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girl taking photo - micro-influencer

Guest Blog Post Written by The Hosting Tribunal

Influencer marketing has fast become one of the most preferred marketing methods. In fact, 81% of marketers feel that it is an effective form of advertising.

An influencer has the potential to become a real brand asset. But, the tricky part is finding the right one to work with. In order to maximize your return on investment, conventional wisdom would suggest that you hire the influencer with the highest number of followers. After all, the more followers they have, the better the reach will be, right?

Actually, no.

Potential Reach vs Engagement 

In reality, having more followers does not automatically translate into more reach. In fact, the opposite is often true. As influencers start to build a larger following, it becomes more difficult for them to maintain that same personal relationship with their audience.

It’s a simple logistical matter – answering two hundred comments a week is relatively simple. But, as the number of followers increases, it becomes harder to maintain that action. Imagine dealing with ten thousand comments a week.

The downside of this is that the audience grows accustomed to having a more personal relationship with their influencer. In the early days, influencers work hard to show their audience that they’re valuable. As the influencer takes a step back, followers are bound to feel the difference.

As a result, followers will start to take a step back as well. They’re still likely to follow the influencer, but they’re not likely to check in as often. That also means that they’re less likely to repost, like, or comment on posts – they might not even see the posts on their feeds anymore.

That’s not going to do your campaign much good. What should you do instead, then?

The Micro-Influencer

A micro-influencer is someone who has anywhere between 1,000 and 50,000 followers. They have a following that’s large enough to make it worth your while, while still being able to maintain a relationship with their followers.

Here are a few benefits of working with a micro-influencer:

  •         It’s likely to cost you less: Influencers are typically paid on a scale according to how many followers they have. A micro-influencer is often willing to work for free products, or, at least, a lower rate.
  •       They will get to know their audience better: The larger the audience, the harder it becomes to get to know each person. A micro-influencer normally has a better grasp of what their audience likes and expects.
  •         You can diversify your risk: If you put all your budget into one campaign and it doesn’t work out, that’s money wasted. It’s better to choose two or three smaller influencers, as opposed to opting for one big name.

Final Notes

Working with a micro-influencer makes sense if you’d like to increase engagement, understand your target market better, and save yourself some money. Why pay big money for one influencer when you could get better results from a few smaller ones?

Interested in learning more about influencer marketing? Wondering if this strategy is right for your business? Connect with us for a free consultation here.

 

influencer infographic - micro-influencer

Infographic sourced from: https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/influencer-marketing-statistics/