There’s a shift happening in the influencer marketing world. Brands are now spending more with smaller influencers, those with 50,000 followers or less, instead of seeking out mega-influencers with millions of social fans. Brands are looking to partner increasingly with nano- and micro-influencers.
Influencer marketing spend shifts
In years past, brands gravitated toward mega-influencers to promote their product. Mega influencers are usually well-known public figures with around 1 to 5 million followers on social media. With such a large audience, brands assumed social endorsements by wildly popular people would crush their KPIs, like views, engagement and ultimately, sales.
However, brands have now realized that working with smaller-scale influencers can be just as impactful. While nano- and micro-influencers have a smaller audience, that audience is usually loyal.
As a result, brands are starting to shift their campaign spending away from mega-influencers, and instead, investing in influencers with the following size of 1,000-50,000.
The graph below shows brands spending almost 8% of the influencer marketing budget on nano-influencers in 2022, with an expected increase to 14% by 2024, according to Insider Intelligence.
It’s a similar story for micro-influencers. Brands plan to spend 22% of their influencer budget with micro-influencers and increase it to almost 30% by 2024.
On the flip side, you’ll notice spending with mega-influencers is going down. In 2022, spending dropped to 10%, down from about 15% the year previous. By 2024, brands are expected to put just 7% of their influencer budget toward these popular content creators.
How nano- and micro-influencers can get brands’ attention
If you’re a nano- or micro-influencer, this is good news. It means brands are actively seeking influencers just like you. So, how do you find these eager brands? Here are a few tips for connecting with brands:
Show your interest
If there’s a brand you want to work with, follow them on social, share the brand’s posts and offer thoughtful comments.
Make it a point to read or watch what they share. Whether it’s a blog post or a how-to video, actively consume the brand’s content so you’re in the know.
Do some homework
Start a spreadsheet with the brands you’d like to work with and compile research on the sheet.
You’re probably already familiar with their products, but scroll their feeds to familiarize yourself with smaller nuances like the brand’s tone, curated content and partnerships.
Pay particular attention to any influencers that brand works with. What kind of campaigns have they done? Are there identifiable trends? For instance, does the brand tend to work with influencers on Instagram and use Reels as their main type of post? Start posting with brands in mind
What kind of content would entice a brand to work with you? Start thinking about the kind of content you should create to attract a brand.
Let’s say you want to work with a boutique makeup company, and the brand taps a lot of influencers to do product demo videos. Do you have this type of content on your social accounts? If not, add it. When you reach out to the brand, you’ll be able to provide examples.
Your social channels should also be niche-focused. In other words, pick a niche and stick with it. Brands want to work with influencers who have an established identity and tend to stray away from influencers who are just “feed fillers.”
Approach the brand
Figure out who handles influencer marketing for the company and craft a pitch email. This email should be short, succinct and contain the following elements:
- Introduction.
- Product talk.
- Campaign specifics.
- Metrics.
- CTA conclusion.
Your introduction should be a one-liner that introduces you and your niche.
Next, tell the brand exactly which product you’d like to endorse, and why. Tell a quick anecdote about the product too.
Now, talk about campaign specifics. Here’s your chance to use your research and highlight an example that you’ve already created. Remember, focus on the brand, not how awesome you are.
Brands want to know what kind of metrics influencers typically pull in. Offer a statistic or two to show that you’re goal-oriented.
End the email with a call to action, like asking to set up a virtual meeting. Be sure to include links to your social channels, portfolio, and media kit, if you have one.
Check out our influencer outreach email template, too.
Use influencer marketing software
Finding, researching and connecting with brands can be tedious. Influencer marketing software can help. With IZEA, you can find brands that are already interested in working with influencers and collaborate from start to finish in one easy-to-use platform. You can build a robust profile, find opportunities and get paid.
With brands eager to work with nano- and micro-influencers, it’s the ideal time for content creators to reach out. IZEA can help.
Influencers:
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Marketers:
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