With short-form video and audio becoming increasingly dominant across the social sphere, brands are taking to relatable and identifiable influencers to compel consumers. In doing so, they reduce the risk of disengaging users within a market that is already saturated with obvious advertising efforts.
Whilst larger, well-known influencers are able to generate a greater reach, bigger isn’t necessarily better. One avenue that is becoming increasingly popular is that of micro-influencers. These individuals typically hold fewer than 50,000 followers, however alongside their smaller audiences come the following benefits:
- Niche audiences, creating improved return through higher brand relevancy.
- More loyal followings due to perceived greater authenticity in comparison to well-established influencers – 56% of consumers report to favour everyday influencers over celebrities.
- Greater engagement is also anticipated as a result of micro-influencers’ typically loyal followings; with increased engagement rates comes a higher chance of being picked up by platforms’ algorithms (e.g TikTok), which often boosts content based on interaction rates rather than a creator’s size.
- Smaller creators are more affordable, enabling brands to reduce costs whilst maintaining a strong ROI.
- The lower costs associated with individual micro-influencers also offers the potential to share marketing budgets across multiple micro-influencers, allowing brands to curate a diverse cohort of influencers for campaigns. This in turn provides the ability to appeal to consumers of varying demographics, an advantage that may be missed by only working with macro-influencers.
Another emerging form of influencer is that of the nano-influencer. Due to these creators holding less than 5,000 followers, they boast the same benefits of micro-influencers, with the added bonus of appealing to brands with localised targeting. As such, they are ideal for campaigns aiming to reach local communities, amongst whom the nano-influencer is likely to be well-established.
If you’d like to discuss how an influencer strategy can give your marketing efforts the boost it needs then contact kim.mclellan@hunterlodge.co.uk