Micro Influencers and What They Do

Micro Influencers and What They Do

September 26, 2019

As with any human relationship, consumers spend their money based on how trustworthy the company is, how attractive the product is, and their need to use the product. What can brands do to ensure consumers are spending money on their products? They need to win the trust of consumers, supply a useful and necessary product, and to package that product to catch the eye of prospective buyers. This is not an easy task to accomplish. It can take a long time to garner the loyalty of customers. And advertising can prove to be expensive.

How can brands introduce themselves to customers and create relationships that are long-lasting and loyal?

The newest trend to advertise products is to use social media influencers; that is, to use famous personalities to advertise a brand on their social media sites. Micro influencers marketing can be just as influential as big-name influencers at a much more budget-friendly rate.

Although this method of introducing a product does not reach the masses, it reaches potential customers who are actively engaged with the social media micro influencer and are more apt to trust theperson they are following. These personalities have a tremendous influence on their followers.[irp]

What value do Micro Influencers offer?

The audience is already developed and engaged. Because they are intrigued by the personality they are following, they are ready to accept the product. If someone they admire trusts a product, the product must be great.
In a recent Variety Survey, 8 of the top 10 most influential celebrities were YouTube personalities and not famous movie stars or singing sensations.
The micro influencer has a base of followers with the same interests. If this niche following is your target market, you are more likely to generate solid sales leads than through traditional marketing tactics.
Using micro influencers is less expensive than ‘Pay Per Click’ advertising. A study estimated more than 90 percent of micro-influencers charge less than $500 per promotion post on Instagram, whereas a celebrity will charge up to 25 times that. Sometimes micro influencers will even accept products instead of monetary payment.
Micro influencers are seen to be more believable, down-to-earth, and real. They and their followers seem to have a greater personal connection. Followers can relate better to them than to famous celebrities or reality TV personalities. They portray an honest love for whatever product they are promoting.
Instagram was the first social media platform used by micro influencers as a marketing strategy to post pictures of products, comments, and experiences. Other platforms are available, but Instagram, up to this point, has been the best and easiest for followers to use. However, Snapchat is quickly becoming the most sought-after platform for social media marketing.
Micro influencer marketing is the fastest growing strategy and far exceeds other strategies, such as emails, pop-ups, and paid advertising. While the more traditional forms of online advertising may cast a wider net, micro influencers are attracting more qualified sales leads.
More quality leads can be developed because the target audience is already onboard with the micro influencer.
Loyalty and trust are developed because of the tie the follower has or thinks he has, with the micro-influencer. This transfers to loyalty and trust in the product the micro influencer is backing or promoting.
Micro influencers can increase your ROI (Return on Investment). This is accomplished because of the low cost of this marketing campaign versus the sales generated.

Choosing a micro influencer

Make sure you choose a micro-influencer who is in your target market. If they would use your product even if you weren’t offering compensation, they will be much more passionate about promoting your brand.[irp]
Look at your own followers to find potential social media micro influencer. Micro influencers who are already a fan of your brand will be more willing to promote your products. You may be able to offer free goods instead of a monetary payment to those who already know and trust your brand.
You can also search specific brand-related hashtags to find micro influencers. Who is using your hashtag or a hashtag related to your product? For example, do you sell a great, natural face moisturizer? Search a hashtag such as #nomakeup #nofilter. Use those potential influencers to show how your product can make the skin look great without makeup or Instagram filters.
Vet your potential micro influencer. Pay attention to follower engagement. How often does the influencer converse with fans? And are the conversations pleasant? How many likes, post clicks and shares does the influencer receive when posting to social media? How active has the influencer been on social media over the past month?
Consider using multiple micro influencers. Because micro influencers are easy on the budget, you may be able to afford more than one. This will increase your reach and your ROI.

Challenges of Using Micro Influencers

Finding the right micro influencer is time-consuming. You want to be sure that the influencer’s instagram followers are in your target market. This process can be made easier by using a third-party website that offers specific social media search engines, such as BuzzSumo.
Measuring your brand’s performance can be difficult because it is hard to define how large the audience is at any given time. Once again, third-party websites could make this process easier. Kred will not only help you find a social media micro influencer but will also provide an audience engagement analysis.
You will most probably have many micro influencers, and not just one vehicle to promote your product or brand. This will increase administration work and costs. However, once you factor in your high ROI, the increased administrative work and costs will be more than worth the effort.
You’ll have to manage many different personalities and you won’t have complete control of the content of your message. Each influencer is going to have a unique perspective and a unique way of promoting your product or brand. The only thing you can do to help protect your brand is to make sure all micro influencers, are properly vetted before making an offer.

For more information, check out our Blog or visit our Website for more tips on micro influencers.