What was an industry focused on bloggers is now known as influencers, or more precisely, social media influencers. But with the term we use, the focus has also shifted, or rather, we can say, broadened. Earlier, the focus was on number, which means people with huge followers, but now the focus is basically on authenticity and reach. Focusing on these two major factors, brands and businesses have started considering influencers with small followers, known as micro influencers in Dubai. They are said to build genuine connections with their audience.
A report by Influencer Marketing Hub indicates that the business is changing quickly, as evidenced by the noteworthy 45.8% rise in spending set aside for influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is an effective strategy in digital marketing because it makes use of the connections and trust influencers have established with their following.
What is a Micro Influencer?
Any influencer with a followers between 10K and 100K on social media platforms is known as a micro-influencer. They have substantial following while still being relatable to their audience, making them one of the best influencers to work with. Since these influencers frequently focus on extremely narrow niches, their fan base is likewise composed of individuals with an interest in a particular niche or topic.
For example – think of a food blogger promoting meal prep, or a travel blogger sharing their favorite moment or the place they visited. They are specialized in certain niches and build genuine connections with their followers based on their story.
Why Work With Micro-Influencers?
Here are some of the reasons why you must work with a micro-influencer –
Higher Engagement Rates
Because of this, micro-influencers are setting the standard for audience interaction. They have the distinct ability to hold the interest of their audience unlike anyone else because of their narrowly concentrated niche and smaller follower base. Consider the partnership between a jewelry manufacturer and a micro-influencer with a focus on sustainability. Since they are already enthusiastic about sustainable and ethical fashion, the audience of micro-influencers is more likely to interact with material that highlights the jewelry brand’s eco-friendly offerings. As a result, the brand’s message may receive more likes, comments, and shares, thereby expanding its audience. In this case, brands wish to focus on a very narrow niche.
Authenticity and Trust
Micro-influencers with fewer followers can build more intimate relationships with their audience, which increases trust and authenticity. If your company sells skincare products, consider collaborating with a micro-influencer who is a makeup artist through a relationship based on sincere experiences. By showcasing before-and-after photos made with your skin care products, the micro-influencer can provide her audience with a real-life glimpse into how your goods have helped her. Sincere product endorsements like these foster a stronger sense of trust between the micro-influencer and their audience, increasing the likelihood that the latter may test the products out for themselves.
Cost-Effectiveness
The affordability of micro influencers in comparison to big or superstar influencers is one of their most alluring features. In fact, a recent study by the industry showed that a company’s return on investment (ROI) increased when it worked with multiple carefully chosen micro-influencers as opposed to just one macro-influencer. This is due to the fact that micro-influencers frequently charge less for their services, even if they still produce noteworthy outcomes. Brands may achieve maximum impact and cost-effectiveness by carefully allocating their cash and forming smart collaborations.
High Engagement Rates
Working with micro-influencers has several advantages, one of which is their capacity to generate a lot of engagement. This is especially crucial since engagement rates on social media sites like Instagram are declining overall. A further study discovered that micro-influencers are still able to produce an engagement rate of 2% on Instagram for both sponsored and normal posts. In the meantime, the engagement rate for sponsored posts among mid-tier and macro-influencers is 1.5% and 1.2%, respectively.
How to Create a Micro-Influencer Marketing Strategy?
Here’s how you can create a micro-influencer marketing strategy –
Identify Your Goals
The first thing you need to figure out is – understanding your goals. This phase is typically taken even before determining that an influencer campaign is necessary. You will choose to launch the influencer campaign based on a certain set of objectives. But the other way around is also feasible. Whatever the situation, you must write down your goals.
Make sure that every objective you set is measurable and precise. Broad objectives are unclear and will confuse you and the influencer when it comes to producing content and assessing results.
Find the Right Micro-Influencers
By now, you should be well-aware of your target market, campaign objectives, and financial constraints. It’s important to find the micro-influencers who can assist you with promotions and who already serve your specific audience. You’ve probably already got a few names in mind of people you’ve been following due to their notoriety in your industry.
To be honest, this kind of combination works best since it allows people who are both receiving and already aware of the value you offer to promote your business more authentically. If you don’t have any leads, find the best suited micro-influencers using the techniques listed below –
- Use social media analytics, hashtags, and keywords relevant to your niche to manually find possible micro-influencers. Verify them further to make sure that their interaction and following are real.
- Make use of influencer marketing resources such as Showcase, Buzz Stream, and Up fluence. These services expedite the search process by providing databases and profiles of micro-influencers who meet your requirements.
Reach Out and Collaborate
Start corresponding with the influencers on your finished list. Micro-influencers have the benefit of being extremely approachable. To initiate communication, you can use the platform where they are active and well-liked. Micro-influencers are persistent in their direct messages and typically respond quickly.
You want to make an interesting and succinct first pitch. Start by introducing your brand, and then genuinely congratulate them on their work. If they show interest in collaborating, clearly explain your goals and direct them to email for a more efficient conversation. Yes, don’t forget to specify that the project will require payment.
Also, decide in this phase if the influencers need to create the content or write the script from their end, or if you will be providing the content. You will need to discuss deliverables and compensation throughout a series of email exchanges and frequent phone or video sessions in between in order to precisely define the campaign’s overall scope and ultimately come to a collaboration agreement.
Create a Content Plan
The ideation, creation, and evaluation phases of content are completed after you have decided on the social media platform, quantity of deliverables, and format.
Give the influencer much of the responsibility for creating content. Micro-influencers have been producing material long before you did, so they are aware of the kinds of things that appeal to their following. They are unaware of your brand’s principles and style, nevertheless. Assist them with the specifics of your visual branding elements, tone, and important messaging.
Here, we can conclude that bigger isn’t always better, at least when it comes to influencers, which is excellent news for businesses of all sizes. Due to the phenomenal rise in popularity of micro-influencers, both small and large organizations have a great potential to market their brands, increase engagement, and increase conversions without having to invest a large amount of money. The customer is astute. When kids view advertising content, they may recognize it. Presenting your brand as truthfully as you can is the best course of action.
Your best chance to win over your audience’s trust and establish a personal connection with them is to work with people like us influencers.
Contact One Hub, the best influencer marketing agency in Dubai, for a strategic influencer marketing process. Let us help you make your brand known to people via micro-influencer marketing.