The aim of every marketing strategy is to help you to sell your products and services. Plain and simple. There has been a huge transition in marketing. And now, we are stuck in an amusing cycle of transition. No matter how much the marketing strategies change, how many new tools are invented and introduced, be it traditional marketing or digital marketing, the bottom line is that every business needs to see an increase in sales. After all, everybody has to make ends meet.  

Speaking of new marketing tools, how can we pass by without talking about influencer marketing? It’s every brand’s attempt to make the most of marketing techniques. You invest money in it, explore various tools, various mediums, bring together a team of experts, create marketing plans for different goals. The same thing happened with influencer marketing. 

It’s been more than a decade since influencer marketing paved its way into the digital world but it’s only been a few years since people have become familiar with it. Every brand has gone to the ends of the earth to collaborate with influencers and have them promote their products. Some did it mindlessly while others did it mindfully. 

However, while the adrenaline rush created by influencer marketing still goes on and everybody prefers to make its optimal use, a category of influencers has remained in the shadows. The micro-influencers. 

Who are the micro-influencers?

Micro-influencers are key leaders on social media who have a following between 1000 to 1,00,000. They can belong to any niche of their choice. Even though to be designated as an influencer, no certification of any sort is needed, just the number of followers does not define them as an influencer. It highly depends on the individual’s choice and frame of work. Being an influencer is a legitimate career in today’s times and being a micro-influencer is a first step towards their journey. 

What is the notion about micro-influencers?

• They are not credible

A lot of users, as well as brands, think that micro-influencers are not genuine and they do it just because the ideology attached to influencer marketing is that by being an influencer, one can get free stuff. However, it is your duty as a brand to secure your marketing strategy by running background checks. You can have criteria for yourself to decide which influencers are credible, reasonable, and trustworthy.

• They do not have enough followers to be an influencer

As mentioned above, the number of followers does not define the status of being an influencer. To be an influencer and for a brand to work with an influencer, the number of followers is important but not as important as the engagement rate that they have. If you wish to collaborate with micro-influencers or any influencers, you must focus more on their engagement rate rather than their number of followers. 

• They do not do their job seriously

People who love their jobs take their jobs seriously. It’s a universal fact. The same goes for the influencers. When they begin their journey, they are at phase 1 and that is being a micro-influencer. They know it themselves that if they do not do good then their career is in jeopardy. A little research on the influencers can help you crack this dilemma and find out their authenticity. 

Why this bad rep?

We are not completely eliminating these notions here. But generalizing is also something you must condemn. Show business is loved by most and influencer marketing has made it possible for everyone to be a part of it. To work with micro-influencers is not as difficult as it is assumed. As we are moving forward with this growing marketing trend, brands and influencers both are being smart about their choices. The chances of you having a bad experience with any influencer are far lesser than you expect. 

Let’s look at some of the most popular myths around micro-influencers.

In all honesty and factuality, micro-influencers as a segment are highly underrepresented and underrated. The goal of an influencer marketing strategy can range from bringing awareness to generating content to increasing sales. And micro-influencers like the other category of influencers are efficient to deliver the desired results. Here are the 8 most crucial reasons why micro-influencers are better than other influencers sometimes. 

1. Working with them is inexpensive

Micro-influencers are individuals who are at the start of their careers. They are still striving to make it through the day and earn some bread. They charge less than other categories of influencers. You can also choose to pay their reimbursements in different modes like by giving them free products, or a certain amount of commission, or by any other mode of mutual settlement.

Although micro-influencers are not as famous as other types of influencers, they hold the same authenticity and potential. Hence, as a brand, you must try to pay them for what they are worth and not exploit them in any way. 

2. They have a niche 

Micro-influencers are certainly new to being a creator and have a huge follower base online. But they do have it and it is solely because they have a niche. The content that they create is loved by their followers and hence, to maintain that, they make similar content in that niche. If you find a micro-influencer from the same niche as you, it is incredible because you can expect a huge level of relativity from them and high responsiveness from their followers. 

3. They are highly active

They are always in this rush of creating something new, trying out new trends, commenting on other people’s content, sharing it, being a part of the creator’s community, they are always on the roll. And hence, they are always visible to people. When you collaborate with them, you too share the same visibility and attention that they receive. The fact they are so active with their daily postings, updates, content, will help you get more followers too. 

4. They are very responsive

The debate between micro vs macro-influencers is always in the news, let’s just clear some air by knowing that since micro-influencers do not have lakhs of followers, it is easier for them to speak to most of them and hence, they have strong and personal bonds with their followers. This helps a lot in the long run. These followers are outsiders who look at your content as an audience and are always appreciative of it. They give suggestions, they share your content, they promote your content, they give constructive feedback, and hence, they have a very transparent band. This is a great advantage for any brand, a personal connection with their customers. 

5. You can build long-term relationships

Depending on the experience you have with a micro-influencer, you can aim at a longer partnership with them. If their content is helping them grow then similarly you too can share that growth with them if you collaborate with them for a long period of time. Longer collaborations mean more visibility which means more brand awareness and that eventually means more sales. Bingo!

6. They are ideal for small businesses

Small businesses often have small budgets. Even if they are a risk taker they would always hope that the money invested in marketing comes back with an increase in sales. Risk is a permanent factor and hence, the lesser the better. With micro-influencers, small businesses have the freedom to explore and experiment without investing a lot of money on it. Influencer marketing as it is is cost-effective compared to traditional marketing strategies or even other paid marketing strategies. And finding them is even more cost-effective with WORD Marketplace. It’s an influencer marketing platform where you can sign up for free and find micro-influencers for your campaign. Just post your requirements and wait for the magic to happen. 

7. They are ideal for local marketing

Micro-influencers are known well by people in their locality. If you are a small business, you can choose to work with micro-influencers from your locality itself and start from the basics. Although the market is an open field, starting local is always great for a business. If you are a big business that aims to establish its brand in a lesser-known region or any new locality, then collaborating with regional micro-influencers can help you gain brand awareness in a short span of time. 

The ideology towards working with influencers, in general, was not always bright. Earlier it was the famous celebrities that were looked up to by both the brands and the consumers. They too were and are influencers. But the social influencers that we have now have started from scratch and are solely related to particular niches of their choice. 

The importance of niche was never so amplified than today. It helps brands narrow down their choices and connect with people who can actually bring them business. And micro-influencers like other influencers are a medium to reach these potential consumers who belong to your niche. Working with micro-influencers can be a seamless experience for you if your research regarding all the prerequisites is apt enough. They are enthusiastic and always open to business. They understand the seriousness of their job and hence, they wish to deliver nothing but the best. And what else does a brand need from an influencer? Nothing and hence, micro-influencers can sometimes be better than other influencers for your business.