Micro-Influencers: Social Media Marketing
DIY Sprocket Solutions
We now live in a time where people trust social media platforms as a sort of news source. When it comes to social media marketing, and specifically when it comes to brands on social media, authenticity is key. Social networks are giant now. It’s clear that businesses need to have an online presence, but this means that the waters are a little diluted. Influencers can offer a lot of benefits to brands trying to reach more followers and new audiences. It’s not just influencers in general that businesses should be focused on. Micro-influencers may be an even more valuable tool to small businesses on social media.
From EContent:
According to Marketing Dive’s research, the engagement levels drop as the social media follow numbers increase. Micro-influencers with 1,000 followers get about 4% more engagement than influencers with 10,000 followers. Getting the attention of established influencers who have already built alliances and have busy calendars is a time-consuming and difficult task. On the contrary, micro-influencers—who are, in fact, employees, happy consumers, and enthusiastic social media fans—are relatively easy to connect and communicate with.
Think of it this way, you are accomplishing the same reach, visibility and engagement that you would with a very established influencer. However, you are accomplishing this while easily measuring the impact of the campaign and easily finding and engaging with that influencer in the first place. Micro-influencers are like the mini celebrities. They are not the full blown, 10,000+ followers, social media personalities. These micro-influencers are offering real, relatable recommendations to people.
Because they don’t have this high social media celebrity status, they are more genuine and believable to consumers. This means that consumers are more likely to act on their suggestions. The first thing most people do these days before trying a new product or service is research it. They look up reviews and recommendations online. They are watching videos of people who have tried these products and services to know that to expect. These reviews may come in the form of a blog, a video, an instagram post, etc. The human element is an impactful one.
Real people want to see other real people using the real products and then giving a real testimonial. You can start by searching for people who talk about your specific topic a lot. Say you have a makeup product –you’ll want to find an influencer that writes blogs about or posts videos on different makeup products they are trying. This should be someone who has expertise on the subject, but not someone with a million followers that you’ll be in line for a year to get your product in front of. You want someone who knows products in your industry, has a small and solid following, and who has a lot of engagement. You’ll then need to come up with a mutually beneficial agreement before moving forward.
Micro-influencers may just be the movement that changes marketing in 2017. It is certainly a valuable tool for small businesses and major brands alike. This approach is incorporating the social media aspect, the human aspect, and the recommendation aspect of marketing.
Have you had experience with micro-influencers in the past? Would you be more likely to try a product that was highly recommended through an influencer or a micro-influencer? Why do you think so? What is the value to small businesses? Comment below!
Breanne Bannon
Breanne is a Content Writer, Social Media Marketeer, and Sales Associate for Sprocket Websites.
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