Micro-Influencers: the Most Effective Online Marketing Strategy?
The landscape of digital marketing is ever-changing – opportunities for a breakthrough are always a step away. So, both marketers and business owners need to stay up to date with the latest trends. One of the tendencies with the effect of digital marketing is influencers.
Influencer marketing is one of the best ways to get and keep customers on a brand. It already took the market by a storm, and research showed that as early as 2017, 86% of brands were using it.
Thus, no matter the size and niche of a business, it’s imperative that they go down this avenue.
What is Influencer Marketing?
In essence, influencer marketing is a mixture of new marketing tools and those used for decades. It took the idea of celebrity endorsement and placed it into a content-driven modern-day world.
It may seem simple – a celebrity and a brand team up to pitch a product. However, the key to the success of this strategy aren’t commercials, but influencers.
Influencers can be celebrities, but they don’t have to be. Their determining characteristic is a large following on social media. They exist in the form of Instagram photographers, bloggers, and tweeters – everywhere.
There are influential people within every industry. Their following is the target audience of the brands within the same industry.
Why Influencer Marketing Works for Businesses
Influencer marketing is quite gratifying. It’s cost-effective, generates authentic engagement, and builds the presence of the brand online in the long term. Let’s break these down.
Creates Authentic Engagement
Creating authentic content is a challenge. However, in today’s world, where customers continuously get bombarded with content, authenticity alone creates engagement. That’s where influencers step on the stage.
The job of these people already revolves around creating content that’s engaging and authentic. On the other hand, no matter how innovative, witty, and creative, promotional material seems fake. For this reason, connecting to future customers through influencers is a goldmine.
Generates Return on Investment
It’s challenging to measure return on investment for influencer campaigns. It could be conversions, sales, or anything else. The answer depends on the brand’s objectives.
Either way, the consensus among marketing researches claims that hiring influencers for advertising is cost-effective. Also, the highest engagement rate gets generated in narrow niches. For this reason, micro-influencers are both cheaper and more efficient.
Raises Brand Awareness
The vital aspect of marketing, especially when it comes to new businesses, is brand awareness. Everything else – the products, the website, the perks – comes after the customers know about the brand’s existence.
Good news – influence marketing builds exposure. Not only will a name and product be introduced to new audiences, but they will be showcased. Also, remember that future customers believe the influencers – building consumer confidence also takes place.
How to Find Micro-Influencers?
The success of the campaign will depend on the collaboration between the brand and the influencer. Primarily, the influencers need to be relevant to the brand’s niche. After that, they should be a person of trust, and known for promoting products – otherwise, it seems forced.
Reach and Engagement
The influencer’s reach is their fan base. It’s straightforward – the bigger the following, the better the campaign reach. The engagement defines the way their audience interacts with the content. This feature is simple to gauge – it asks for only a look at the comment section.
Relevance
Besides choosing an influencer from their niche, the content style and the personality must align with the brand image.
Platform
Influencers are most often present on all social media platforms but thrive only on one. For this reason, brands need to determine which platform suits their product best. Then, they choose an influencer whose domain is on that platform.
Macro vs Micro
While macro-influencers reach millions of people daily, they may charge hefty sums for promotion. Some companies, especially those with more specific niches, find micro-influencers a better choice. Their audience tends to be more engaged, they charge less, and targeting is easier.
Finding the most relevant influencers is best done via specialized tools. Using an influencer marketing platform can help identify the right person for collaboration. At the same time, they offer a whole host of other perks. They provide amazing benefits for reasonable pricing.
Considerations for an Influencer Platform
These platforms assist brands with their campaigns. They help companies discover influencers and provide all the information the brand may need. Nowadays, the websites include management, analytics, and content amplification as well.
With so many possible options, picking the site that offers the whole package at a fair price is the only reasonable option. Don’t settle for less when it’s possible to get a great service for as low as $59 a month.
The Bottom Line
As customers continue to gravitate towards social media for getting information, this form of marketing will grow in importance. This trend doesn’t seem to be dying out any time soon, so jump on the bandwagon and make the most of it.
