The current digital landscape has made one thing clear: Consumers now want to follow people, not companies. Online content creators and influencers have become vital pillars of nearly every successful marketing approach.
Marketers don’t have to look hard to find influencers. The challenge is finding the right creators and maximizing their sponsored content on social media.
And spoiler alert: Choosing the right influencer or content creator doesn’t always mean partnering with the influencer with the largest following. The best influencer for your marketing campaign is one who aligns with your brand’s values, audience and budget.
It boils down to authenticity, which is important to consumers, too. About 47% say they want authenticity from influencers, even in sponsored content, according to Sprout Social’s 2024 Influencer Report. The report features feedback from 2,000 consumers and highlights another growing brand strategy: partnering with micro-influencers.
With 40% of consumers saying they prefer to interact with micro- and nano-influencers, these small-but-mighty creators open the door for brands to reach highly engaged, niche communities.
Here’s what you need to know about micro-influencers and how to leverage them for a successful influencer marketing campaign.
What are micro-influencers?
Today, brands increasingly turn to micro-influencers—content creators with smaller but highly engaged followings—as a key strategy in their marketing efforts.
Unlike mega-influencers or celebrities, micro-influencers typically have between 1,000 to 100,000 followers. They are often considered more relatable to their audiences, driven by the higher engagement rates and stronger trust levels micro-influencers maintain with their communities.
What are the benefits of partnering with a micro-influencer?
Many companies believe that partnering with influencers with large followings will help them achieve their goals. But despite the wider reach, there are drawbacks to consider.
Expense
As follower counts grow, so does the cost of collaborating with influencers—and the expense isn’t always worth it. Although many users may see a macro-influencer’s content, our agency’s experience shows that only a small portion of those followers take action, be it making a purchase, downloading a PDF or subscribing to a newsletter. Unless your brand is solely focused on awareness, you may get a limited return on investment.
Availability
Because of their large followings, macro-influencers are often in high demand. For brands, this can require more planning time upfront, especially if a campaign needs to launch at a specific time. Micro-influencers tend to not get as many paid partnerships, allowing more flexibility in their publishing schedules.
Authenticity
As influencers become more popular, more brands want to work with them. But maintaining authenticity is crucial to an influencer’s success. The more sponsored content an influencer posts, the more their followers may question their motives.
Micro-influencers can create a close-knit and trustworthy online community of people who value their opinions as if they were coming from a friend. Brands must carefully research influencers and consider the frequency of their sponsored content and tone to gauge their sincerity and commitment to the brands they endorse.
Niche Markets
Micro-influencers can engage audiences in specific topics of interest. They are often experts in their field and have followers due to their unique interests. Brands can leverage these specialized communities for targeted marketing, which is challenging to achieve with macro-influencers.
Valued Content
Although a micro-influencer might have a smaller audience, they are valuable content creators. Consider partnering with a micro-influencer to not only create sponsored content but also to capture user-generated content (UGC) that brands can then leverage across their owned channels.
Case Study: Truluck’s Micro-Influencers in Motion
At Motion, we work with small-scale influencers across industries to reach their target audiences and build authentic partnerships.
In June, we hosted micro-influencer Michelle Thompson (@everythingchele) to dine at Truluck’s, a premier seafood restaurant with locations across the U.S. When partnering with a micro-influencer like Michelle, we looked at the benefits outlined above and found that she was a great fit for a multitude of reasons.
First, her niche audience is specific to Chicago, a key market area for our client, and targets Gen Z to Millennials, another key audience demographic. Michelle’s content is happy hour and food-focused, so working with a brand like Truluck’s is true to who she is as a content creator and resonates with her audience, as reviewing happy hour menus is something naturally occurring on Michelle’s channels.
Additionally, using a micro-influencer like Michelle was cost-effective for Truluck’s, and we were able to secure two sponsored Reels for her to post on her channels as well as the content usage rights for Truluck’s to repurpose on their own social channels.
With influencer marketing only continuing to grow, it is important to recognize the value and effectiveness that partnering with a micro-influencer can have on your marketing strategy and brand partnerships—not only getting a better value on high-quality content but also in reaching and building trust within those niche target markets, which for some can hold a higher value than simply reaching a large audience.
Ready to get started on your own micro-influencer marketing strategy? Contact us today to set your influencer plan in motion.
