Yes, you heard it right. Influencers with a dedicated social following of 10k to 50k (10,000-50,000 followers) are identified as Micro-Influencers. Marketing has assumed that going bigger is better only to realize that it is not always the same. The authenticity, trust, cost-effectiveness, availability, and many more pros of micro-influencers are making them one of the most valuable influencers in the influencer marketing landscape. All that makes them the pint-sized powerhouse, makes them the pocket-rockets.
Who Are They?
Influencer marketing, the new face of social media marketing uses celebrity influencers and individuals with a dedicated social following for promoting brands and products. Micro-influencer is a ranking terminology used mainly for Instagram. A very recent study from top-notch influencer marketing agencies categorizes the influencers into this:
- Mega-influencers or celebrities (With more than a million followers)
- Macro-influencers (500k to 1 million followers)
- Mid-tier influencers (50k to 500k)
- Micro-influencers (10k to 50k)
- Nano-influencers (1k to 10k)
Each influencer level has its own pros and cons. However, the struggle brands might be having is in choosing the right influencers. The tremendous potential of influencer marketing elevates the brand’s visibility. Researchers identify micro-influencers as individuals with 10,000-50,000 followers. They are not necessarily celebrities, but an influencer with a dedicated following on their niche social media. They could be a food blogger, lifestyle coach, makeup enthusiast, or a dank memer.
What Makes Them Worthy?
Micro-influencers with not so massive followings tend to connect with their followers. These influencers are in the phase where they want to grow in all possible ways and level up. They have the potential to cultivate niche communities over a particular area. Micro-influencers have micro-communities which helps them with higher engagement rates. A recent survey of fashion and cosmetics found that 46% of marketers agreed with micro-influencers are the most effective influencers and 34% believed that macro-influencers were the best. A very lesser amount of people voted in favor of celebrity influencers or mega-influencers.
- They always have higher engagement rates due to the tight-knit follower communities.
- They are cost-effective and promote the brand in a consistent and specific way.
- Their content is more personal and focused on specific areas of interest.
- Micro-influencers share common interests with their niche audience or followers.
- Gen Z prefers micro-influencers more due to the level of trust and relatability.
Every influencer level comes with advantages and disadvantages. A micro-influencer cannot reach a massive audience, because what they are having is a smaller community audience. Hence, a multi-market reach is what a brand should aim for. A brand may expand its reach by collaborating with multiple influencers that cover multiple market segments. Micro-influencers cannot achieve the same level of impact on brand awareness as larger or mega-influencers. On the other hand, the fake following has always been a threat in the influencer marketing domain. It’s high time marketers focus on the quality of content and engagement rather than focusing on the follower count. Follower analysis tools such as IG Audit or HypeAuditor can be used to scan followers for bots.
The influencer marketing culture is widening with different levels of influencers and the revenue is just one click away. The immense potential of micro-influencers for elevating brand visibility has been proven. From the different levels of choice, brands now idolize micro-influencers. The underutilized influencer tier has changed the concept of going bigger is better. Despite the broad reach, large influencers have certain downsides such as cost, authenticity, availability, etc. At the same time, micro-influencers are being built on relationships and credibility. What they seek from the collaboration is growth. They are smaller but focused and powerful. Marketers have recognized the idea of micro-influencer marketing and the importance of choosing pocket rockets.