So, what exactly is a micro-influencer?

Influencer marketing is THE thing nowadays. I’m pretty sure you have seen many posts by influencers collaborating with brands and recommending a product, when browsing your social media.

I think influencer marketing is a very interesting subject! Social media gives everyone the chance to connect with others over shared interests, to create engaging content and start ‘influencing’.

In fact, influencer culture has really become an inseparable part of our social media experience. Beautiful pictures and videos promoting certain products have been flooding our home pages over the past couple of years.

Still, social media marketing is a dynamic and fast-paced field and there is something fresh and new all the time. So, even though you’ve heard of influencers, do you know that there are actually nano, micro, macro and mega-influencers?

Why use social media?

Social media is now part of our everyday life! It connects so many people all over the world at any moment offering content on various topics and keeping users entertained. People love spending time online browsing through photos, laughing at memes, searching for info or inspiration. I bet you see people checking their smartphones everywhere and all the time. You can’t help but notice people browsing through social media platforms on the subway for example, in coffee shops or while waiting for their doctor’s appointment.

It’s no surprise then that social media platforms have found their way into other fields as well, earning a special place in marketing. Having in mind the popularity of social media, using it to promote a certain product is a great way for businesses to get people to notice them. What’s even greater about it is that brands can target a certain audience that they find includes potential customers and use strategies to make the ads more appealing to this specific group.

But social media advertising isn’t limited only to a brand’s social media presence. It’s the work with influencers that could really make a business stand out. Influencers can easily share information about a product with many people by posting content from their social media accounts. This ad reaches people with similar interests who take into account the influencers opinion.

Is influencer marketing a good idea?

Why do so many brands prefer working with influencers instead of investing in traditional advertising? We’ve all noticed that nfluencer marketing is now pretty common and most businesses work regularly with content creators on social media.

Basically, advertising campaigns are the result of collaboration between brands and influencers. Photos or videos promoting the product are usually posted on social media channels where they reach their followers.

Essentially, an influencer is someone who influences their audience (didn’t see that one coming, did you?) and what makes them so influential is the large base of followers they have on social media. These are people who have been gradually building their base of followers, sharing their experience, gaining their trust and interacting with them.

What makes influencers different than celebrities is the fact that anyone can become famous on social media. So, an influencer’s base of followers usually includes people who truly enjoy the posted content, share interests or hobbies with the influencer, or like the aesthetics of the photos and videos. The process is quite natural and builds trust between the two sides.

What is a micro-influencer?

The term ‘micro-influencer’ has been appearing everywhere in marketing strategies and has been the subject of multiple articles. So, what exactly are they and why do so many businesses want to work with them?

Just like influencers in general, micro-influencers are social media content creators with a large base of followers. Or at least one that is larger that the followers base of a regular user. They post great photos and videos that catch the eye; people also look up to them for advice, ideas or opinions.

As social media’s role has been becoming more important rapidly and marketing departments have been adapting to changes, the term of influencer itself has evolved in a way. We now distinct different types of influencers depending on the number of followers they have.

What defines an influencer as ‘micro’ is the number of followers. They are considered by most as being anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 followers. So, considerably less than those of ‘traditional influencers’ who have millions following their accounts: they would be called ‘macro-influencers’.

But it’s the micro-influencers who have caught my attention as they have been growing in popularity among brands.

Why brands should choose a micro-influencer over a macro-influencer?

Less is more! Even in the case of social media marketing.

This is what brands have discovered and what has pushed them into making the decision to work with micro instead of macro-influencers. Find below the main advantages of working with someone with a smaller audience below:

Cost

Creating an effective and affordable advertising campaign is every brand’s dream. Thanks to micro-influencers it might be easier than it looks.

Working with a micro-influencer is much more budget-friendly compared to working with a macro-influencer. As the number of followers increases, so does the price of a post created and the investment is not always worth it. It’s important to add that even though macro influencers have a bigger audience the people who will actually buy the product represent a smaller percentage than the one of a micro-influencer’s audience. So, even though more people see the post of a macro-influencer an add made by a micro-influencer is more successful.

Engagement

A smaller audience, means higher level of engagement. In fact, statistics show that after reaching a certain amount of followers, the engagement levels drop significantly and suddenly.

Authenticity is what social media users search for in an influencer. As the demand for working with micro-influencers is smaller, and often it’s them who reach out to brands they love. Sponsored posts present products they really do use and recommend. Therefore, people believe that what they show on their feed reflects what genuinely interests them.

As a result, the audience of a micro-influencer is more engaged with the content they post and take their reviews and recommendations into account. So even if a sponsored post is seen by fewer people, it will still make a bigger impact onto potential customers.

Trust

Trust is an essential element of all business relations. It’s also an important part of every influencer’s work, as it has a lot to do with communication.

Influencers with a smaller number of followers interact more often with other social media users and have a better connection with them. Communication is an important element in the process of building trust between an influencer and their followers.

Another advantage of micro-influencers is the fact that a big part of them are experts in a certain field. So, they attract people who are interested in the same specific topic and form a community where ideas are being shared.

Final thoughts…

Over the past couple of years influencers have become an important part of the marketing universe. Brands work with them and launch creative advertising campaigns using their social media presence to make their products popular. At the same time, social media users turn to their favorite influencers for comments, reviews and recommendations. It’s modern, it’s useful, it’s a great opportunity for brands and everyday people to work together!

As influencers have found their place in the marketing world, it’s important to notice that there are various influencer types. Depending on their niche or interests, and most of all depending on their number of followers they fall into different categories. And it’s more and more common for brands to prefer working with influencers with a smaller audience, or also known as ‘micro-influencers’.

As studies show, the pros of working with micro-influencers are numerous! With more affordable conditions and higher levels of engagement, the marketing campaigns tend to be more successful than if they were made working with a macro-influencer. What’s more, micro-influencers are more trusted by their followers and appreciated for their authenticity and sincerity. So, the chances are the brand and their product will be better received by the micro influencer’s engaged audience.

Trying to keep up with all the news around social media is always interesting. It’s all so dynamic and exciting when it comes to influencer marketing and creative strategies!

Have you noticed if you prefer content by micro or macro-influencers?