Step aside bloggers, it’s time for micro-influencers to take the stage

When most people hear the word ‘influencer’ they immediately think of vloggers and bloggers but with the rise of Snapchat and Instagram, a new form of influencer is currently taking centre stage.

Enter, Micro-influencers.

Over the past decade with sites such as Blogger and Wordpress making it so easy for bloggers to publish blogs, the blogging industry has flourished at a rapid pace to a point where now you’d be hard pushed to find a topic that isn’t currently being blogged about.

From food blogs to beauty blogs, there’s certainly something for everyone. However, the aftermath of this blogging boom is that the blogging world has now become heavily saturated and although there are still stand-out bloggers who have a whole lot of influence, the reality is, there are now so many stand-out bloggers that many are wondering how much influence they now have.

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So what does this all mean for those hoping to get their brand out there and to use the power of influencer marketing to their advantage?

Although the world of influencer marketing is evolving and recent years have seen micro-bloggers taking the place of top influencers, you can still harness the power it yields with careful planning.

But what exactly is a micro-influencer?

Don’t be fooled by their name, there is nothing small about the amount of clout a micro-influencer can have. A micro-influencer is usually Instafamous or a Youtube sensation with a relatively high social following who they have a great impact on. The word ‘micro’ refers to their smaller audience but when placed within their community and at the centre of their influence, they can have masses of impact within their community. They are then able to influence their followers’ buying habits by advocating brands and encouraging them to buy a brand upon their recommendation.

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Snapchat and Instagram are currently the most popular platforms for micro-influencers and are a great way to target millennials who no longer have the time to sit and read an entire blog about a product but instead, like to get their information in small, bite-sized nuggets that they can digest quickly and easily. Instagram lets micro-influencers create what are essentially visual micro-blogs that really pack a punch. Similarly full-length Youtube tutorials are being taken over by short videos on Instagram or Snapchat and live streaming.

Whereas in the past, bloggers would use Instagram as an additional means to get followers onto their blog, now Instagram is their blog.

Micro-influencers get an average of two-five times more organic engagement per Instagram post compared to those with more than 100,000 followers. Due to the fact that more often than not, micro-influencers’ followers consist of their friends and family, their posts are quite often deemed as more trustworthy.

Furthermore, you might remember not too long ago we talked about the introduction of Instagram’s new algorithm, well as a result, it could well mean that posts from micro-influencers could well become more visible than posts from celebrities that have millions of followers. This stands to reason considering Instagram prioritises posts from family and friends over posts from companies or big name celebrities.

However, that doesn’t mean to say harnessing the power of celebrity influencer power should be ignored. Celebrities can help bring about conversions but more importantly, they can activate micro-influencers meaning your brand can convert at an even higher level. In short, double the impact with some careful targeting.

A campaign involving 30 to 40 micro-influencers can often yield far better results than a campaign that relies solely on social media stars or celebrities that have millions of loyal fans but the trick is striking the balance.

For help with creating a high-impact influencer campaign of your own, why not get in touch and to find out a little more about the power of influencer marketing, check out our top Influencer Marketing Dos and Don’ts.