The global pandemic has changed the way we do business. With the global market at our fingertips, more businesses than ever quickly realize the power of influencer campaigns as powerful tools in reaching a target audience through the World Wide Web. As the way we do business has changed, so too has the way we market our products and services.
If you’re a business owner or someone in the position of leading marketing campaigns for a business, it’s important to understand the latest trends in using micro-influencers to target audiences in any niche. To learn more about how an influencer can make all the difference in reaching an overall audience and impact sales and business, read on.
The Power of Social Media
A micro influencer is someone with a small audience but a high engagement rate of followers on social media. A social media influencer might have as little as 10,000 Instagram followers. Still, it can quickly convince its audience to pick up a product or service simply because of its connection with its fans. Generally well-connected to their audience, their posts have higher engagement than a standard advertisement. Otherwise put, a micro-influencer is someone real people trust and relate to when it comes to product and service recommendations. They understand the power of social media, and many are making a living off of it.
Micro-influencers work through blogging, posts on social media platforms, and the use of hashtags and more to gain a strong and engaged audience of followers around a specific niche. For example, an influencer in the #Vanlife community would have spent time building a smaller audience of engaged followers and have their own brand awareness around their lifestyle. In approaching a micro-influencer to recommend your product through word of mouth advertising, posts, and more, you would be aligning with this influencer as a product sponsor.
Many companies do this by sending out free products to micro-influencers to exchange reviews with their followers. Not only does this help that company’s product be seen, but the authenticity of the target audience hearing about it from a person they already trust and follow is what adds up to big sales. One free solar charger to that van lifer could turn into hundreds of sales to their following.
YouTube and Vloggers
YouTube is another form of social media that is taking over brand marketing. Here, micro-influencers will offer the same kind of content as one would see from an Instagram influencer. Much more affordable than seeking celebrity endorsement for a product, companies are making moves toward approaching YouTube creators with strong followings for similar results.
Again, because the followings are stronger than they would be for a celebrity influencer, the fact that these YouTube stars have fewer followers doesn’t mean they can’t help promote a product in a way that gets better engagement than a company might get from a star with a lower engagement rate. A simple YouTube product review or sponsorship could add higher profits than a company might get for a high-priced social media star.
If you run a small business, consider approaching someone with a smaller YouTube following in your niche. You might be surprised to learn how impactful and affordable smaller influencers can be.
Using Affiliates and Codes
Some smaller influencers like to use affiliate and discount codes so that their followers feel like they’re getting a win, too. When approaching a smaller social media influencer, consider offering them codes that help promote their brand awareness and yours. Something as simple as that social media influencer’s first name with a number like “10” after it could mean a ten percent discount and alert you to which influencers are helping you get the best bang for your buck. A great way to track where sales are coming from, offering influencers affiliate codes are a great way to build this connection, too.
Like it or not, big brand advertisements and celebrity endorsements of the past are not future trends. Instead, businesses hoping to keep customers engaged with a specific niche will need to reach out to social media influencers for the most effective marketing. The great news is that this relationship can be rewarding and affordable for both the influencer and the business. Taking the time to make those connections will pay off in the future as the global market continues to expand.
