It’s time for the next instalment of our Marketing for the Future series, and this time we’re taking a dive into the world of influencer marketing. As social media has evolved, so have social media personalities – otherwise known as influencers. But today we’re not talking about influencer giants like Mr Beast, KSI or Jeffree Star: instead, we’re focusing on micro influencers and the huge impact these smaller social media personalities have on marketing.
A micro influencer is an individual who has a relatively small but highly engaged and niche following on social media platforms or other online channels. Unlike celebrities or macro influencers with millions of followers, micro influencers typically have follower counts ranging from a few thousand to around 100,000. What sets them apart is their ability to connect with their audience on a more personal and authentic level.
Micro influencers are often considered experts or enthusiasts in a specific niche, such as fashion, beauty, fitness, travel, technology, or any other area of interest. They are known for their genuine passion and expertise in their chosen field, which resonates with their followers. Their content tends to be more focused and authentic, and they often interact directly with their audience through comments, messages, and engagement in discussions.
Firstly, micro influencers tend to charge lower fees compared to larger influencers, making them an attractive option for smaller businesses with limited marketing budgets. Rather than forking out large sums of money for promotions by larger influencers, brands and businesses will oftentimes choose to work with micro influencers to save themselves some money whilst not compromising on the efficacy of their outreach. Data provided by Shopify shows that whilst micro influencers may charge between $100 and $500 per social media post, their larger counterparts will charge up to $10,000 for the same content, making working with micro influencers far more attainable for brands of any scale.
Secondly, micro influencers typically have highly engaged audiences. This is largely due to their ability to directly interact with their loyal fanbase via comments sections, direct messages, and on streams. With a smaller, more interactive fanbase, micro influencers are not inundated with the same number of fan interactions as larger influencers, allowing them more time to create meaningful connections with their follower base. It’s no wonder micro influencers have an average engagement rate of 6% compared to less than 2% for larger influencers.
Lastly, micro influencers tend to have a niche segment of the market that they appeal to – whether it’s reviewing beauty products from a specific country, providing advice on certain types of vehicle, or appealing to a very specific sense of fashion or style. This allows micro influencers to reach a type of audience that will be especially receptive, especially if they find their interests aligned with the influencer in question. This makes promoting your brand or business via a relevant micro influencer particularly effective, as the chances of the influencer’s niche audience being interested in your product are elevated.
Trust is key to making sales in any industry. Consumers will only buy from your business if they trust a product or service will be worth their money, and without this element of trust consumers will not be willing to part with their money.
As discussed above, micro influencers have strong bonds with their audiences, driven by the audience and influencer’s shared interests and accessible lines of communication by direct message, comments sections or livestreams. This helps to establish trust between influencers and their audience in a somewhat unique way by mimicking the interactions of a real-life friendship. Unlike faceless brands and unattainable corporations, micro influencers appeal to their followers as ‘friends’ rather than customers, allowing for the establishment of trust. How many times have you watched a TikTok, an Instagram Reel, or a YouTube video from an influencer that starts with “hey guys!”, “I’ve missed you”, or “I have something really awesome to show you”? As a result, recommendations from micro influencers can feel like recommendations from a beloved friend or family member, and with 82% of us saying that we’d strongly trust recommendations from people we know, it’s easy to see why micro influencers try to appeal to us as our close friends.
This establishment of trust is driving sales in their droves – 32% of Gen Z have made a purchase as a result of an influencer’s recommendation. Similarly, posts made by micro influencers convert at an average rate of 20%, which is far higher when compared to 13% for macro influencers, demonstrating that utilising this trust and enhanced engagement is a one-way ticket to boosted sales for businesses that use micro influencer marketing.
As part of our Marketing For The Future series, we like to look at the potential future avenues different forms of marketing can take, setting our sights on the marketing world 3, 5, or even 10 years into the future. At DGT, we anticipate that micro influencer marketing will continue to be utilised by brands and businesses, albeit with the help of technological advancements in order to source influencer talent, showcase influencers, and connect influencers with their viewers.
Finding the perfect micro influencer that will work well with your brand and help you promote your goods and services effectively is set to become a streamlined process. Machine Learning algorithms could be used in the future as a means of sourcing influencers – especially under the radar micro influencers – that can most effectively promote your business.
There are already agencies that work alongside brands to find the best influencers to advertise their company and products. However, the future is set to automate this process. By studying consumer interests, businesses can then use AI to identify the best-suited influencer that matches the brand DNA. This will ensure that brands get high ROI thanks to contextual relevance enabled by AI and Machine Learning algorithms.
It’s not just sourcing and interacting with micro influencers that is set to receive a technological overhaul – influencers themselves could become driven by artificial intelligence. We have already experienced the dawn of the AI influencer, with the likes of Miquela and Milla Sofia being prime examples of virtual influencers making waves on social media. But what does this mean for micro influencer marketing?
For brands looking for complete control over how their products are conveyed, CGI influencers are the perfect option. They are flawless, malleable, and can be edited in whichever way you choose. In an industry that is becoming increasingly resistant to photoshop and heavy edits, CGI influencers offer a welcome alternative for brands looking to fine tune their image away from the debate surrounding body image standards.
Earlier we discussed that micro influencers get better engagement with their audiences because they present themselves as friends of their audience. This aspect of viewer-influencer relationships will be exacerbated by AI and VR.
As access to artificial intelligence becomes more widespread and VR headsets become more accessible, many businesses are set to fuse the benefits of these new technologies with the dawn of influencer marketing. Soon, our smartphones will have augmented reality capability and this will put us in even closer proximity to our favourite influencers. The possibilities for this are endless – imagine seating yourself next to your favourite influencer at the next gaming convention, brand trip or comic con? How about utilising filters to try on your influencer’s favourite fashion items, accessories or makeup products? Or perhaps interacting directly with your favourite influencer’s avatars across different Metaverse platforms?
The future of influencer marketing – especially as it pertains to micro influencers – looks promising. With technology set to have a huge impact on influencer marketing, and marketing in general, we can’t wait to see how the influencer space adapts to these advancements.
Every month, we’ll be doing a deep-dive into the latest advancements in marketing. From Martech to voice search, the Metaverse to AI copywriting, the DGT team are ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest marketing innovations. Want to stay in the loop with all things DGT? Get in touch – we’d love to hear from you!
Posted by Jenna C on Wednesday 8th November 2023
