The Rise of Micro Influencers

How do you learn about the latest products and fads? You probably aren’t flipping through TV commercials or magazines—you’re getting your information from social media!

Content creators on social media have a big impact on our buying decisions. In fact, 49% of consumers say they depend on influencer recommendations before they buy anything.

Whether you’re into fly fishing, fashion, or fortune-telling, there’s a content creator out there for you. 

But we aren’t talking about big-name creators like the Kardashians. Nope. The future of influential content is coming from the little guys, who are also known as micro-influencers. 

Creator marketing is only going to increase in popularity this year, so it’s critical for brands to partner with the right creators to get results. See how micro-influencers can make a big impact on your content quality and marketing ROI.

Who are micro-influencers?

When you hear “influencer marketing,” your mind probably jumps to celebrity endorsements, or big-time influencers like James Charles. You can certainly get a lot of traction by partnering with a creator who has a huge audience, but they aren’t always the best option. 

Actually, consumers have a hard time trusting mega-influencers. That’s why micro-influencers are such a popular choice for brands. 

Micro-influencers have a smaller audience that ranges from 1,000 - 10,000 followers. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth your time! Micro-influencers have less of an expansive reach, but their devoted followings (and high engagement rates) make them desirable for brand partnerships. 

You could always partner with a mega influencer who has 3 million followers, but follower count isn’t everything. When you want to see real, bottom-line results from your influencer marketing campaigns, micro-influencers’ authenticity and engagement usually beat out the big guys. 

Why partner with a micro-influencer?

If micro-influencers are small, why should you partner with them?

Consider this: 77% of all brand partnerships are with micro-influencers.

Since the majority of brands go for micro-influencer partnerships, it’s got to be for a good reason, right?

There are so many benefits to partnering with micro-influencers, including: 

• Influencer engagement: 48% of brands say a creator’s relationship with their target audience is the most important factor for a successful partnership. Micro-influencers have a smaller audience size, which means they’re able to actually engage with people one-on-one. With an average engagement rate of 6%, micro-influencers have the highest engagement rate of any other type of creator, too. 
• Trust: They might not have the highest number of active followers, but micro-influencers’ followers see them as relatable, honest, and trustworthy. Consumers see them as real people who they can trust. It’s no wonder why 70% of teens trust creator content more than a celebrity endorsement. 
• Affordability: Thanks to their smaller size, micro-influencers typically cost less than big-name creators. With an average cost of $100 - $500, micro-influencers’ target audience gives you greater ROI on a lower budget. Heck, some will even work for products in exchange for their time. Best of all, brands can afford to partner with several influencers at this lower rate, expanding their target audience even more with a platform like Trend. 

How does a brand find the right micro-influencer?

Micro-influencer marketing campaigns can be a treasure trove of ROI.

But how do you spot a legit, high-quality micro-influencer in a sea of Instagram creators? 

Well, it comes down to a few factors. To find the right creators for the job: 

• Choose creators who have a following on platforms where you want to grow your business, like TikTok or Instagram. 
• See which creators have partnered with brands before. A proven track record is always a good thing. 
• Find content you love. If you like a particular creator’s style, sense of humor, or vibe, they could be a great fit for your creator campaign!
• Seek out creators who align with your brand values. If you’re a vegan brand, this means seeking out vegan creators. 
• Ask them for their stats. Legitimate creators will be more than happy to provide you with their target audience demographics, engagement data, and more. 

(Or you could just save yourself the hassle and use Trend, but you do you.)

The bottom line on micro-influencers

Micro-influencers don’t get as much attention as big-name creators, but they’re the unsung heroes of creator marketing initiatives. When you need to get real engagement on your content, partnering with a micro-influencer gives you an immediate “in” with a niche audience. It doesn’t hurt that they have the best engagement rates, trust, and clout than any other type of creator, either.

You could spend hours sifting through Instagram for the perfect content creators, but we figure that you don’t have the time for that.

Whether you want to make sales or boost website traffic, Trend quickly pairs you with pre-vetted micro-influencers for the job. See how our influencer marketing hub is changing the game for brands.