Guest Times: How micro-influencers is a growing trend

Influencer marketing is on the rise and has been since 2017, but will the new trend of micro-influencers prove to be beneficial for brands? And what do brands need to know before they engage with them?

Sea of advertising

To say that advertising is a booming industry would be an understatement. On an average, any modern person is bombarded with at least 5,000 ads a day. 5,000 different commercials, 5,000 different products in one single day. If this does not spell out ‘clutter’ I don’t know what does.

It’s an uphill task for a brand to grab a person’s intrigue among the thousands of commercials they are exposed to; but if you do it the right way, it’s half the battle won.

But more importantly, it’s not just about standing out from the crowd, it is about building that recognition, that trust, that connection with the target audiences which pays off in the long run.

People understand people

This is exactly why marketers have tuned to people for help. People can build trust, people can make a connection. Rather than having the brand talk where thousands are talking, they have found the right mouth pieces in the form of influencers.

While 92% marketers were expected to launch at least one influencer campaign in 2018; 89% of marketers found the medium to be effective. This only goes to show the amount of power they have over a brand’s reputation.

To understand better this new trend that took everybody by storm in 2017, we need to understand the different kind of influencers that are there. On an overall level, here are two kinds, macro and micro influencers, who help make or break a brand’s image.

What’s a macro influencer?

Macro or mega influencers have a huge following owing to their celebrity status or popularity. Brands approach them for eyeballs, the impressions, purely the numbers. Which is why they’re great for brand awareness and visibility on a mass scale. But it also means that these influencers don’t really contribute in a big way towards relationship building with the consumers.

Micro influencers

That’s what makes micro influencers a better pick. These influencers would not have high follower counts. But the followers that they do have would be people who are exactly the TG that they need. These influencers are known for their niche interests and content, which makes people seek them out for information and expertise. When they review brands or suggest them, there’s a layer of trust. There’s acceptance to hear the truth. And in a way really pushes the credibility of the brands as well.

So, here’s what a brand needs to know for 2019 when it comes to micro influencers

Quality over quantity: It’s not about getting influencers with a million followers who aren’t really your TG. Rather research and collaborate with micro-influencers who have just the TG you need.

Engagement over eyeballs: Even while you pick your micro-influencers, make sure you pick the ones with higher engagement rates. This will help you get a sense of what the TG thinks rather than just seeing numbers that don’t really mean anything. Micro-influencers that fuel conversations are the best kinds. PS: Larger the follower base lower the engagement rate, so you need to find the right balance.

ROI: When micro-influencers tweet out positive attributes about a brand or product, it definitely drives consideration. There’s been a considerable amount of purchases that have happened with a mere tweet.

Be a part of that relationship: Do not enforce the brand into the message when dealing with micro-influencers. Watch the relationship the influencer and his or her followers share. Watch the conversations happening. Watch the tone in which they communicate and then find your stance. Find a way in which the brand fits well rather than just being a third wheel.

A long-term relationship: Rather than engaging these influencers for shorter stints, it would be great if you got them on board as ambassadors for your brand.  The longer the relationship, the better would be your credibility with the TG that follows them.

360 degree: Further to the last point, you could engage with them in a variety of ways. From unboxing videos, reviews, regular pushes for events, launches, you could even have them take over your brand page once a while for an expert session. These are ways in which you would constantly be seen by the TG and thereby improve brand visibility and loyalty.

While 2017 and 2018 saw influencer marketing booming and a huge spike in marketers collaborating with them; 2019 would definitely be the year for highly targeted strategies when it comes to employing macro and micro influencers with a right mix.

You just got to remember it’s not always about the number of followers, but the quality of them. And ask yourself one simple question, did your brand get what it was looking for?

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of BestMediaInfo.com and we do not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

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