”Micro-influencing” is no longer a new concept in marketing, but still, let us commence this piece with a standard question: What is a micro-influencer? Definitions do not vary too much from one expert to another, but when it comes to numbers, there are indeed some differences. For example, Tribe says micro-influencers have over 3000 followers, while Scrunch’s blog, under the signature of Sophia Kelly, defines a micro-infliencer as someone that has between 2,000 and 50,000 followers.
But the truth is that numbers matter less in this particular instance. What is important however is the calling and the activity of these people we call micro-influencers. Their focus on a niche where they are perceived as experts and trustworthy as far as their community is concerned.
But who are they, really?
Micro-influencing is just as varied as the societies we move in and the interests we pursue every day. In other words, a micro-influencer can be a someone passionate about tennis, an avid traveller, a climber, a photographer, a fitness guru, parrot expert or any other type of hobbyist you can imagine. If the skills and authority on the respective niche are there, the following will come – this is the main pillar that the status of micro-influencer is built on.
Why turn to a micro influencer?
Companies have started to turn to micro micro influencers more often than ever – to promote their services, products or brand. As far as influencer marketing is concerned, the awareness is in many cases the main win of campaigns. So here are some of the most important reasons why brands have begun integrating micro influencers work in their budgets.
- Engagement. To fully grasp the importance of engagement, let’s make a quick exercise. Imagine how a 3-miilion followers account post would be treated, as opposed to a post coming from an influencer with 1,000 followers. As Maria Zvinca said (at Ziua Zen, 2Performant’s event), influencers regard their community as their own family. But it’s one thing to have an extended family of 3 million people and it’s a whole different thing to have one of 1,000 members. The latter gets replies to the comments, connexions are more common and the relationships are stronger between parties involved.
Engagement is important because it shows loyalty and authenticity. The more authentic and involved is the influencer, the more successful the campaign.
- Conversion. This too is an important aspect, although conversions may not be a priority when setting up influencer marketing campaigns. But since the figures are quite clear, let’s debate on this as well. In 2016, studies showed that people are more keen on buying a product when an influencer recommends it. It’s a Twitter study and you can read about it here. But in essence it’s about the following stat:
”Nearly 40% of Twitter users say they’ve made a purchase as a direct result of a Tweet from an influencer”.
- Budgeting. You don’t need a CFO with Cambridge background to realize that working with a micro influencer is cheaper than doing so with David Beckham or Kylie Jenner. But as we were just saying, marketers have the unique opportunity to contribute to a brand’s reputation and awareness, as long as they correctly pick the influencers, give them a properly written brief and build the trust.
Important note: Generally, the community is what matters most for (micro) influencers. They are content creators and so, the feedback coming from their audience is essential. But influencers’ work may go beyond what’s perceived. They often have to deal with challenges not to different of the ones entrepreneurs face: negotiating with brands, contracts, proper communication, collabs with specialists and so on.
All of the above suggest that micro-influencers, content businesses de facto, prefer to build trust bridges with brands. A fair partnership always leads to a fair price for both parties
4. Plenty to choose from. It’s enough to have a look at the influencer section from our website to realize how vast the offer really is out there. Micro influencers that have managed to catalyse thousands of followers interested in both the respective niches, but also in what the influencer has to recommend.
What are the industries for micro influencers?
Yes, any industry or business are can see a rise in micro influencers, whether it’s agriculture tractors or sexual toys. But that doesn’t mean all industries are equially suitable across the board. Nope. According to Zahara Jade, writer for Hire Influence, the most lucrative and suitable niches for (micro) influencing are the following:
- Fashion and beauty
- Travel and lifestyle
- Entertainment
- Sports
- Gaming
- Health and fitness
- Parenting & family
- Business & tech
How to choose your micro-influencers
Long story short, if you’re a marketing looking to get going a campaign, the good news is there are plenty of resources out there to help you choose the right influencers.
For instance, you might read an interview we put together a while back with Alina Ignat (Brand Manager, Vivre). It was their first influencer marketing campaign and they nailed it. Vivre did their homework and chose the right influencers – Ștefana Olaru și Yanitsa Tsvetkova among them.
Or you might think of those few but important qualities a micro influencers must possess. Aside from creativity, be on the lookout for relevance within the niche, a solid & genuine audience, the level of involvement and consistency. And obviously, that much-discussed authenticity. All these bad boys contribute to the success of an influencer marketing campaign.
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The new marketplace on 2Performant is dedicated to influencers and the ways they can help businesses grow. The platform allows brands to set up campaigns in a transparent and simple manner. For more information have a look at the Influencer section on our website
