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For brands that are new to influencer marketing, the terms macro and micro influencer can be a bit confusing, especially considering that different agencies and companies seem to define them in different ways. In general terms, micro influencers have smaller followings but higher engagement. We define anyone with under 100K influencers as micro, and anyone above that as macro. (Once you hit a million followers, you qualify as a celebrity.)
Often, when brands are getting in touch with us for the first time, they assume that they will get the best results by working with influencers with as many followers as possible. This is understandable, as it connects to traditional methods of advertising. Influencer marketing, however, works best (and is less expensive) when targeted to a specific niche. Micro influencers are everyday people from all walks of life. They may be artists, teachers, chefs, parents, entrepreneurs, or anyone else, and social media is generally something they do on the side. Because of this, their audiences trust their recommendations for products that are specifically related to their area of interest. There are three main reasons why micro influencers are a better option than celebrities for most influencer marketing campaigns.
1. Higher engagement= greater ROI
The theory behind working with micro influencers is simple: why pay a single person thousands of dollars when you can reach the same number of people by working a group of smaller influencers? What's more, these smaller influencers have followers who are highly engaged and trust them. Smaller influencers have audiences that are more invested in what they do, more likely to interact with their posts, and more likely to act on their recommendations. By working with multiple micro influencers, you are not only reaching a wide audience, but a quality audience for your brand.
2. Passionate about your brand
Celebrities and macro influencers can work with hundreds of brands over the course of a year, and they may not value your specific project as much as a smaller influencer will. Micro influencers are more concerned about authenticity and connecting with their followers, so if they agree to work with your brand it’s because they already love you and can give an honest recommendation. Modern consumers understand that celebrities are paid to promote products, but they trust the expert opinions of their favorite influencers.
3. Cost effective
Finally, micro influencers are significantly less expensive to work with, even when working with a large group. Many micro influencers are happy to promote your brand in exchange for free products the love, gift cards, or invitations to special events. What matters to these influencers is the relationship they form with your brand. Having great a experience the resonates with what they care about is just as important as the reward.
Despite the clear advantages to working with micro influencers, many brands still shy away from them because of a singular drawback: complexity.
Having more people involved in a campaign leads to more variables, and staying on top of everything can be challenging. For a long time, the biggest drawback of influencer marketing in general was the difficulty involved in scaling up operations. Fortunately, the use of online platforms such as Obviously has made this process significantly easier.
Obviously has the ability to work with any number of micro influencers on a single campaign, smoothly and efficiently. What’s more, our robust data can provide a clear picture of your campaign: who is viewing and engaging with your posts, the demographics of your audience, and the overall media value of both the individual collaborations and the campaign as a whole. Having worked with influencers on all ends of the spectrum, we still believe that micro influencers are the best way for your brand to reach its audience. And they cannot wait to work with you.
Contact Obviously to find out more about working with micro influencers.
