Influencers for the past few years have been an essential way for brands to increase their social media presence and engagement. However, picking the right type of influencer is key to how successful a brands social media campaign can be.

So, with this in mind are smaller influencers, known as ‘micro-influencers’, now a brand’s magic answer to social media campaign success?

Firstly, what on earth is a micro-influencer?!

Micro-influencers or ‘nano-influencers’ as they’re sometimes referred to, typically have a following between 10,000-50,000. Their engagement levels on social media tend to be higher because they have a closer relationship with their smaller audience and are able to establish a more genuine connection.

Sounds pretty good so far. But why would you choose someone with a small following over a macro-influencer (someone with over 500K followers), or a celebrity to promote your brand? Wouldn’t that still bring in great engagement levels?

The short answer: no.

Micro-influencer vs macro-influencer: let the battle commence

Micro-influencer

- higher engagement due to smaller following and more chances for creator to establish meaningful connections

- low sponsorship rates due to social media channel size = great for small businesses

- due to lower rates, increase of the number of influencers a brand can work with = even more possibilities for exposure

Macro-influencer

- lower engagement due to large following and less chance of person interaction

- high sponsorship rates providing a greater risk of not getting a good ROI

- due to high rates very risky to a brand if they don’t get a return = negative view on influencer marketing created, less likely to use influencers again.

Based on the above you’re thinking of trying out micro-influencers, right? But we need to look at some facts and figures to see how important influencer marketing actually is…

What do the stats say?

A recent article in Forbes found that micro-influencers “boast up to a 60% increased engagement rate compared to macro-influencers.” Micro-influencers also have over a 20% higher conversion rate that can help brands boost their e-commerce sales*

With stats like this it’s easy to see why brands are choosing to invest in using micro-influencers over macro-influencers or celebrities.

Furthermore, as discussed above with micro-influencers having a lower price point for posts, this means that a smaller brand can still increase brand awareness whilst managing their budget. Plus, as we’ve learned, it means that brands can book multiple micro-influencers for a campaign compared to 1-2 more expensive macro-influencers, helping to maximise their sales even more.

I want to use a micro-influencer in my upcoming social media campaign: what do I do now?!

In conclusion, the power of using micro-influencers in a brand’s social media campaign is easy to see; low fees and higher engagement. But how do you find them and work with them for your upcoming campaign?

The good news is here at RBI we live and breathe all things influencer. Our small yet powerful team and on hand to seek out your perfect micro-influencer match and help you create the most clickable campaign. Contact our team using the contact form below or email us direct at hello@runbyinfluencers.com