The Rise of Micro-Influencers

We have all heard of the word Influencer before, to most people, they will think of celebrities or someone with hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers. This was generally the case for many years, but recently traction for what is known as the micro-influencers has been building thanks to services such as Shop and Shout. So what exactly is a Micro-Influencer you ask? Micro-influencers are people on social media who have a specific niche such as cooking, fashion, fitness or lifestyle and generally have followers in the ranges of 1,500 to 50,000.

Although micro-influencers have significantly fewer followers than say Kylie Jenner’s 130 million, they often have a good amount of engagement considering the number of followers they do have. Micro-influencers build close relationships and communities with their audience which serves as meaningful interaction and engagement. Unlike regular influencers who are paid excessive amounts of money for sponsored posts, micro-influencers generally create and share products they believe in which might explain why roughly 92% of consumers trust the opinions of other individuals over that of sponsored advertising.

With many influencers and celebrities charging tens of thousands or even in a few cases, upwards of a million dollars for a single post, some brands would be left out of the discussion altogether. Thanks to the targeted niche audiences of micro-influencers both small and large brands can gain exposure to new audiences at a fraction of the cost, giving them much more bang for the buck.

So you might be asking yourself – how do I get started finding micro-influencers? One of the best ways to reach this market of micro-influencers is using services such as Shop and Shout which promises to boost awareness, trust, and advocacy for brands; while providing amazing experiences for “Everyday Influencers”. Shop and Shout uses specific requirements discussed with each brand that is wanting to promote their products. Brands who share their products on the Shop and Shout marketplace are essentially giving the influencer the product for free in exchange for social amplification. To protect the participating brands, specific requirements are enforced on influencers. These requirements range anything from the minimum number of followers, engagement %, captions, and hashtags. A hold is placed on the Influencer’s credit card for the product; when they meet all the requirements and fulfill their end of the deal, the hold is released.

With the ever-expanding platforms of social media, more and more brands are coming on-line, and every day more micro-influencers are establishing their place on social media. These events are what is creating the equal playing field allowing the little guys to benefit too.