When it comes to influence, the more followers a person has, the better, right? Not quite.
Although celebrities can be influential, everyday, average Joe social media users (aka micro-influencers) can have an even bigger impact.
A celebrity influencer might be able to get the message out about your brand to hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of people. But there’s a catch.
According to Women’s Wear Daily, “brands reportedly shell out $100,000 to $300,000 for a single sponsored Instagram post from Kylie Jenner.” If you don’t have that kind of budget (and a lot of brands don’t), you might think that there’s no way you can get your foot in the door of influencer and social media marketing.
There’s good news, though. Micro-influencers, or everyday influencers, tend to be less expensive but not less effective than their big-name celebrity counterparts. If you haven’t tried working with an everyday influencer yet, learn more about the power of the micro-influencer.
What Are Micro-Influencers?
The definition of a micro-influencer is pretty nebulous. Micro-influencers are most commonly classified as social media users with between 10,000 and 50,000 social media followers. But despite that smaller following, micro-influencers tend to have higher levels of engagement. According to MediaKix, Instagram influencers with less than 100,000 followers tend to have the highest rates of engagement.
Gnack’s CEO Chris Gonzalez reported to DigiDay, “We see micro-influencers get an average of two-to-five times more organic engagement per Instagram post, compared to those with more than 100,000 followers.”
Why a Micro-Influencer Can Be a Better Fit for Your Brand
There’s nothing small about the power of micro-influencers. The niche quality of their following also helps them build stronger relationships, which delivers strong results for brand campaigns. But that’s not the only way micro-influencers can boost your brand. In case you’re on the fence about whether to go small, here are some of the biggest benefits micro-influencers have to offer:
Micro-Influencers Drive Sales
Case studies comparing campaign results between a mega influencer and a micro-influencer are eye-opening. The results hint at one of the most important powers of micro-influencers. In one study, both of the subject influencers shared the same niche, had experience, included high-quality images and were well-respected. While the mega influencer had more shares and likes, the micro influencer’s efforts yielded more than 100 sales compared to the mega influencer’s five sales.
At first blush, that might seem surprising, but micro-influencers are so dialed into their audience. Many consumers are suffering from influencer fatigue and passing by the content shared by big names. But the content from micro-influencers feels more like the advice of a trusted friend. It can resonate more effectively, giving brands an edge when it comes to boosting sales.
Micro-Influencers Have Highly-Targeted Audiences
Size only gets you so far when it comes to marketing. A big-time Instagram influencer like Kylie Jenner might have millions of followers, but those followers are likely to come from all walks of life. Some might be teenage girls, some might be middle-aged men, some might be sports fans with no interest in fashion, others might be into fashion and beauty but not sports. Still, others might be into food or cooking and have no clue who the teams are or what’s going on in the world of fashion.
Meanwhile, a smaller influencer might have a more focused following. For example, a fashion blogger with an Instagram following of 10,000 might be followed by people who are purely interested in clothes and style. If your brand sells clothes, it makes sense to partner with the influencer who works in that niche, rather than the influencer who is trying to appeal to all people at all times.
Micro-Influencers Engage With Their Followers
Hundreds of thousands or millions of followers are tough to keep up with. It seems like the fewer followers an influencer has, the higher the engagement rate. Research from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) reveals that micro-influencers converse with their followers roughly 22 percent more than other influencers. They care about their subject matter and aren’t afraid to give them one-to-one recommendations and attention.
Micro-Influencers Give Your Brand More Bang for Its Buck
If you do have the budget to hire a macro influencer with a huge following, your company might spend its entire budget on that one social sponsorship project and not really get anything out of it. If the partnership doesn’t lead to an increase in sales or conversions for you, you’ve just spent thousands with nothing to show for it.
Working with a group of micro-influencers allows you to spread your budget around. Instead of giving one person $10,000, you’re able to give 10 influencers $1,000 each. If one doesn’t work out, you’ve only invested $1,000 in them and the partnership doesn’t feel like such a waste. The more influencers you work with, the more likely it is that your brand will see some measurable result.
Along with being more affordable and often more effective, micro-influencers tend to be easier to connect with. Good luck trying to get a big-time Instagram star to respond to your queries. Everyday influencers, like everyday people, tend to be much more approachable.
Micro-Influencers Champion Your Brand
To reap the most benefits, it’s important to partner with the right micro-influencers. Look for candidates with consistent engagement. Check out the content they’re already sharing and face they present across multiple channels. Ultimately, micro-influencers who share your brand values will have a positive impact on brand recognition, loyalty and sales.
Looking for the right micro-influencers to partner with? Leverage the power of a marketplace with millions of options when you discover influencers using IZEAx Discovery or hire an influencer right away with Shake.
Influencers:
Looking to partner with industry-leading brands? Create your free profile today.
Marketers:
The world’s biggest brands trust IZEA. Find which of our influencer marketing software or managed service solutions are right for you.
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our Managed Services offerings
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our
Managed Services offerings
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our Managed Services offerings
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
Learn more about our Managed Services offerings