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5 Common Misconceptions About Micro-Influencers

5-common-misconceptions-about-micro-influencers

Though the term ‘micro’ means small, the impact this type of influencers have is anything but. The numbers show this; 82% of consumers say they are highly likely to follow a recommendation made by a micro-influencer, and brands utilize micro-influencers 10 times more than macro-influencers. Micro-influencers have a following under 100,000, but their organic engagement rates are often higher compared to bigger celebrities — and their specialties in niche areas give them the ability to sway their audience’s thinking when it comes to purchase decisions.

Micro-influencers can be a powerful marketing tool for your brand, as long as you don’t fall prey to these common misconceptions about them.

Misconception 1: Influencer Marketing Doesn’t Generate ROI

Although influencer marketing has grown to approximately $13.8 billion in 2021, some marketers are still hesitant to fully delve into the industry. Every year brings about new influencers as well as new social media platforms, leading the industry to sometimes be misconstrued as a passing fad. 

This myth has been debunked; Influencer marketing is the fastest-growing channel for customer acquisition, and businesses make $6.50 for every dollar invested in influencer marketing. Additionally, 93% of marketers are seeing results in improving brand exposure through partnerships with influencers of varying follower counts.

Instagram post of chocolate chip cookies

Levain Bakery uses Pixlee to discover and source content from micro-influencers in different areas, improving brand awareness as the brand opens stores in new cities.

Misconception 2: Influencer Fatigue Has Caused Audiences to Tune Out

Audiences are tired of seeing over-edited and over-produced images; influencers are no exception to this trend. But micro-influencers might be the perfect antidote. In fact, micro-influencers are often seen as promising and reliable; 92% of customers trust micro-influencer more than a traditional ad or an endorsement by a large-scale celebrity. 

Micro-influencers also maintain the engagement rate of their followers by producing quality content, engaging with their followers’ comments and posts, and curating an authentic and supportive community.. They are also more likely to fully believe and vouch for the products and services they promote, which in turn contributes to their trustworthiness as ambassadors. 

Additionally, 98% of consumers say they’ve seen suspicious changes in the follower counts of macro-influencers, meaning may buy followers. Micro-influencers have real, dedicated followings, so this risk is essentially eliminated by going smaller with your influencer choice.

Misconception 3: Micro-Influencers Aren’t That Powerful for Marketing

Small but mighty is an accurate way to describe a micro-influencer’s platform. While an influencer with 10,000+ followers typically sees an engagement rate of 3.6% on average, influencers with 5,000 to 10,000 followers see a much higher rate of 6.3%. To a point, engagement gets better the fewer followers you have.

Micro-influencers also have 22.2 times more conversations with their followers weekly about their personal recommendations on what to buy. Brands can reach more specific consumers that align with their values and industry through micro-influencers with engaged, niche audiences.

Micro-influencer makeup look post featured on-site by Milani Cosmetics

With Pixlee’s Influencer Marketing tools, Milani Cosmetics finds emerging micro-influencers who are interested in partnering with the brand to grow together. In doing so, Milani Cosmetics is building lasting partnerships with their community, and even increased average order value by 17% through micro-influencer marketing.

Misconception 4: They’re Expensive

Another myth is that collaborating with influencers is expensive. This marketing strategy can be more cost-effective than other marketing strategies. Influencer rates usually depend on their engagement rate, the time period of the agreement, and the type of content you want to promote. However, the industry standard is to pay micro influencers one cent per follower or $100 per 10k followers for each post.

Instagram promotional influenceer post for Leonisa apparel brand

Thankfully, micro-influencers usually offer more leniency when it comes to compensation methods. Innerwear company Leonisa uses Pixlee to build a worldwide team of ambassadors to connect its global audience, using affiliate marketing to pay its ambassadors commission while remaining cost-effective .

Misconception 5: Traditional Content is More Effective

This isn’t actually the case, according to the 2019 State of Influencer Marketing. About 57% of marketers reported that influencer content actually outperformed their brand-created content. Additionally, 75% of marketing pros consider influencer engagement effective in lead generation.

The power of micro-influencers lies in their ability to connect better to their audiences. Micro-influencers also come from different backgrounds and are neither celebrities nor social media stars. They are more relatable and credible in the eyes of consumers. Searching for the right personalities can be daunting, but Pixlee can help connect you to influencers that will suit your brand. Consider investing in micro influencers to help bridge the gap between organic social reach and paid ads.

Author: Xylia Bell

Special thanks to our friends at Pixlee for their insights on this topic.
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