Niche and Engaged Micro-Influencers
Word of mouth is king, and the good news is that at the moment, there are many ways to ensure that great feedback about a brand is reaching many ears.
Apr 24
Most brands aim for relationships with influencers, and the general rule of thumb has been the more followers an influencer has, the better. If we’re to examine results, are influencers with a high following better to engage with than influencers who cater to a niche and may not have as many followers? In our experience, we’ve noted a better knock on result from engaging what the industry terms as “micro-influencers”.
Micro-influencers are typically individuals with 30k or less followers. They have steadily built their following through authentic engagement and a niche interest or passion that is core to their personal brand.
An interesting micro-influencer campaign comes from Adidas. They approached micro-influencers to promote and create exclusivity around a new product through their app “Glitch”. The Glitch shoe features a swappable ‘skin’ so users can customise their shoes on the spot, and it is available to buy only through an app. The app is restricted to people who have been invited to join by an existing app user or the brand itself.
“It’s not about sheer reach, what the hyper-connected kids bring is mass awareness. These are the guys who will push out your stories and content. They give it longevity and authenticity, because they are talking in a private messaging environment. If it comes as a referral from your mate, you’re much more likely to pick it up than if it comes from a brand.” — Adidas’ Senior Director of Brand Communications, Alt Florian.
Benefits of engaging mircro-influencers
1. Opportunities for collaboration are extensive
Engaging influencers who are keen to grow their own brand and following are usually more open to collaborations and longer term agreements. We recommend approaching an influencer who is well-aligned with a plan for content that is more than just a once off post. The idea is to create familiarity among the influencers fanbase, and interact with them in a more profound way than a once off post would allow for.
2. Opportunities to engage with a loyal fanbase
Interestingly, micro-influencers hit it out of the park when it comes to engagement. They have more weekly conversations than the average consumer, they are more responsive per post than influencers with a larger following, and their engagement rate is 60% higher (HelloSociety, Feb 2017). This leaves the door open for brands to also join a conversation with a very engaged group.
3. Perceived as being more authentic
Due to the two points above, recommendations from micro-influencers can be perceived as more authentic. Influencers with larger followings may start to find it difficult to engage with all their fans in each post or DM, whereas mirco-influencers are able maintain and interact with their smaller fanbase. A highly engaged feed is likely to mean that the influencer has a dedicated niche or passion that they are interested in, and there’s nothing like that to attract like-minds, conversation and followers.
Are you interested in running a campaign with mirco-influencers? Get in touch, we’re here to help; hello@thenittygritty.com.au.
Originally published at thenittygritty.com.au on August 1, 2017.
