Everything You Need to Know About Working with Micro Influencers

Influencer marketing is a highly effective tactic for brands who want to leverage user-generated content and social proof to drive sales and boost brand awareness. In the last five years, partnering with influencers has become a validated marketing tactic for brands. With the growing popularity of social media platforms like Instagram, influencers have become a powerful way for brands to reach their target audience. 

As the industry has expanded and more aspiring entrepreneurs have launched their careers as influencers, different tiers of influencers have emerged. For marketers, knowing each type of influencer is key to understanding which ones are the best fit for your brand, strategy, and budget. 

In this deep dive into micro influencers, we’ll tell you who they are, what they do best, and why you should be working with them.

There are three main categories of influencers: nano, micro, and macro. Some definitions include “mega influencers” which are typically A-list celebrities with over 1 million followers, but most brands aren’t working with many influencers in this tier on a regular basis. 

Influencers are divided into their different categories based on their number of followers.

• Nano influencers have between 1,000 and 5,000 followers.
• Micro influencers have 10,000 to 100,000 followers.
• Macro influencers have over 100,000 followers.

Micro influencers are considered experts and opinion-leaders in their industry or niche. They’re highly trusted by their followers and usually a more cost-effective option for brands with smaller budgets.

Even though they don’t have as large of a following as macro influencers, micro influencers can make a big impact. Their followers are very loyal, making them more likely to purchase products recommended by the influencer. Micro influencers tend to have highly engaged audiences with higher conversion rates. Since they’re seen as very authentic, micro influencers have a lot of power to drive sales. 82% of customers said they would be more likely to purchase a product recommended by a micro influencer over an influencer with more followers. 

Micro influencers are key to building trust and social proof for a brand. Their reputation with their followers means their recommendation of a product or brand goes a long way. Unlike bigger influencers, micro influencers are very relatable. People consider them to be peers or even friends. Relatability and trust are incredibly important to today’s consumers, especially to Millennials and Gen Z.

When you’re considering partnering with influencers, it’s crucial to make sure you’re targeting the influencers that are the best fit for your campaign goals. Micro influencers can help achieve a variety of goals: increasing social engagement, driving conversions, and generating more genuine user-generated content. They can also help you increase your reach with your target audience. By partnering with influencers, you get access to their audience. Since the influencer is so highly trusted, you’ll gain more traction with their followers than you would using traditional marketing tactics. 

Micro influencers are also highly effective for niche industries and interests. Since the influencer is considered an expert in their industry, they’re a great resource for brands looking to reach a very specific audience or demographic.

• Drive engagement: Influencers with smaller audiences get much higher engagement. They’re more likely to have real followers who are interested in their content and interact with it regularly. Look for influencers who have at least a 4% engagement rate and a high number of organic comments and replies.
• Get more conversions: Since their followers are highly engaged, they’re also more likely to purchase products based on a recommendation from a micro influencer they trust. Micro influencers have over 22 times more conversions than the typical user. That’s because they’re passionate about their particular area of interest.
• Create more content: User-generated content is a huge resource for driving sales and providing social proof for brands. Influencers create high-quality, authentic content that drives more engagement and sales than traditional branded content.

When working with influencers, it’s critical to partner with content creators who have been fully vetted and are a fit for your brand voice. Whether your brand is starting an influencer marketing program for the first time or wants to partner with micro influencers for a specific campaign, there are several ways to partner with these influencers. You can manually search for influencers in your industry, reach out to influencers who have already used your products, or work with an influencer marketing platform. 

Finding influencers on your own can be time-consuming. Start by searching for influencers in your niche by looking at hashtags, reviewing your competitors’ followers, or searching relevant keywords. Once you identify potential influencers, dig into their profiles to make sure they’re a match for your brand voice and values and to make sure they have genuine engagement and real followers. Then, find their contact information and send a tailored pitch about your company and campaign to invite them to partner with your brand.  

Identifying influencers who have already used your product follows a similar pattern, although they’ll be easier to find since they’re likely already following and interacting with your brand. These influencers are also more likely to want to partner with you since they’re already familiar with your products and know about your brand. 

Working with an influencer marketing platform streamlines the process of finding, vetting, and partnering with content creators in your industry. With a platform like Octoly, you can manage the entire influencer process from end-to-end. From identifying influencers who are in your niche and genuinely interested in your product to sending gifts and generating reviews, influencer marketing technology makes it easier to leverage influencer marketing at scale. 

Micro influencers may not have the instant recognition that an A-list celebrity does, but they’re far more effective for driving engagement and conversions. Influencers at this level tend to be more cost-effective, making them a great resource for brands with smaller budgets or businesses that want to partner with multiple influencers at a time. Micro influencers are authentic and relatable, making them great brand ambassadors for your products.