Influencer marketing is all the hype now, but is it really as impactful as it is taken to be? The fiasco in the mishandling of Fyre Festival was proof that inauthentic reviews, big celebrity influencer budgets, and a lack of reliance on micro-influencers were severe flaws in the campaign. Indeed, it cannot be repeated enough times that authenticity is crucial in any social media campaign but also in micro-influencer marketing.
Why Choose Micro-Influencer Marketing?
It is a kind of UGC (user-generated content) that comes from influencers with follower counts in the range of 1,000 to 100,000 who have built credibility in specific niches. From a survey of marketers, it was found out that 77 percent would lean toward micro-influencers among other kinds such as celebrity, macro, and nano.
Moreover, the engagement rates for influencers with 10,000+ followers, those with 5,000–10,000 followers and those with 1,000–5,000 followers are 3.6, 6.3, and 8.8 per cent respectively, which signifies that the most amount of impact can be had with the lowest number of dedicated followers.
Also, a key is a micro-influencers level of credibility, which is based on the fact that they are real people with ordinary lives similar to their followers’. Hence, when they say a product or service has improved their life, it is easier for audiences to trust them.
Factors to Consider in a Micro-Influencer Campaign:
1. Find the Right Micro-influencers for Your Budget
Make sure to perform Google searches on your niche target market to come up with a list of possible micro-influencers that you can work with. Other than that, be sure to track the comments on blog posts to find those influencers who are passionate about your brand. Similarly, look for those influencers who follow your branded hashtag. Once the names are decided upon, reach out to them and explain your budget and broad goals.
2. Identify the Right Goals and Communicate Them Clearly
With influencer marketing, raising brand awareness, increasing social engagement, and boosting conversions can be some goals. Of course, using the one right for you is based on the stage your brand is in (introduction, maturity, stagnation, etc.) as well as the desired end result. It is a prerequisite to provide the influencers with clear guidelines of what will be expected of them in their post. Quite often, a collaborative approach can work the best, wherein the brand and the influencer can decide together on what kind of content would work.
3. Track the Metrics
Once the campaign work has been performed, it is necessary to track the results. If the goal was increased website visits, look at the relevant analytics. If higher engagement on social was desired, track that. If purchases were expected, see if viewers were converted into buyers. Tracking will not only provide insights into campaign results but also help the marketing department improve on future campaigns to deliver better results on the expected outcomes.
Arslan Ahmed | Staff Writer
