Micro-influencers: The new power players in social media marketing

Kumud Das Social media has become an irreplaceable part and parcel of every individual these days, especially after the Covid-19 outbreak. The rise of micro-influencers is one of the most significant shifts triggered by social media for businesses in terms of how they interact with their audiences.

In a recent poll, leading creator tech company Animeta found that only 20,000 of the 8 million creators in the nation are accessible to businesses for their influencer marketing efforts. This astonishing figure emphasizes how little of the creator world brands have access to, which is as less as 1 per cent. The reality that millions of creators lack access to and a mechanism to collaborate with the over 3500 brands searching for influencer marketing is also made clear by this. In a subsequent review of the creator landscape, it was discovered that, of the 9.22 lakh creators who have at least 100 followers on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, 53 per cent are Nano creators, with fewer than 10,000 followers.

The overall number of creators is composed of up to 36 per cent micro creators, or those with numbers of followers between 10,000 and 1 lakh, which sums up to 3.35 lakh creators. In addition, there are 95,000 creators (10 per cent) categorized as macro creators, who have between 1 and 10 lakh followers, and 7,000 (0.8 per cent) are mega creators, who have an amazing 10 lakh or more followers.

Micro-influencers are reshaping the marketing and brand-promotion landscape in this new era of business collaboration. These individuals have grown to be priceless resources for companies trying to target niche markets and build genuine connections with their target customers despite having relatively small but highly engaged followings.

Traditional celebrity influencers cleared the way for a new class of content creators, the micro-influencers, as social media platforms grew in popularity. Micro-influencers often have follower counts between a few thousand to a hundred thousand in contrast to macro-influencers who have millions of followers. Their genuine, specialized content that connects strongly with their committed followers is what distinguishes them. These influencers frequently develop trust and reputation in their communities, which makes them more relevant and approachable than their celebrity counterparts.

Talking to Bizz Buzz, Rij Eappen, Co-Founder and COO, WYLD said: “The most important element in the follower/influencer relationship is trust, which is what nano and micro-influencers and social media users bring to the table in droves. And this is because this segment of social media users tends to be followed by their friends, family, colleagues and people within their social circle, maybe with one or two degrees of separation. As compared to creators with a large following, these nano influencers and users have higher engagement rates and better conversions because you will always trust the recommendation of your friend over that of someone you follow, but don’t have a personal relationship with.”

Businesses looking to penetrate niche markets have found micro-influencers to be incredibly effective. They can target consumers with a high conversion potential by using the creator's followers who are driven by specialised content with similar interests. For instance, a skincare brand can collaborate with a beauty micro-influencer, reaching beauty enthusiasts who are more likely to have a keen interest in their products.

By focusing their marketing efforts on those who are more likely to be responsive to their messaging, businesses can save time and money. Furthermore, as followers are more likely to connect with content that feels genuine and customized, micro-influencers authenticity frequently results in better engagement rates.

Consumers are skeptical of traditional advertising and overly tailored content in the digital age. On the other hand, micro-influencers adore authenticity. Their followers develop trust in them because of their ability to share personal stories, frank critiques, and candid viewpoints. As a result, when micro-influencers work with companies, their advice has greater credibility and impact. This trust-driven relationship between micro-influencers and their followers translates into a genuine brand-consumer connection. Businesses partnering with micro-influencers can leverage this authenticity to enhance their brand reputation and loyalty.

Rahul Dayama, Head of Marketing, Urbanic says, “The followership of micro-influencers is stronger because the attention they acquire from their followers is much higher than the one with a million followers. The trust is much better as compared to one that has a million followers on social media platforms. In spite of having fewer followers, the legitimacy of the followers is higher as compared to the macro influencers.”

With WYLD, the creator is also the consumer of the product which makes the content even more authentic and it is quite real as compared to a brand after paying them a certain amount or pushing them to promote something which the brand wants to portray.”

Collaborating with micro-influencers can also be a cost-effective marketing strategy for businesses, especially those with limited budgets. Macro-influencers often charge exorbitant fees for sponsored content, making it challenging for smaller businesses to afford such partnerships. In contrast, micro-influencers are more accessible, and some may even be willing to collaborate in exchange for products or services.

By allocating a portion of their marketing budget to work with multiple micro-influencers, businesses can achieve broader outreach and diversify their audience engagement. This approach not only stretches the marketing budget one has but also exposes the brand to different communities and demographics.

Kinjal Shah, the Co-founder of The Media Manifest which is a PR and marketing agency says, “Micro-influencers are cost-effective, and secondly they are hyped locally in terms of audience engagement. Even if it's limited or less, it's quality. That is one of the reasons brands who resonate with their influencers are moving to micro and small influencers who can become brand advocates and continuously keep on posting organic content around the brand which is of higher quality and creates an impact.”

Asked whether can micro influencers change the image of the brand? She replied, “Absolutely, a smaller creator will have his own perspective towards a brand in terms of why the brand is a perfect fit for him or his audience Vs a macro blogger who is endorsing 50 brands a day and can’t be resonated with any of them.”

Measuring the impact of micro-influencer collaborations is essential for businesses to gauge the success of their marketing efforts. Social media platforms offer robust analytical tools that allow businesses to track the performance of sponsored content, including reach, engagement, and conversion rates.

By analyzing these metrics, businesses can understand their collaboration strategies, identify top-performing micro-influencers, and optimize their campaigns for better ROI. The ability to track the effectiveness of these collaborations further strengthens the case for investing in micro-influencer partnerships.

Social media's impact on micro-influencers has ushered in a new era of business collaboration that prioritizes authenticity, niche marketing, and genuine connections. As businesses recognize the power of micro-influencers in reaching highly engaged audiences, these content creators are becoming integral to successful marketing strategies. In this evolving landscape, the symbiotic relationship between micro-influencers and businesses has unlocked untapped potential, offering a mutually beneficial avenue for growth, engagement, and brand loyalty in the digital age.