Make Room, A-Listers and TikTokers!
The unexpected rise of micro-influencers and their mega power
Celebrity endorsement has long been a go-to for companies and organizations to gain credibility and brand awareness among the public. But with the rise and reign of the Social Media Era, a new contender has stepped into the ring: micro-influencers.
What is a micro-influencer?
Taylor Sierra Hoese captivates her 12.6k followers on Instagram by sharing her favorite fashion advice and style recommendations.
A micro-influencer is an individual with approximately 1,000-100,000 followers on social media. These users can be found around every corner on Instagram and TikTok, with fewer of them present on Twitter and Facebook. They’re unlike celebrities and mega-influencers – also known as major- and, of course, macro-influencers – in that their audiences are significantly smaller. (Digiday) But is that necessarily a bad thing?
How can they benefit a brand?
One thousand followers is barely a drop in the bucket for big-names like Kim Kardashian and TikTok superstar Addison Rae. But, there are several benefits to partnering with micro-influencers over mega-influencers or celebrity figures.
More personal
With smaller followings, each micro-influencer can cater content to their own liking and tend to attract more niche subcultures of the internet. Social communities are becoming more diverse, with influencers finding interest in areas other than just fashion and fitness – two trendy and competitive influencer sectors.
Social media users also tend to feel more connected with micro-influencers than individuals with higher follower counts. A recent study by Experticity showed that micro-influencers have 22.2x more conversations than the typical Instagram user with their followers, likely due to their knowledge and passion for their particular area of interest. This personal, relatable approach pays off for the brands they promote, as 82% of customers were highly-likely to follow a recommendation from a micro-influencer (Meltwater).
Higher engagement
While micro-influencers may not have millions of followers racked up, on average, they actually generate significantly more engagement than accounts with high followings: (Markerly)
Instagram users with 1,000-10,000 followers earned likes at a 4% rate.
Instagram users with 10,000-100,000 followers earned likes at a 2.4% rate.
Instagram users with 1-10 million followers earned likes at only a 1.7% rate.
Ally Gille, who holds 20.3k followers on Instagram, focuses on promoting fashion brands and styles as well as beauty brands and advice.
“Likes” are one of the most significant indicators of engagement, especially paired with the fact that 77% of micro-influencers create content every day (PR Daily).
More affordable
One of the primary reasons to consider partnering with micro-influencers, especially compared to celebrity influencers, is the saved expense. Celebrities and mega-influencers can charge up to $75,000 for one post, while 97% of micro-influencers charge less than $500 for the same. (Hubspot)
Because of this low cost, some brands partner with several micro-influencers to grow awareness amongst several followings at once. It’s harder to accomplish such goals with celebrities and mega-influencers, though, because one post can really break the bank.
How and where can I find them?
There are two main ways companies find micro-influencers to represent their brands:
Start a campaign
One of the most popular methods for finding influencers is starting a campaign or brand ambassador program. These usually include an application on the company’s website and provide a structured umbrella over influencer marketing. Brand ambassador programs especially appeal to Millenials and Gen Z because of the title and notoriety associated with a brand partnership.
Seek them out
Another way brands find influencers is by going through their current followers on the company’s most popular social media channels. These users are already interested in the organization and have likely engaged with the account in the past. An “influencer invitation” can be sent through DMs, and the worst that could happen is no reply.
Some brands also incorporate both of these methods, starting an ambassador program and encouraging individual users to apply through DMs. The critical thing to remember with influencer marketing, especially micro-influencer marketing, is to find what and who works best for your brand and to run with that.
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