Bigger isn't always better: Why Micro-influencers matter

So often in marketing we get hung-up on the numbers – the biggest reach, the most impressions and, while we’d all love Queen Bey to give our brands a shoutout to her 318M Instagram followers – let’s face it, we’re more likely to win the lottery……twice.

In a nutshell, there are differing levels of influencer. At the top of the food chain are the ‘celebrities’, who gain their title by having more than 1M followers. Next, there’s Macro-influencers (110k – 1M followers), then Micro (10K – 100K followers) and last but not least, Nano-influencers (1K – 10K followers).

While it’s tempting to pine after the big players, it’s important to remember what’s a) attainable (even in our dream campaigns, there’s a budget), and b) what’s going to deliver results for your brand. While celebs are aspirational, they’re not particularly relatable. A genuine recommendation/review from someone who’s life resonates with your own can end up being far more impactful. It’s much easier for a regular person to find synergy with a Micro-influencer in Brighton, than an A-lister in the Hollywood hills.

The other benefit of Micro-influencers is how engaged their audiences are. Because they have a more intimate following, they often see greater interaction on their content. In fact, according to a study, Micro-influencers boast the highest post engagement rate of all influencer types across the board, on Instagram (3.86%), YouTube (1.63%) and in particular, TikTok (17.96%)*

What’s more, because their following is close-knit, Micro-influencers can offer an effective way to target niche communities, making it easier for brands to reach the people who are really relevant to them. By showcasing products to targeted groups of people who share similar interests, you’re optimising your chance of converting comms into actual sales – the end goal for everyone.

Even better news, Micro-influencers make up the largest proportion of all influencer types, meaning whatever your brand focus, there’s an abundance of opportunities out there – quite literally a community for everyone and everything.

77% of marketers choose Micro-influencers as their most preferred influencer type, and given their potential ROI, it’s not difficult to see why. Affordable – tick, targeted -tick, great engagement – tick. Bigger is better? Not in our book.

*Influencer Marketing Hub