Winning Over a Following: How Micro Influencers Can Boost Your Brand’s Strategy

Posted: August 5, 2020 | Last updated: April 4, 2024

Influencers may appear to be a dime a dozen. Social media’s rise paved the way for more access and reach for budding influencers. Yet even among their ranks, there are different classifications as to how influencers can affect a marketing campaign.

Focusing on micro influencers may be a good crucial point, whether you are a big-time brand or a budding start-up. Here are a few key things to remember when planning out your brand’s influencer marketing strategy.

Albeit micro influencers do not have the huge following that macro influencers enjoy, they have been proven to benefit businesses of all sorts and sizes. If you have yet to exploit this new marketing method, now would be a good time to learn how micro influencers can boost your brand strategy.

How Do They Differ From Other Influencers

Generally, there are four types of influencers. Each niche is divided by their follower count. Those with the biggest follower count, amount to around more than one million followers. They belong to the upper crust of influencers because their other industries give them a unique following. Mega influencers can be actors, spokespersons, models, TV personalities, musicians, and major trendsetters.

Those who focus their energy on the social media realm are called social media influencers. Their follower count can reach anywhere between 100,000 to one million followers, thus making them macroinfluencers. They may have started out as YouTube or Instagram personalities who have made their names into brands in themselves.

Smaller niched influencers: Micro and nano

Going down the line of follower count, the smallest would be the nano influencers. Compared to the micro influencers, which usually have 10,000 to 100,000 followers, nano influencers tend to only have 10,000 followers or less.

Nano influencers are considered to be thought leaders or public personalities in a specific niche. Compared to the two biggest influencer types, they specialize in their own field. What makes them a good partner in brand building is that, as thought leaders, their followers, no matter how small, trust their opinions.

What is a micro influencer?

Micro influencers may be considered in-between personalities. Most people wonder how many followers does a micro influencer have. They essentially have anywhere between 10,000 and 100,000 followers.

Some micro influencers may be entrepreneurs who are still focused on their industries. Micro influencers on Instagram may have their own brands on the platform.

When comparing micro influencers 2019 with micro influencers 2020, it may seem that their numbers would have at least doubled. This won’t be surprising, considering how more entrepreneurs are expanding their horizons and capabilities.

Between customers and influencers

A common question that people ask about this niche is this: “How many followers do you need to be a micro influencer?” But a better question would be to examine what the benefits of being one are, and how it can help not just another brand, but also build their brand as a trusted entrepreneur and influencer.

One advantage that micro influencers have is their  unique position of being both customer and influencer. Most of the time, micro influencers seek out the services and goods they enjoy.

They are the test drivers who like to share their findings. They are the samplers who will give honest feedback. Most micro influencers start by creating their own voice in a niche. From there, the fans will get to see if their approach resonates with their own ways of consumption.

Best of all, with the high use of social media, many aspiring influencers want to establish their own chunk of the market. Chances are you will likely find an influencer in almost any industry.

Benefits of Working With Micro Influencers

When first making an entrance in the influencer marketing industry, it’s important to be wise about where you allocate your budget. You also need to streamline your efforts into a concentrated campaign. This is where micro influencers can help.

Here are a few reasons why micro influencers are better when your brand is still gearing up to get into this marketing strategy.

Budgeting concerns: Meet in the middle

Beginner brands may not have the biggest budget allotted for marketing. It’s understandable considering how much of this will still go towards the production of goods and services.

Thus, the middle ground of influencers would be micro influencers. If you ask, “how much do micro influencers get paid?” then the easy answer is that their payment will be equivalent to the engagement they can provide.

Actual costs may vary. In the industry, a common rule of thumb is to go with one cent per follower, or calculated as $100 for every 10,000 followers. Of course, this may vary with micro influencers, because you are essentially paying for the engagement rather than the follower count and reach.

Easier to approach when your visions match

How do you approach micro influencers? This is a common question particularly for brands that have not yet made a big imprint. More than a following, a good facet to establish would be your brand’s vision.

Nowadays, there’s a competitor for every possible product and service. What will differentiate you more than your price point or quality is your stance as a brand. Who are you speaking to? What do you believe in?

Ask these questions and try to find a micro influencer who has similar answers to you. They may be a good starting point. Better yet, the partnership can be easier to maintain since you are on the same side of the field.

Authenticity

Celebrities may have a bigger reach to fans. But when it comes to establishing deep and meaningful connections, you may be better off with micro influencers.

Most of them start with a passion for a specific niche. They started out as being passionate about a particular topic and then learning about it so they can slowly become experts. Thus, the authenticity of their approach may be colored by their own experience.

Any micro influencer who wants to build their credibility will always aim for authenticity. This is how they get their voice. This will also be their most powerful weapon because what they will support or promote will definitely translate to their vision of their own self-branding.

Engaging with relevance

When you look for micro influencers, you need to make sure that they are relevant to your brand. This may be the single most-important point for micro influencers. Relevance is their main strength, especially if they are building their credibility in their chosen field.

Their audience is a niche one, which means their focus is not in numbers. However, those who take great interest in this influencer’s approach will most likely engage with them more. Loyal followers may easily be more accepting of the influencer’s recommendations.

Referrals to sales

You can choose from the many ways you can track how many referrals from your influencers translate to sales. Some will be content with the amount of engagement and traffic received that involves the brand. Others can create specific promos in partnership with the influencer.

It’s good to take note of personalized promos to your influencers. They will be incentivized to bring your brand closer to their audience.

Build your cred

A brand that invests in its own customers can be seen as a brand that listens to its crowd. Because micro influencers enjoy this position, having them as a frequent face and voice for the brand in their own channel elevates our overall appeal.

Apart from their own following, audiences who patronize the same industry will see the different and authentic posts and content created by celebrities and micro influencers. This is not to say that mega influencers are not effective. But if you are a start-up brand and your main goal is to get your hands on the loudest voice who may not even know or want your brand, this may not translate well to your audience.

Is There A Downside to This?

So, given all of the benefits of this type of influencer, you may ask, why micro influencers are better. Technically, there’s no one better or best type of influencer. Each type fulfills a need and helps brands in specific ways.

Of course, every campaign strategy does not have a sure ending. There will be variable factors that can affect its overall run. It’s good to be ready for a few of these potential bumps.

Prepare for more investment

It’s not just about the money. Focusing on micro influencers means you will get less reach for more engagement. Ultimately, reach still needs to be among your agenda. This means that, if possible, you would want your micro influencer to be within the higher numbers—or at least help them grow to attain that.

You need to view influencer strategy as partnership-building, rather than one-off projects. This way, you will become invested in your influencer, and they will return the same favor by patronizing your brand beyond the actual partnership.

Collaborating with more people

Think of this as a challenge to your marketing team. Even for smaller start-ups, it pays to have a team that is ready to expand your marketing strategies with the changing need of your brand.

One easy solution for this would be to utilize marketing platforms. These will help in the overall management and tracking of movement related to your brand and your influencers.

How Do You Find and Tap Micro Influencers?

If micro influencers tend to be more low-key, how do you find one? There are many ways to get the right micro influencer for your product.

Go for those who are relevant to your niche

If you are looking for micro influencers examples who will best fit your brand, you should look at two things. First, see what kind of influencers your competitor brands tap. This can be a starting point for your research because it brings you closer to the kind of influencers who will be able to sway the market you want.

Second, see if there is an influencer who can be your market yet matches the tone and feel of the brand. Usually, brands—especially those with similar products—can market their products based on market or personality. Even if an influencer did not have a specific interest in your field, yet their specialization is tangential to your brand’s approach, then this could again be a good kick-off point.

Create your own micro influencers

Some brands tend to tap a known micro influencer agency so they can get the biggest-named micro influencers. You can take it one more step by creating your own league.

Some industries may not have as many options for micro influencers. If this is the case for your brand, explore the possibility of creating your own influencers. Since micro influencers can be entrepreneurs, the face, or even the founder of the brand who can serve as a potential influencer that can gather a following for the brand itself.

Look at your own following

Micro influencers are always on the hot for a good cause or product to support. After all, they need to be knowledgeable about what’s available and what’s trending in their chosen fields.

Always check out who is following your brand’s social media. Sometimes, viable micro influencers may already be in your midst—it’s up to you to discover them!

Look up known names and give it a shot

If you are a small start-up, you may have already tried promoting your brand to different people. You may have started within your community, or you may have tried finding a niche

Let known industry personalities know about your brand by sending them samples of your products. This is effective for smaller brands that may not have a good reach yet but would want to jumpstart their influencer marketing campaign.

Check out branded or specialty hashtags

One good pro-tip to do if you’re looking for active micro-influencers: check out specialty hashtags. Some people create specific hashtags that can be a match for your brand. This can give you the idea of who among the community members are already using your brand. Even if they are not yet big influencers, these fresh faces can boost your brand’s recognition factor in the market.

If your brand is not yet well-known, you can rely on hashtags that may fit your niche. Some creative influencers may create their own personalized hashtags. This may already give you a sense of their tone and creativity, making this your first gauge for their match with your brand.

Want to learn more about influencers? Check out “Whitelisted Not Waitlisted: Benefits of a New Marketing Technique” to see how you can complement your micro influencer strategy by using the whitelisting method.