With super-uber-mega-celebrity influencers like Kylie Jenner reportedly demanding around $1 million per Instagram post, brands with more modest budgets can easily assume that influencer marketing just isn't for them.
In fact, leveraging the power of influencers is often seen as the reserve of super huge brands with seemingly endless marketing budgets.
But what if I told you it doesn’t have to be that way? What if I told you that smaller businesses, even start-ups, can benefit from the power of the influencer?
Enter Micro-Influencers!
Micro-influencers are much like they sound.
These are often niche influencers with a smaller following than the behemoths celeb-type influencers. Some define micro-influencers as those with followers roughly between 10k-100k. Personally, we would say this is more like 5k – 20k – although this varies widely on the platform and niche in which they specialise.
For example, an influencer with 20K followers who deals specifically with a very niche audience would likely be considered somewhat of a 'celebrity' in their niche. Flip this on its head and a more generic fitness influencer with 20K followers would certainly be considered 'micro'.
Micro-influencers are often much easier for smaller brands to approach and work with.
Forget About Influencer Reach
Don’t get us wrong. If your primary goal is to be seen by as many people as humanly possible, working with a celebrity influencer may be the best way forward. Some studies even suggest that businesses that work with multiple micro-influencers may not see the same benefits in terms of reach than when working with macro and celebrity influencers.
So why bother working with micro-influencers at all?
Accessibility
Businesses should consider working with micro-influencers because they are simply much more accessible.
This is for two reasons. Firstly, larger influencers are inundated with messages and requests to partner with brands. They also often work with agents, who can make it tricky to get in touch with them in the first place - making grabbing their attention (without some serious cash to flash) near impossible.
Micro-influencers are a lot more receptive to outreach and are less likely to have barriers to access.
Niche Insight
Micro-influencers are often experts in their particular niche. This allows brands to not only tap into their influence but also tap into their industry expertise. The industry insight micro-influencers provide can be particularly helpful for brands when sound boarding new products.
Genuine Influence
Arguably, micro-influencers hold more actual influence over their audience when compared to their larger counterparts. This is because those with smaller audiences are able to more easily communicate and develop relationships with their audience. For larger influencers, this just isn’t humanly possible at such a huge scale.
Of course, this is only true if that micro-influencer is ACTUALLY putting in the time to build those relationships. After all, a smaller following is no guarantee of quality connections. That is why due diligence is always required when working with influencers, whether large or small.
Value Exchange
Paying influencers should never be off the table. After all, if they are ‘desirable’ enough to work with them then their skills are likely to be worth paying for. When influencers are taking considerable skill and time to create content, you must deliver a level of value comparable to their output.
Yet, many micro-influencers will be happy and willing to work with your brand in exchange for other types of value. This value may be free products. But may also include access to events, early access to new products or exposure to a wider audience.
Working With Micro-Influencers: Small & Large Brands
Working with micro-influencers should be part of every brand’s strategy. Larger brands can benefit from working with smaller influencers when combining them with other influencer tiers. This delivers a comprehensive approach to marketing campaigns. Smaller and start-up businesses may find that working with micro-influencers may be the only option given restraints on budget.
If you are interested in working with micro-influencers get in touch with our agency partners MAKE IT MANA for support with your marketing campaigns.