What is a Micro-Influencer? The Small Secret Behind High Engagement

It’s an argument as old as time itself. Does size *really* matter?

We’re talking, of course, about micro-influencers 😉

Big things come in small packages. Yes, micro-influencers have smaller audiences than macro or celebrity influencers, but don’t let the numbers fool you. With a smaller audience comes a more tight-knit community, more personal interaction, and more ability to influence.

If those sound like advantages you’d like to leverage for your brand (we can practically see you nodding already), read on to learn everything you need to know about micro-influencers.

What is a micro-influencer?

At #gifted, we define a micro-influencer as an individual with 10,000 to 50,000 followers on Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. These influencers typically exist around a specific niche or passion, for example, beauty, fashion, fitness, or travel.

A micro-influencer isn’t living an unobtainable celebrity lifestyle - and that’s what makes them valuable. People love to see themselves in the content they follow. The everyday micro-influencer helps drive interest and sales from an audience who can realistically emulate their favourite social media personalities.

Generating social buzz across an influencer’s 500k followers looks great on paper, but larger audiences can quickly dilute. Micro-influencers are relatable, genuine, and have highly active followers looking for recommendations.

Celebs can rack up huge impressions. But it’s micro-influencers who inspire their followers, put your brand in front of an impressionable audience, and provide powerful social proof.

What are the benefits of working with a micro-influencer?

Micro-influencers are genuine, relatable, and trustworthy. When it comes to positioning your brand, those are three valuable characteristics to tap into. While larger influencer tiers attract fans, a micro-influencer’s follower tends to see themselves as a peer - and 92% of consumers say they trust recommendations from peers over branded content.

It may be tempting to reach out to Ryan Reynolds or Kendell Jenner for your next influencer marketing campaign. But you’ll quickly run into two roadblocks with this approach. First, the bigger the influencer, the greater the cost (it’s estimated Kendell Jenner earns $1,053,000 per sponsored Instagram post). Secondly, the larger the audience, the smaller the engagement.

Recent data shows that micro-influencers boast up to 60% increased engagement rates over macro-influencers. Micro-influencers also boast the highest average engagement rates on Instagram (3.86%), YouTube (1.63%), and TikTok (17.96%).

Put simply, micro-influencers can deliver more meaningful results for your brand and more significant ROI.
How much should you pay for a micro-influencer?

If you’re using #gifted, you don’t pay your micro-influencers a cent.

Let’s be honest, setting an influencer marketing budget is frustrating, confusing, and literally no one’s idea of a good time. With the #gifted app, you can create a gifting campaign, set your parameters, and receive ‘waves’ from the world’s best micro-influencers.

You choose who to share a #gift with, then watch the content come rolling in. This relationship is a win-win because you can redirect your influencer marketing budget towards another marketing strategy (or extra after-work Friday drinks), and your partnered micro-influencers enjoy a gift from a brand they genuinely love and want to work with (that’s you!)

You have two options for finding micro-influencers...

Micro-influencers are trusted, authentic, affordable brand advocates that can help deliver ROI for your next campaign. If you’re thinking of partnering with a micro-influencer for your next influencer marketing campaign, you’ve got a couple of options to choose from…

Option #1: Start DM’ing influencers who fall between 10,000 and 50,000 followers. You can use hashtags to filter specific interests then fire off a template to strike up a conversation. The downside of this approach (one of many) you’ll spend hours of free time sending DMs with no guarantee your message will ever be ‘seen’.

Option #2: Use #gifted to create a gifting campaign, choose your preferred audience size, and wait for micro-influencers to come to you. Using #gifted, you can compare interested influencers and partner with the influencers best suited to your goals. It’s quick, easy, and hassle-free.

Click here to learn more about how #gifted works for brands!