Ever been scrolling through social media and seen a small business talking about how sales have skyrocketed because a celeb or major influencer mentioned their brand? You’ve probably thought, “I wish that would happen to my business”.
Sadly the chances of that happening to most businesses are pretty low.
Of course, you could always try to seek out and pay a celeb or influencer to promote your brand. But your budget possibly won’t stretch to that.
But what if we told you there was a way that you could work with influencers without blowing your whole marketing budget? The answer is micro-influencers.
What are micro-influencers?
Micro-influencers are social media influencers that occupy the sphere below those big celebs and large-scale influencers. They generally
- Have follower numbers ranging from 10,000 to 50,000
- Post about things in a specific niche or industry like beauty or fashion tips or crafts and DIY
- Have very engaged followers
What are the benefits of working with micro-influencers?
Relevant followers – Celebs and big influencers have millions of followers but they talk about a lot of stuff. And so only a tiny percentage of their followers might be interested in what you are selling. Micro-influencers have smaller follower numbers but they will be much more relevant to your business.
Better engagement – Micro-influencers’ followers are usually very engaged. They don’t just skip over posts – they like and comment and are likely to take action by buying a product or using a service that is reviewed.
Those two things combined mean that even though they have fewer followers, the percentage of them that will actually interact with your product or service is likely to be higher. So overall you are probably getting a better return on your marketing.
Authenticity – Micro-influencers have a more personal connection with their followers. So, when they recommend something it feels more genuine. They will often show themselves using the product or service. Because larger influencers or celebs get sent tonnes of stuff, it’s not so clear whether they have even used what they are recommending.
You’ll also be more likely to be able to talk to the influencer directly if you work with a micro-influencer, rather than one of their marketing team. That means you can develop more of a connection and explain your product or service more clearly.
Budget – When you are a small brand, budgets are often tight. The amount you need to pay a micro-influencer will be considerably less than someone more well-known. They may even work on the basis that they simply receive the product or service for free in return for a review. That makes influencer marketing a much more cost-effective proposition for you.
How to reach out to and work with micro-influencers
Choose carefully – Even though a micro-influencer’s niche might be narrower you still want to target those on the right social media platform and with the followers closest to your ideal customer. Do some research on different social media platforms and look at the type of content people are posting and what sort of people are commenting. Follow a few influencers for a while to get an idea of their style and how often they post. You will also want to look at how often they share content from partner organisations, or review products. The ideal will be an influencer who is open to product/service reviews and whose followers expect those posts, but where you won’t compete with too many other similar brands.
Build a relationship – Before reaching out with a collaboration proposal, take the time to build a relationship. Follow their account and interact with them consistently over a period to establish a connection. Emphasise how the collaboration can provide value to their followers as well as benefit your business.
Customise your proposal – Tailor your collaboration proposal to each micro-influencer. Show that you’ve done your research and understand their content, audience, and style. Highlight specific ways they can contribute to your brand’s narrative.
Provide creative freedom – Micro-influencers often value creative freedom. So, within, reason, let them present your product or service in a way that feels natural to them and fits with their other posts. You’ll get a more authentic result.
If you’ve been dreaming of working with an influencer but thought it was out of your budget or beyond your capabilities, working with a micro-influencer could be your opening. Head over to your favourite social media platforms and start searching for the right collaboration today.
If you’d like to learn more about how to market your small business and how to create the right marketing strategy, check out our range of courses designed for marketers and business owners.
