Which would you trust the most – results of the organic search result on Google, a sponsored Ad on search engine/social media or an endorsement by a trusted blogger or social media influencer whom you follow and admire? Influencer marketing is growing rapidly and according to eMarketer the global spend on Instagram alone was $570 million in 2017.
A common misconception about using influencers for social media marketing is that it can be too expensive for small businesses. You do not need to use celebrities or big influencers with a million followers. Micro-influencers can help promote small businesses at a fraction of the cost. They are experts, opinion-shapers and trend-forecasters who have between 1,000 and 50,000 followers.
Though micro-influencers' followers are lesser in number, the engagement they generate is generally higher — around 8 percent, compared to 4 percent for those with over one million followers. A study revealed that micro-influencers have 22.1 times more conversations involving brand purchases, and 82% of consumers are "highly likely" to follow influencer recommendations.
How to Find Micro Influencers
Start by scanning your existing followers. A fan who frequently comments, uses your custom hashtags, or tags your company could be an influencer. Check their influence using tools like Followerwonk.
Search social media platforms using hashtags: #YourBrandName, #competitorbrand, #yourproduct on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
Check if the influencer produces quality content. Engagement rates are more important than raw follower numbers. If you see a sudden spike in followers, most likely these were bought.
Tools to Find Micro-influencers
- Scrunch — Freemium tool with 20 million influencer profiles across blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram
- Tinysponsor — Marketplace where influencers set up sponsorship packages and businesses can search by platform, price, city, and tags
- Unity — Uses machine learning to match businesses with micro-influencers through interests, affinity, and geo-targeting
- HYPR — Database of 3 million influencers with demographic data, filterable by follower count and platform
Five Ways to Use Micro-influencers to Gain More Customers
1. Creating Custom Hashtags
Create a custom hashtag for each campaign to generate brand awareness. Send free products and have influencers generate content on their channels. Hawaii's Department of Tourism effectively used micro-influencers with their #LetHawaiiHappen campaign.
2. Leverage User-generated Content
Influencers tend to know what they're doing — great camera angles, lighting, and engaging content. Have the influencer create content and share it on your brand page, giving credit to the influencer.
3. Create Sponsored Posts
Focus on getting influencers to post content on their own accounts. You can pay for promoting these posts or share them on your brand profile.
4. Promote Discount Codes & Deals
Have micro-influencers promote discount codes to drive their followers to try your product, or promote giveaway campaigns for free products.
5. Social Media Takeover
Allow an influencer to temporarily take over your social media account:
- Twitter Takeover: Q&A session hosted by an influencer
- Facebook Takeover: Facebook Live with the influencer interacting with fans in real time
- Instagram Takeover: Influencers featured in your Stories and Live videos
Measuring Success
- Reach and engagement with each influencer post
- Increase in your social media following
- Website visitors from the campaign
- Sales generated compared to costs
Conclusion
Influencer marketing is one of the most effective forms of gaining mindshare with your ideal consumers quickly and effectively. Because of their high engagement rates and cost-effectiveness, most small businesses can leverage micro-influencers anytime, even with a limited budget.
