What is a micro-influencer, and why you should consider using one?

Today, consumer behaviour has changed, and businesses need to find innovative ways to differentiate themselves from the competition. Social media has a 100 per cent higher lead-to-close rate than outbound marketing.

However, it would be best if you had a solid strategy to enjoy the benefits associated with social media marketing. A good number of companies have worked with influencers to promote their brand and products, with some success, and failure. This strategy is not new, but using micro-influencers effectively is.

Micro-influencer marketing is increasingly becoming an effective way of connecting with audiences and driving engagement. Leveraging social proof and thought leaders to enhance your brand, drive sales, and increase engagement.

Who is a micro-influencer?

A micro-influencer is an everyday consumer whose social media following ranges from 1,000 to 10,000 fans. These individuals have a smaller audience than influencers but are highly engaged.

They have a lot of authority in the specific niches and industries they focus on, and their Instagram content is real.

Considering they are influencers on a smaller scale, these Instagram users are usually highly valued and trusted by their followers. Their authority and influence make them a valuable asset when it comes to promoting your brand on social media.

Why micro-influencers are so effective

Incorporating micro-influencers into your marketing strategy can deliver fantastic results for your brand. It can also be a highly cost-effective way to drive new sales. Below are a few reasons why this makes for a winning strategy:

Better engagement rates

Compared to their more famous counterparts, micro-influencers have higher engagement rates. In essence, micro-influencers have genuine conversations that resonate with their users, a factor that drives engagement. These personalized conversations lead to more likes, comments, and brand exposure for you.

More targeted audiences

Because micro-influencers have specific niche audiences, choosing the right one will help you pass your brand message to people who are likely to be interested in your product. When you use a micro-influencer, there is a good chance your brand message will have a greater impact.

You will have typically chosen them because they have a close brand affinity.

They either speak to an audience about your subject area, work in your industry, or use products or services aligned with your business.

Authenticity

The modern consumer is savvier than ever before. They will do their research about your brand before engaging and doing business with you. Because micro-influencers are real people who share real content, followers see the influencer as one of them.

This relatability makes it easy to develop a personal connection that helps build trust and credibility.

Social proof being one of the most important influencing principles online and off-line.

High conversion rates

Micro-influencers are uniquely placed to help promote your brand. These social influencers often have a passion for a specialist topic, which has a considerable effect on their followers' buying decisions. Because the recommendations they make can be of real value, micro-influencers can help you improve your conversion rates.

As opposed to celebrity influencers, that will also be able to push the needle, but unless your product has broad appeal and is profitable, this can be a high-risk strategy.

Why you should consider using them

When it comes to social media marketing, every company wants to be successful and realize a decent return on investment. Here is why you should work with micro-influencers to boost your marketing efforts:

They are easier to engage.

Celebrities and famous people have a full-time job that involves maintaining their popularity. So they will be very selective about the companies and products they endorse. They are presented with countless options, and in turn, the demand for them to run influencer campaigns is a lot higher.

Of course, this means that even if they choose your service or product, you may have to stretch your budget further than you thought. Because they are a celebrity, there is a real danger you might get caught up in the moment, and allocate a higher budget that compromises the viability of the campaign.

On the other hand, micro-influencers tend to be more friendly and eager to work with brands. They are easier to negotiate with, and finding micro-influencers is often a lot easier. They have engaged audiences and will be more than happy to generate content on your behalf.

Deep audience insights

Most micro-influencers connect with their followers on a personal level through engaging conversations. The deep insights they obtain about their audience allow them to find effective ways to get the best response and maximize results.

Their audience will comment, share and engage helping drive word of mouth marketing for your brand.

They are more affordable than the famous names.

Mostly, working with famous influencers will require that you have a high budget. Micro-influencers are more affordable and will help you run long-term campaigns with measurable impact. This significantly lower cost allows advertisers to achieve a higher ROI.

When looking for the right Instagram micro-influencer, you should make sure that they are relevant to your niche. Finding these influencers is easier, reducing operation cost that is seldom factored in when you have full-time staff. But it does represent the total cost of a program and impact ROI.

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