What is a Micro-Influencer?

Micro-influencers are taking the Influencer Marketing world by storm. A study done by Expercity showed that 82% of consumers’ were more likely to act on a recommendation if it came from a micro-influencer. So what is a micro-influencer and why are they so effective?

The definition of a micro-influencer varies based on who you ask. At Influence Hunter, we quantify them as influencers who have between 10-100K following and more importantly 500-2500 average likes. Their engagement is what matters most as it shows how many people are actually interacting with these influencers’ posts. An influencer who has 15K followers and gets 2000 likes is going to be similar in value to the influencer who has 80K following and gets the same amount of likes. Many amateur marketers get fooled by the big follower number attached to the influencers, but these can be easily bought and inflated.

Micro-influencers are more effective because they are more relatable to their followers than mega-influencers. These micro-influencers are something in between a regular person and a true celebrity. It is almost like listening to a friend that you know and trust who is recommending something to you. A study has found that 83% of Americans are likely to purchase a product after it has been recommended by a friend. The micro-influencers are the “credible friend.”

These micro-influencers have a serious influence over their following but won’t break the bank to work with. They are right in that sweet spot. Many micro-influencers will work for free products and then make a commission when they bring a sale on board. This helps it feel more authentic and less like an ad. When you see Justin Bieber make a post for Calvin Klein, you know he’s being paid an insane amount of money to do so and that is why he is doing it. However, when micro-influencers post about a brand, it’s oftentimes because they use the product and truly love what the company is doing and want their followers to know. This comes off as real and their following will be more likely to purchase as a result.

Micro-influencers can also be very effective in specific niches when companies want to target specific types of people. For a mega-influencer, they are so big that their followers will range greatly in demographics. A micro-influencer who loves Fitness and most of their posts are centered around fitness and different fitness products that they love will have a following predominantly consisting of people who love fitness. Therefore, getting their product promoted by this influencer can be a massive goldmine for fitness companies looking to get some brand awareness. This works in all different niches and there are influencers in pretty much every industry imaginable.

In 2020, micro-influencers will become even more prevalent. Any company looking to get started can choose from one of our packages available. The great thing about micro-influencer marketing is that it works for every type of business and doesn’t require a massive investment to get started.