The internet is at everyone’s fingertips. According to SmartInsights, as of October 2021, 4.55 billion people use social media. No wonder it has become a marketing platform for businesses. Celebrities are now influencers who drive purchase decisions for their loyal followers.
Influencers are the best thing since sliced bread. But forget bread; they’re selling like hot cakes. They’re creating huge returns, and they’re only set to keep growing.”
Emily Warna, Brand Marketing Executive at TikTok
Micro-influencer marketing has gained popularity in the B2B marketing domain.
What is Micro Influencer Marketing?
Engaging an influencer with millions of followers may not be easy for many businesses because of the cost factor, availability, or time taken to foster a relationship with them. Micro-influencer marketing focuses on engaging micro-influencers who have a following of a few thousand upto about a hundred thousand in
social media marketing and digital marketing. They create and publish relevant marketing content on their platforms.
Who Are Micro Influencers and How to Find Them?
Micro influencers could be anybody- your neighbor, travel enthusiasts, pet dogs, babies, zoos, you name it. Their accounts, though not as big as celebrity accounts, cater to a niche audience and have high content engagement. They focus on word of mouth rather than acting like boastful idols. They are laidback, more relatable, and mostly candid while interacting with their followers because they do not have any constraints like celebrities. Building a business relationship with such accounts is easier as compared to macro influencers.
Micro-influencers have a 20% higher conversion rate than macro-influencers because they are not celebrities but ordinary people who successfully manage their accounts. This increases their credibility and influence.
Here are some tips to find a relevant micro-influencer for your business:
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Use CRM tools to find influencers on your customer list.
Scrutinize your email list and social media followers to look for a micro-influencer.
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Scout your brand hashtag on social media.
See if this account aligns with your brand values and meets your criteria.
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Narrow down your search by using the location filter.
Meet local micro-influencers personally to initiate a healthy association.
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Set your micro-influencer campaign goals and ROI.
Figure out your expectations from the marketing campaign to find a relevant influencer.
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Create clear campaign guidelines for your influencer.
Clearly document the role you expect your influencer to play in the campaign.
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Shortlist micro-influencers who match your needs.
Choose the best-fitting influencers from your list and get ready to approach them.
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Construct an impressive pitch to woo the influencer.
Your pitch should have an introduction, details about the campaign, and your payment offer.
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Figure out how to get in touch with the influencers.
Depending on the contact info available, contact the influencer at an appropriate time.
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Pitch your campaign offer transparently.
State the terms of your campaign, negotiate if necessary, and confirm the association.
Characteristics of an Ideal Micro Influencer
Finding a good micro-influencer is easy once you know the kind of account you are looking for. An ideal micro-influencer has the following characteristics:
Credibility
A decent follower count and engagement rate equals high credibility. Micro-influencers achieve this credibility by creating relatable content. An influencer with a loyal following can deliver amazing results with respect to engagement and conversions.
Involvement
A good micro influencer is passionately involved in maintaining their web presence (website, YouTube channel, TikTok and social media). Working with someone who isn’t keen on uploading content regularly may impact your campaign.
Penchant for Quality
Dedicated influencers put out high-quality niche content regularly, interact with their audience, create pleasing posts, and upload informative videos and well-drafted opinion pieces to reaffirm the trust their followers have in them.
Professionalism
Nobody likes to work with unprofessional individuals who do not follow through on their commitments. Professional influencers will not slack in uploading quality content, will remain approachable, creative, and collaborative while executing their role in a marketing strategy.
Creativity
Creative content wins over a niche audience and contributes to engagement. The influencer should know the current trends, infuse the content with unique charm, and do the most when it comes to collaborative brand content hosted on their website or social media platforms to drive engagement.
Affordability
It makes no sense to hire a micro-influencer who charges as much as a macro-influencer. Micro-influencers should be affordable and approachable.
How Do Micro-Influencers Contribute to Business Growth?
Micro-influencers impact their audience. This impact is gained over time through good content, engagement, and a consistent web presence. If relevant micro influencers are a part of your marketing strategy, they can contribute to your business growth in the following ways:
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They create brand awareness through regularly shared quality content.
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Collaborative brand content created with influencers brings real engagement.
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They can positively influence their followers’ purchase decisions.
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They are trusted by their followers, so their words count.
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Micro-influencers are normal people, not celebrities. They have higher authenticity and conversion rates.
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They are affordable as compared to macro or mega influencers and can be easily available for campaigns.
When compared to macro-influencers, micro-influencer platforms can increase engagement by up to 60%, according to SocialBakers. According to ThinkWithGoogle, 60% of YouTube subscribers base their purchasing decisions on the advice of their favorite content creators. Additionally,
influencer marketing enhances ABM strategies. These statistics are proof that it works and can bring about exponential business growth, brand awareness and conversions.
How to Measure the Success of Your Influencer Marketing Campaign?
To measure the success of your micro-influencer campaigns, take a look at the following parameters:
Backlinks
Measure the number of backlinks that are linked to the sponsored content put out by your micro influencer.
Mentions
Calculate the mentions your brand gets in the comments and reposts of the sponsored content shared by your influencer.
Brand Awareness
Measure traffic coming to your brand page from your influencer’s channels using tracking software.
Brand Engagement
Measure how popular a brand hashtag shared by your influencer gets. You can also measure the change in your follower count and engagement as it directly translates to ROI.
Landing Pages
Check the clicks on the landing pages that your influencer shares using Google Analytics.
Affiliate Links
Track sales or inquiries received through affiliate links your influencers share on their channels.
How Daniel Wellington Expanded Their Customer Base Using Micro Influencers Jasper and Louie
Daniel Wellington engaged an Instagram account dedicated to a pair of dogs (Jasper and Louie) for a campaign. This campaign showcased the dogs with their owners wearing Daniel Wellington watches. It received a great response from a unique customer segment apart from fashion and tourists.
The importance of influencer marketing strategy and the value of micro-influencers is growing because of the higher ROI they generate.
Influencer marketing tactics will hold a prime position in the B2B and B2C marketing domains in 2022.
FAQ
Where can you find micro-influencers?
You can find micro-influencers from different industries on social media. You can also use tools to find influencers relevant to your industry.
What are the benefits of a micro-influencer marketing strategy?
Its strategy brings real engagement, brand awareness, and higher conversions than macro-influencer marketing and is affordable. Its success can be tracked in terms of ROI.