The rise of micro-influencers and small businesses has been rapid. As the world went into lockdown, ironically, it opened gates for many businesses. We say, “When one door closes, another one opens”, in action for many businesses. Plus, the support of vocal for local strongly made it possible for small businesses to take their brand online using social media. Now, it is possible for anybody to start a business through a social media page.

Similarly, during the pandemic, we saw the rise of influencer marketing on a different level. Yes, for a few months the world was in a state of shock and we saw a stagnancy as well as a downfall on a personal, professional, and of course global level. But we have lived through the ice age so it was no surprise that we wasted no time to adapt to the pandemic as well. In fact, since people were spending so much time online, it is fair to say that we accelerated the digitization process.

And something like that happened in the case of influencer marketing as well. Call it seeking comfort on the internet or business model, but the pandemic not only gave us the rise of new niches in influencer marketing, but it also gave us some of our top micro-influencers. Not just that, but there was also the emergence of many small businesses on Instagram. For instance, the thrift culture took up during the pandemic when people took to starting thrift stores on Instagram as means to generate income for themselves.

Furthermore, people were spending so much time online, that most of them even managed to use Instagram as a backup income source. Some did it by starting a new business while others chose to do that by becoming content creators. This also proves that Instagram is an ideal platform for side hustles. So, if you want to become an influencer but continue doing a full-time job, it is absolutely possible for you to keep doing that. It is always wise to have more than one income source.

In the early days of influencer marketing, the online fraternity did not accept micro-influencers at first. But now they are considered as credible as macro-influencers and mega-influencers. This is beneficial for many brands and businesses because they have more prospects for collaboration now.

Plus, it creates a pathway for budding influencers to start their career. So, if you are a micro-influencer, or you are just getting started, here is the best tip you can use to succeed- work with small businesses.

Why should you collaborate with small businesses on Instagram or any other platform?

Just like any career opportunity that begins with smaller roles and jobs, influencers too can start by working with small businesses. In fact, there are some influencers that promote small businesses on Instagram that have turned this into a niche itself. They do it for many reasons like supporting local business, creativity, or just because they highly resonate with them.