So us bloggers and "social influencers" are constantly bombarded with the pressure to gain more followers. We instantly envy those accounts that seem to just click and gain 100k on their instagram following, or those Facebook accounts that are packed full of comments and messages.
This gives rise to the "influencer" and means "influencer marketing" has turned to the digital world in a big way. There's no denying it, the more followers you have, the wider your reach! That makes sense. BUT...
...it doesn't necessarily mean that you can't be just as influential, with a smaller following...
What is a Micro-Influencer?
Well broadly speaking, an "influencer" has somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 followers plus.
A "micro-influencer" will have 1,000 to 10,000 followers. They are likely to be more niche but have an engaged and interactive audience. And that's where the value comes in for brands.
Micro-Influencers have better engagement rates
We all follow our favourite celebrities...even our favourite bloggers are like celebs now! We have them in our feed, we look at their posts and occasionally we'll click through and want to copy their style, for example. I know I've done it!
But have you even commented on a post? Did you receive a reply? Probably not.
Have you wanted to ask for some advice from said celeb and sent a DM? Did you receive a reply? Probably not.
Have you ordered that same dress your celeb idol was wearing in the hopes it'll look the same on you? Did you send it back a week later? Probably.
Well that's the difference between an influencer and a micro-influencer.
In its analysis, Markerly determined the following:
- Instagram users with fewer than 1,000 followers generated likes 8% of the time
- Users with 1,000-10,000 followers earned likes at a 4% rate
- Users with 10,000-100,000 followers achieved a 2.4% like rate
- Users with 1-10 million followers earned likes only 1.7% of the time.
Micro-Influencers charge less
The other element that's making micro-influencers more appealing to brands? They cost less! A celeb endorsement can cost thousands of pounds. Where as a micro-influencer may charge as little as £75 per posting.
That, teamed with a more authentic approach to content (generally) and a great level of engagement with their small but interactive audience, makes for an appealing prospect for brands.
Moral of the story?
Don't focus just on numbers!
We all have different goals for our blogs and social accounts. Some of you will become celebrities...at least in your field. But some of you won't want that and your blog-life will sit comfortably in the micro-influencer category, ticking-away, creating awesome content and some cash along the way too.
Being a micro-influencer showcases you as an expert. People come to you with questions, advice, suggestions, recommendations. People are influenced.
Work with brands
So you didn't think you'd be appealing to some of the brands you know and love? Think again.
Many brands are running successful campaigns, just with micro-influencers. So think outside the box. Look at what brands are doing in their social campaigns. Are they offering blogger take-overs? Are they encouraging you to interact on a certain #. Do it. Get in touch. Have confidence!
