have become the go-to for brands to market their products to consumers. As consumer behavior has shifted, brands have learned that influencer marketing has opened the door to partner with fans, advocates, celebrities and others to market their product. The challenge is choosing the right person to carry that message for you. Is it the mega-celebrity with 50M followers or the micro-influencer who likely hasn’t hit 100k followers yet on Instagram?
As marketers, our first instinct is to go for the followers by getting our product in front of as many eyes as possible. However, recent studies have proven that micro-influencers drive impressive ROI for brands and are a much more effective tool for your influencer marketing campaigns. Here’s why:
1. They’re more relevant to consumers.
Micro-influencers are seen as specialists in their niche communities. Content can be catered to a highly-specific audience of consumers that will naturally be interested in your product. The more relatable you are to your audience, the more successful your efforts will be.
2. They generate higher engagement.
Consumer engagement is key when you’re looking to market your product, especially on social platforms. Micro-influencers are known for starting conversations, 22x more than your average social media user in fact. And those conversations spur reactions from their followers. A recent study from Markerly shows that as influencer follower counts increase, engagement rates decrease. Micro-influencers typically see comments on their content 13x more often than those with 10M+ followers.
3. Micro-influencers are cost effective.
It’s no secret that enlisting the help of a celebrity for your influencer marketing campaign will cost you. The Kardashians are rumored to make anywhere from $200–500k per Instagram they post on behalf of a brand, while 84% of micro-influencers charge less than $250 per branded post.
For the price of one celebrity post, you could be running a campaign with several micro-influencers and reaching a much more targeted audience.
4. Consumers trust micro-influencers.
Do you really believe that every former Bachelor contestant actually uses those SugarBear vitamins? No. But, do you believe your go-to food blogger when they recommend their favorite tacos in L.A.? Absolutely.
Why? Because micro-influencers bring a level of authenticity and trust to their content by explaining their experience with a brand and why they love (or hate) it. They’re direct in their recommendations and they don’t script their message to sound like the brand. And it works. 94% of consumers consider micro-influencers to be more knowledgeable and 82% are highly likely to follow a recommendation made by a micro-influencer.
5. Their content leads to conversions.
When it comes to influencer marketing, one of the largest challenges is proving ROI. Though the equation is yet to be perfected, recent studies have shown the micro-influencers are more effective in proving ROI and have significant influence in consumer purchase decisions. Micro-influencers have been said to help brands increase sales by 300%. At the end of the day, sales and conversions are the bottom line.
Final Thoughts
Simply stated, don’t ignore the potential of micro-influencers for your brand. They are cost-effective, generate awareness for your brand and are some of the most trusted sources of information for your consumers.
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