When size doesn't matter. The rise of micro influencers
Australians spend longer on social media than they do having a family dinner. We’re liking, commenting and scrolling for 1 hour and 39 minutes on average every day[1]. If you do the math, that’s a countrywide average of 37,533 hours spent on social every single day. We’re dedicated to say the least.
On the surface, this seems like more proof in a big delicious Facebook-sized pudding. But just because marketers have a captive audience, it doesn’t mean they know how to connect with them.
When it comes to social Aussie consumers are smartening up and we’re developing a case of ‘advertising-itis’ along the way. This strange affliction is caused by contact to irrelevant, pushy, sales-driven content that results in the social media version of an allergic reaction – the dreaded unlike.
There is a cure
The answer to advertising-itis is simple - it’s the audience. Most Aussies spend time on social because they want to create authentic connections with family, friends, their favourite brands and the world at large.
Which leaves us with the (literal) million-dollar question. If we’re targeting an audience that responds to authentic interaction[2] – how on earth do you get a sales-focused brand message across?
You’ve got to use a little influence
There’s a reason why 94% of marketing professionals using influencer marketing say it’s effective.
A report[3] released by Nielsen found recommendations from people we know or trust remain the most credible form of advertising. Word of mouth still works. But in 2018 a trusted opinion is more likely to come from a Swedish street blogger than your next-door neighbour’s mum.
Marketers have reported influencer campaigns have generated up to 11 times the ROI of traditional advertising[4]. Let that sink in for a minute.
11 times the ROI compared to traditional advertising methods.
But before you drop everything and release your entire annual marketing budget for a Kim Kardashian Instagram post, let’s consider authenticity.
Introducing Micro Influencers
Micro Influencers have between 5,000 – 30,000 followers. They’ve built their following around a niche interest and enjoy an engaged, committed and loyal following as a result. Here’s where it gets interesting.
Influencers with a large following (Macro Influencers) have the highest reach but influencers with a smaller following (Micro Influencers) have better engagement.
In fact, the ratio of likes and comments to followers is at its highest when an account has around 1,000 followers. For influencers with over 100,000 followers, engagement starts to flatten[5] out because users crave relevant interactions.
Hello authenticity, our old friend.
Micro-influencers are considered to be trusted sources and on average have a 60% higher engagement rate and are 6.7 times more cost-effective when compared to Macro Influencers.
Engagement beats reach. Every. Single. Time.
Reach tells you how many people may have seen a branded post. Unsurprisingly, the more followers an influencer has, the higher the reach of each post will be. But reach doesn’t give any indication of how many people reacted to a post and what kind of reaction it was, so you cannot measure the resonance of your content.
Engagement rates indicate action and response. Higher rates of engagement typically result in better conversions. If you have engagement, you have an audience who is invested in a conversation. But more importantly, you’ve got another chance to deliver your message and build some brand love.
Are you ready to go Micro?
Not so fast, a reactive Micro Influencer campaign is not a quick fix to your brand woes. To run a successful Micro Influencer campaign, you need to develop a well thought out plan and run the campaign like a military style operation. Seriously.
You’ll need to strategise. Find your Micro Influencer targets, test their social strength and deploy them on carefully observed Instagram missions. And once your Micro Influencers return with wins in the form of beautifully shot and authentic influencer content, how will you effectively amplify these wins and measure their effectiveness? With more strategy!
But like any hard to win battle, the victory will be sweet and so will the return on investment.
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[1] https://wearesocial.com/au/blog/2018/02/2018-digital-report-australia
[2] https://thinkbonfire.com/blog/brand-authenticity-data-infographic/
[3] http://www.nielsen.com/eu/en/press-room/2015/recommendations-from-friends-remain-most-credible-form-of-advertising.html
[4] https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/the-influencer-marketing-revolution-infographic/517146/
[5] https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/the-brand-value-of-influencer-marketing-in-2018-infographic/520810/
“Before you drop everything and release your entire annual marketing budget for a Kim Kardashian Instagram post... Introducing Micro Influencers”