Influencer marketing continues to grow in popularity and businesses are feeling curious about the benefits this can have for their brands and marketing efforts. The global influencer marketing value sat at 16.4 Billion US dollars in 2022. This accounts for all types of influencers, and while brands may be tempted to work with mega or macro influencers, it’s important to consider micro and nano influencers.
Typically, because mega influencers with millions of followers are the first ones that come to mind, brands want to go in that direction right away. It’s important to know that mega or macro influencers may not be the right fit for brands who are new to influencer marketing.
Building lasting, authentic connections with micro and nano influencers can have significant financial benefits for brands and even more so than partnering with influencers with bigger followings.
To define a micro-influencer, you would typically be looking at someone with an audience of about 10,000–100,000 followers. Some may even say that someone with a very engaged audience in the few thousands (below 10,000) may be considered a micro-influencer.
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The Impact of Micro-Influencers in Niche Markets
In the world of influencer marketing, many influencers work across various niches, but there is something to be said about working with micro-influencers who have engaged niche audiences. In a study, it was found that micro-influencers have an engagement rate of 6% on Instagram compared to mega-influencers who have about 1.97%. This is ideal for niche markets that need to reach a hyper-specific audience.
Here are some examples of niche markets that may do better with micro-influencers.
- Pet products for specific breeds: While many influencers who work with pet brands may be a good fit for collaborations with bigger retailers such as PetSmart, a micro-influencer may be a better idea for a breed-specific product. Example: A pet blogger who has a Cocker Spaniel may be a better fit to promote the Cocker Spaniel Adult food by Royal Canin.
- Unique tech or software: Micro-influencers would be a great idea for niche-specific tech. For example, an influencer who solely reviews SaaS products would be a better fit than a broader tech influencer who reviews everything from products to software for all needs and industries.
- Ethical fashion brands: It would make more sense for an ethical fashion brand to collaborate with an influencer or creator that focuses on ethical fashion and living than a mega influencer who focuses on all fashion.
- Specialized sports equipment: This is another great example where working with a micro-influencer may be best. If a brand wanted to sell rock climbing equipment, it would be best to work with a climber who has an engaged audience vs. an influencer who likes sports in general. You’re more likely to reach the right niche audience.
- Solo-female travel: A mega influencer who loves travel may not be the best influencer type for an audience geared towards solo-female travel. If you were a brand trying to promote co-living spaces or a solo-female membership community, you should consider micro-influencers who specifically blog or create videos on solo-female travel.
- Ecotourism: This is another great example where it would make more sense to work with an influencer that focuses on ecotourism vs. a mega influencer with a broader niche of eco-living. If a brand wants increased brand awareness and revenue, you have to nail down the audience, and the more niche, the better when it comes to travel.
When you work with an influencer marketing agency, they can help you identify the best influencers, no matter what your niche is. They can also help you identify which type of influencers will work best for your needs, such as mega, macro, micro and nano influencers.
The Importance of Working With Micro-Influencers
Micro-influencers make up for over 90% of the influencer market, and it’s no secret that they have built engaged communities. Some brands may want to build a case as to why they should consider micro-influencers vs. macro or mega-influencers.
Here are some factors to outline the importance of working with micro-influencers.
Hyper-niched communities: By working with influencers who focus on a particular niche, brands can tap into a focused, engaged and passionate community. Such audiences often have higher levels of trust and engagement than larger, more general audiences. The audience doesn’t just view the influencer as another celebrity but rather as a genuine connection who shares their passion.
Audience purchasing power: Studies have shown that micro-influencers have higher engagement rates, often translating into a stronger influence on purchasing decisions. With authentic content and a genuine connection with their audience, these influencers can motivate followers to explore the brands and products they endorse.
High impact with lower costs: Working with a micro-influencer can be cost-effective and still yield the same level of impact for brands. This allows brands of all sizes and brands working with various budget levels to leverage influencer marketing.
As we’ve mentioned previously, micro-influencers are perfect for niche markets and can even benefit startups. There is also less risk associated with working with a micro-influencer since the costs are much lower than macro and mega-influencers.
Flexibility for Brands: Micro-influencers who also value building long-term connections in their niche may be more flexible when it comes to campaign needs. This is not to say that micro-influencers aren’t busy but mega-influencers are often working on so many campaigns that it may be harder to negotiate various terms such as content revisions or they may not be as flexible when it comes to aesthetic styles if it doesn’t really fit their brand image.
Micro-influencers, on the other hand, especially those who are working with niche markets, are more likely to care more about the impact their campaign is having.
Why Niche Markets need Niche Influencers
The success of influencer marketing campaigns isn’t solely about the number of potential consumers but the quality and intent of those consumers. Aside from the intent, the authenticity and how involved the micro-influencer is within that niche is also key.
A niche market will have more success with niche influencers because their audiences share similar desires and generally support the same causes. It creates a unique dynamic between the influencer and their audience where there is more trust.
In other words, micro-influencers in niche markets have spent significant time building authentic relationships with their followers. When they recommend a product, it comes off as a friend giving advice rather than a brand advertising to them, significantly impacting purchasing decisions.
The Importance of Brands Building Authentic Connections With Influencers
The impact of influencer marketing is indisputable. With the rising number of influencers emerging across platforms, businesses who want to collaborate with influencers have choice. In niche markets, community sentiment and how they respond to campaigns can make or break a brand. Micro-influencers often play significant roles in these communities.
A nurtured relationship with them ensures that the brand is not just seen as an external entity trying to sell, but as an integrated and accepted part of that community.
Building a close relationship with micro-influencers means brands can receive real-time feedback on their products or services. Given the tight-knit nature of many niche communities, receiving information can be faster and more detailed. Brands can then quickly adapt, making necessary adjustments based on genuine user experiences.
Unlike one-off campaigns with larger influencers, nurturing long-term relationships with micro-influencers can lead to consistent engagement. Continuity is much appreciated in the content creator world. In a world with new social media trends happening daily, a consistent brand-influencer relationship offers a stable narrative. Followers are more likely to trust an influencer who repeatedly and genuinely endorses a brand than someone who works with a brand only once.
Over time, as the relationship deepens, influencers gain a more nuanced understanding of the brand’s ethos, products, and vision. This professional relationship translates to more authentic endorsements, which can benefit all parties involved on a long-term basis.
Tips For Building Authentic Connections with Micro-Influencers
Now that you have a better understanding of how important it is to nurture relationships with micro-influencers, let’s go over some tips for building and maintaining those authentic connections.
- Keep the lines of communication open. Even when you are not working on a campaign, do periodic check-ins, share updates about the brand, or wish them well on a special occasion. It costs nothing to send one of your regular influencers a quick birthday note. Showing that the brand values the relationship beyond transactions is crucial.
- Value their feedback. Micro-influencers in niche markets have a deep understanding of the niche they work in. If they share feedback about your product or services, be open to it. Everyone wants to know that their feedback is valued, including influencers you partner with.
- Involve them in the process. Brands will often have very strict collaboration guidelines, and in the end, each influencer looks like they are creating the exact same piece of content. Allow influencers to share their input and implement what makes them unique to the campaign.
- Consider creating long-term partnerships. A long-term partnership with a micro-influencer in a niche market can eventually save you cost and resources. The longer an influencer works with your brand, the more they will know the ins and outs of your product, your unique brand story and when they articulate this information to their audience, it will truly feel like it comes from a place of care. In a niche market, this is worth gold.
- Thank them for their amazing work. Even if most influencer marketing is a monetary exchange, you can still take the time to thank an influencer for a great campaign. Yes, they got paid, but this doesn’t mean that they don’t like to hear “thank you.” As the impact of their collaboration increases, also keep them updated. For example, if a campaign is still driving website traffic and sales months down the line, let them know.
- Give exclusive access to your influencers. If you are launching a new product, offer the influencers exclusive access. Even if you are not collaborating on any campaigns, this will help them keep you top of mind, and when you maintain a strong relationship with an influencer over time, they will often review your products or tag you without any expectations.
- Ask them for niche-specific feedback. A micro-influencer who represents a specific niche or community will often understand the needs, and struggles of that niche. Having ongoing conversations with micro-influencers may help you identify gaps and areas of opportunity in specific markets. When a brand is able to identify gaps in the market or in a specific niche, this can help your marketing team come up with unique campaign ideas.
Now that you are equipped with the knowledge and tools to build authentic relationships with your micro-influencers and that you understand the importance of micro-influencers in niche markets, there are still a few things to keep in mind.
As more brands start to add influencer marketing to their arsenal, we’ll also see a growing number of creators online establishing themselves as influencers. As we’ve said in this post, the saying less is more holds true when it comes to influencer marketing and niche markets.
If brands want long-term success in niche markets, they need to understand the struggles of these audiences, their purchasing behaviors and collaborate with influencers who can help them identify gaps in the market. When you do this, you have a recipe for success.
In the long run, building connections and partnerships based on mutual respect and trust and a common interest in a specific niche or cause will not only allow brands to have more success with their campaigns but also significantly reduce costs and efforts. When a brand takes time to nurture its connection and relationship with a micro-influencer, it can foster a sense of respect and appreciation that doesn’t go unnoticed.
While brands may be tempted to work with mega-influencers and think that a collaboration with a celebrity name or endorsement will yield a high return on investment, long-term sustainable partnerships with micro-influencers are often as effective or more effective than collaborations with the latter of the two.