Micro vs. Macro
Does size really matter? When it comes to Influencer Marketing, it does. But bigger isn’t always better.
‘Influencers’ — the buzzword of the digital marketing industry. The UK is a literal breeding ground for influencers across all social media platforms. Ranging from the globally known Zoella on YouTube to foodie and health experts like Deliciously Ella who came to fame on Instagram.
When it comes to choosing an influencer for that picture perfect, on-trend new marketing campaign of yours, an overwhelming amount of influencers present themselves. From big to small, global to local, millions to thousands, which one is the best fit for you?
A YouTuber with 7 million subscribers sounds fantastic, but as reach alone is becoming a far less important metric, we turn our heads to engagement driving ‘micro-influencers’. A recent study has show just how much reach a smaller influencer can have, especially compared to your average word-of-mouth consumer. They could be the best choice to reach a highly engaged audience and maximise conversions.
But they don’t have the numbers, I hear you say.
Well, no. But with influencers like Zoella or even the ultimate socialista Kylie Jenner, the conversation between fans and influencer is not as active as with smaller individuals. People start following the big ones because they are fans and not friends. Of course, product placements and sponsored posts can still work a treat, as many fans will buy the products if they can afford them.
But, as a piece of advice, if you look at the comment and like rate, in other words, the engagement compared to the number of followers, you will see that it decreases the higher the numbers are.
As reach alone is becoming a far less important metric, the proposition of these engagement-driving micro-influencers is looking even better for brands looking to connect with their audiences.
As brands are looking to connect with their audience, rather than just bombard them with product placement, the smaller, niche influencers provide an audience base that is ready to start a conversation, evaluate, review and participate actively in promotions.
But what is a niche influencer?
Mostly called micro-influencers, these influencers have a much smaller following than the all too well known ones. There is no clear definition of the term, some experts argue that to deserve the title ‘micro’ that anywhere between 10,000 and 100,000 followers would be suitable. Others use the title to describe a regular audience up to 10,000.
But we like to think that the qualitative characteristics are a lot more important than the quantitative. We see micro-influencers as enthusiasts in their field, as real-life relatable characters. We follow them for their knowledge, their beautiful food pictures. They are the mums that write a blog about raising twins and how to get them to sleep through the night. They are the brunch enthusiasts, that know all the best spots in our local town. The personal trainer that shows you just how much you can achieve in your 10 minute break. But most of all, they are authentic characters that consumers trust and have taken a liking to. Consumers want to be their friends not their fans.
And when it comes to recommendations on products, we always trust our friends more than a wonderful celebrity who, probably, got paid a lot of money for it. When a micro-influencer talks about a great product, they tend to really stand behind it. Often, social media is a part-time passion, with no causes endorsed that aren’t worth their while. And if an influencer truly stands behind a product, the audience can tell and the conversion will likely be a lot higher. Besides the micro-influencer being a lower budget alternative to the tens of thousands followers influencer, the return for your investment can be higher. For the price of a campaign with one major influencer, you as a brand should consider really diving deep into that social media ocean to discover many treasures that are micro-influencer who can offer so much for a lot less.
Navigating our way through the social media jungle is what we specialise in, so get in touch if you feel lost.
