Boost your marketing efforts by investing in the rise of micro influencers
A few months ago, I had a burning question. I couldn’t make it 30 seconds through my Instagram feed without seeing an influencer, and I wanted to know why. One focus group, 90 surveys and 23 pages of research later, I now believe micro-influencers may be the future of digital marketing.
Anyone I follow could be considered a “micro-influencer,” as opposed to a celebrity or “macro-influencer,” and although there is debate over what “micro” means here numerically, it is usually anywhere between the 1k-50k follower range.
How does it work?
Essentially, micro-influencers are contacted by a brand (or vice versa) and given free or discounted products in exchange for a review. They post an Instagram “story” or photo reviewing and showcasing the product. Their friends are intrigued, they check out your brand, and the profits come rolling in.
Need more facts? Have you been hesitant to buy into the age of influencer advertising? Here are a few simple reasons why it works, why it’s worth it and why there’s no need to hesitate adding this tactic to your digital marketing strategy.
Instagram Sells
The stats: Instagram has 800 million monthly active users and 500 million daily active users; 32% of all U.S. internet users are on Instagram. Engagement with brands on Instagram is 10 times higher than Facebook and 84 times higher than Twitter.
In a recent Linqia study, not only did 92% of companies surveyed choose Instagram as the most important social platform for influencer marketing, but 99.3% of participating influencers reported Instagram as their social network of choice.
Based on the research I conducted, Instagram is rising as an online shopping tool, and influencers are preferred over sponsored ads because of one key thing: authenticity.
Authenticity Sells
Peer-to-peer advertising is remarkably effective, and that’s precisely what micro-influencer marketing is. If a friend recommends something to you, you’re likely to try it out. Your friend has no incentive to convince you to buy something, so you know it must be worth a purchase.
In the same sense, micro-influencers are lesser-known social media users who are usually only given a sample product and no payment. All micro-influencers I follow are extremely honest –if they don’t like something, they aren’t afraid to let their followers know. To have someone like this review your brand positively is to cultivate authenticity.
You’ll Save Money
Depending on the user’s audience and experience, most brands typically pay $5 to $20 for a post – or simply send a product sample for review. Need I say more?
The best part about micro-influencer advertising is it costs absolutely nothing to test. If you aren’t sure whether or not your brand could benefit from this tactic, sending a few products to eager Instagram users is the best way to find out.
Give in to the rise of the micro-influencers and you might start seeing macro results.