Influencer marketing has become increasingly popular in the digital marketing scene. The high follower counts and dedicated fan base of many social media influencers have attracted plenty of brands looking to get their name out to a bigger audience, and some have succeeded. While some brands prefer to work with influencers that have large social media followings, some more niche brands have found that micro-influencer marketing, which is working with influencers with a smaller following and audience, works the best for them.
Micro-influencer marketing has its own benefits, especially for brands who either can’t afford macro-influencers and celebrities or want to target a specific audience. Here are some ways that you can make micro-influencer marketing work for you.
Find a niche that fits your brand
The more niche your brand is, the more effective micro-influencers will be. Nowadays, you can find plenty of sites, blogs, and videos about any sort of niche, however small. Chances are, you’ll be able to find an influencer with a significant following for any specific niche you choose to pursue.
For example, you provide art supplies like ink pens and color markers; then focus on a niche that caters to artists. Online artists get a lot of engagement on social media, especially if they create fan art of a popular series, game, or show. If you develop games or apps, then you can focus on the gaming niche, which also gets a lot of views and engagement on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
The more specific your audience, the better. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping that someone in the audience bites, it might be better to focus solely on your specific niche and target audience. It saves you time and effort; plus, it gives your brand or product a higher chance of being noticed by people who would actually benefit from it.
Target your influencer’s particular brand and audience
Just like you have your own brand, every social media influencer has their own particular ‘brand’ as well. They might be known for being funny and posting comedy skits on YouTube. They might be known for their makeup skills and their Instagram-worthy photos. Or they can be known for their essays and analyses on different shows and movies. Whatever it is they’re famous for and do best, you have to make your product fit into it. For example, product placement for something like chocolates and sweets just looks out of place in a fitness vlog.
The good thing about micro-influencers is that despite their relatively small following compared to more popular celebrities, their fan base is extremely dedicated and loyal and is more likely to engage with them and their content. Followers of particular influencers come to their sites or pages looking for specific kinds of content. Whatever the influencer of your choice is known for, that’s what gets the most engagement from their audience.
Tailoring your brand to best fit the ‘brand’ of your chosen influencer can help a sponsorship look less out of place with their content and seem more natural. If your brand already caters to the specific niche of the influencer, then your work is practically done for you. For example, if an influencer is a chef or has their own cooking show, a food subscription box service fits perfectly with their content and their audience.
Expand to other platforms
Most brands look to social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube for their influencers, but there can be other opportunities on other sites as well. For example, live streaming has become more popular recently, especially among gamers. Unlike videos or posts, live streaming gives fans the opportunity to interact with an influencer live and since they only happen once at a particular time of day, more people tune in to live streams for fear of missing out on something. Platforms like Twitch, live.ly, and other streaming sites can be ideal platforms for brands looking to reach as big of an audience as possible.
Other than streaming sites, sites like TikTok have also gained considerable notoriety, especially among the younger generation. If you’re targeting a specific age group or demographic, look at the platforms they visit the most, as well as the kind of content they consume on those platforms. Focusing on one platform can be good, but if you want to reach as many people as possible, expanding to other platforms can be beneficial.
Strategize with a digital marketing agency
If marketing isn’t really your thing and you’d prefer to let someone else handle all the dirty work for you, hiring a digital marketing agency can take care of all of that for you. Digital marketing agencies like ZipZipe help you come up with strategies to expand your online brand, especially in influencer marketing. If you’re ever unsure of something or uncertain if you can do it well, you can get helpful advice and insights from leading experts of the industry and entrust your business in their capable hands.
Conclusion
Micro influencer marketing is more than just asking someone to promote your brand. You need to not only convince the influencer’s audience, but you need to convince the influencer as well. That way, their promotion of your brand comes off as more genuine and their loyal followers are more likely to take their word for it. As is the case with all marketing, it’s all about making the right connections and building lasting work relationships with the right people. Once you earn the trust of a micro-influencer, you can expect them to be just a loyal to your brand as their audience is to theirs. And who knows, they can be the next macro-influencers in the future.
