Here are the pros & cons of working with micro-influencers on Instagram

Ads on social media done by Public Figures are becoming fade, repetitive and impersonal. We’ve all seen it, the famously infamous Kardashians promoting the newest trending product on their Instagram page; holding it ever so ‘‘naturally’’ against their face.

« In this era of consumerism, millennials, especially, feel like they’re always the target for a new ad.

Consistently feeling bombarded by companies, asking them to buy what they’re selling; everything has become a chance for product placement and it’s not going unnoticed.

Millennials are bored. This approach might get their attention at first, but a deeper storytelling will be necessary if you want a consistent level of engagement on their part.

It’s about using the voice that will have the most impact

Everyone has the power to share a message, but if the content is coming from a person who’s opinion you respect and value, the information is likelier to stick with you. This is where influencer marketing comes in.

It’s the concept of using the power of word of mouth in a social environment.

The use of influencers increases consumer awareness and allows brands to be seen and come in contact with their target audiences. The association brings value, mainly for the reason that these influencers have already established a certain level of trust with their followers and therefore have an impact on their perception of things or products in our case.

«93% of marketers believe influencer marketing is effective in raising brand awareness.
-Nielsens Global Digital Report 2016

The voice of the millennial generation

One of the main reasons why brands are eager to associate themselves to these famous personalities to help them promote their products, is because it heightens the chances of captivating their target audience’s attention.

Social users are more willing to listen to someone whom they admire or simply take interest in, than in a brand.

« 92% of consumers trust recommendations from other people over brand content.
- Nielsens Global Digital Report 2016

There’s a whole spectrum of influencers but more and more brands are leaning towards micro-influencers as an intermediate to touch their potential consumers and here is a breakdown on ‘‘why’’.

But wait, who are these micro-influencers?

A micro-influencer could be defined with these characteristic traits:
1. An above average engagement rate.
2. An authentic and genuine editorial line.
3. A very niche specialisation.
4. They are very close to their communities.

The number of followers they have usually depends on the market they're in.

For example, within Montreal, an Instagrammer with anywhere from a 5,000 to 15,000 followers could be considered a micro-influencer. On the other hand, if the goal was to target all of Canada, one might need to have in between 20,000 and 50,000 to be given the same title. Nevertheless, these influential individuals all share a common thread between them:

« They have a personalized approach to social content that generates authentic connections.

More followers doesn’t equal more likes

A recent study on a great number of influencers provided important insight: The more the influencers had followers, the less engagement they had. Here’s a benchmark you can refer to.

« Influencers with fewer than 1,000 followers usually have a like rate of of 8%, those with 1,000 to 10,000 followers have a like like rate of 3-4% and those with 10,000 to 100,000 pelvit down to a 2.4% like rate.

The findings are similar for the comment rates and it’s important to add that whether the post was sponsored or not did not change the outcome of these findings.

Additionally, according to a study by Expercity, micro-influencers have 22.2 times more conversations weekly regarding product recommendations compared to the average consumer. Making these influential individuals key assets to any brand’s marketing strategy.

Here are 6 advantages of working with micro influencers

1. They give off a more genuine and wholesome feel. Through their modest and organic content and the usual absence of frequent ads (promotions), the influencer is perceived as being more authentic and is therefore trusted.
2. They’re unique. They have already built a brand for themselves, spreading certain values and messages through their content. Through association, your brand automatically associates themselves to that brand.
3. The content feels more naturally immersed into their gallery. These individuals have created on their social plateforme an exhibition of their personality. If ever an ad was to be introduced in this feed, it would simply be an extension to this persona.
4. They’re close to their followers. Since proximity and trust has already been established in between the influencer and his or her following base, the recommendations that they choose to say or promote are trusted.
5. They are more targeted. It’s easier to know the categories of people that they are touching base with, since there’s less of them. In other terms, the subcategories of followers are easier to identity.
6. It’s usually easier to collaborate with them. They are less used to being contacted by brands, therefore, this is more of a team negotiation, instead of terms being imposed on to one-another.

They do come with their set of flaws

1. They are less experienced. Since these influencers are less experienced when it comes to collaborating with a brand and promoting products, communicating with these individuals might be difficult at first.
2. They are hard to find. These underground influencers are hard to find. More research has to be put into the process of finding the ideal candidate to collaborate with: One that holds a following base that the brand wants to communicate with.
3. Their stats are less official. Since they often don’t have a verified account, they won’t have access to the same data and won’t have the possibility to redirect to your website straight from their stories.
4. They offer less reach. This makes sense given that they have less followers than macro-influencers. On the plus side, their engagement rate is higher. You can’t have it all!

Are micro-influencers the right fit for your brand?

When less is more

There has been a shift in the market because it seems that there is such a thing as being too popular. Micro-influencers bring aspects to the table that quite frankly, money can’t buy.

« Authenticity, a deeper storytelling and a chance to touch a more narrow audience.

That is of course aligned with the brands target audience. It’s not an easy process to find but once found, the right set of micro-influencers can be a match made in heaven. There has been a shift from quantitative to qualitative, proving that less can really be more. It’s just s question of identifying the ones that are right for your brand. But, we might be able to help you with that…

Stay in the loop: We’ll soon release a list of 50 Canadian micro-influencers to keep your eye on.