Raise your hand if you’ve ever been victimized by Regina George and/or buying something online that either a celebrity, influencer, blogger, or even friend has raved about?

You are not alone, friend, you are not alone. Social media gets the best of us. A couple of hours later scrolling on social media, we are about 5 online orders in.

Are you using influencer marketing for your brand? We see influencer marketing strategies implemented within many businesses, especially product based ones. Influencer marketing can not only help amplify brand awareness, but it is also a great way to build trust between your brand and new customers. Your new audience is essentially being ‘referred’ to your brand through someone they follow online. And, what’s still the number one way to market your business? You got it, referral marketing.

Recently, there has been an uptick with brands working with micro-influencers and have seen a great ROI (return on investment). Micro-influencers typically have very high engagement, brands are encouraged to work with micro-influencers now more than ever. ExpertVoice shared that micro-influencers are 22.2X more likely to bring in a conversion. They also suggested that 82% of customers said they would rather get referrals from micro-influencers,

First, what is a micro-influencer?

“A micro-influencer is someone who has between 1,000 to 10,000 followers. They focus on a specific niche or area and they are generally regarded as an industry expert or topic specialist.”

Sure influencers with large followings look like they can kill any collaboration or product they push, but the industry is changing. Don’t get us wrong, the right influencer collaboration can be amazing for you and your business, but a large following doesn’t necessarily mean it is a guaranteed success.

Micro-influencers have a smaller follower count, but establish themselves as experts in their niche through community and trust with their audience. Small influencers also have strong relationships with their followers, through authentic and meaningful conversations. These relationships feel like a friend that you have the same interests, rather than a salesperson. Overall, there can be a more engaged community, which leads metrics like engagement and website clicks to be overall stronger than their larger competitors.

A few ways to collaborate with micro-influencers for content include photos, videos, or even blog posts! Remember, make sure that collaborations are mutually beneficial. While everyone understands that your products cost money, remember that the influencer’s time and effort is money too. Creating content is no easy task! So, while some brands work with micro-influencers through exchange or products, the cost of working with  micro-influencers at most times is much more cost effective for brands, especially brands who are just starting out.

We want to know, do you prefer content from big influencers or micro-influencers? DM us on Instagram to share your answers with us!

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