By Tran Nguyen
The age of the influencer is over. Audiences no longer pay attention to “regular” people with millions of followers; instead, they’re looking to more relatable content creators with smaller followings for recommendations. Welcome to the era of the micro-influencer.
MediaKix defines micro-influencers as those running social media accounts “with anywhere from 10,000-50,000 followers.” These individuals tend to produce relatively niche content and have greater rates of engagement overall compared to traditional “macro-influencers,” who are individuals with social media accounts with 500,000-1 million followers.
This trend shift is the result of various factors, from oversaturation in the influencer market to less perceived authenticity of larger social media accounts. The bottom line is that when it comes to marketing your business, micro-influencers can have a macro impact.
Here are the top three reasons why micro-influencers might be better for your marketing strategy than macro-influencers.
Niche Content
Micro-influencer content tends to be tailored to its audience’s particular area of interest, making it easier for brands to target clearly segmented audiences. Narrowly defining who you want to talk to ensures that your marketing messages reach the right people. A great example of utilizing micro-influencers’ niche audiences is toy companies partnering with mommy bloggers. Mattel partnered with Heather from @peaceloveandmommy, an instagram account for moms with over 16,500 followers, to promote their Polly Pocket toys. This campaign had a 4.1 percent engagement rate.
Higher Engagement
Because micro-influencers create niche communities tied together by specific shared interests, their audiences are generally more engaged. In comparison, accounts with millions of followers are bound to have lower engagement rates since the net being cast is so wide. Micro-influencer campaigns might see a greater return on investment, or ROI, than those of macro-influencers. For example, Coca-Cola partnered with food and travel micro-influencer Miette Dierckx to show her 35,000 followers that the brand’s products fit perfectly into the happy, full life that Miette inspires people to live. This campaign garnered a 3.6 percent engagement rate.
Trustworthiness
According to the Association of National Advertisers, 92 percent of customers trust micro-influencers more than traditional celebrity endorsements. This level of trust reflects the closer relationship that micro-influencers generally have with their followers due to their tailored, niche content. Micro-influencers’ followers see them as experts on their content’s topic(s), building a strong sense of trustworthiness.
Influencer marketing can be intimidating since the landscape is wide, but working with micro-influencers is a simple yet effective introduction. Social media is a powerful tool for meeting and talking to consumers, and micro-influencers are valuable assets in its arsenal. 1893 Brand Studio’s newly launched influencer program helps you navigate influencer marketing in a way that fits your business objectives. Click here to learn more.
