Influencer Marketing: Bigger May Not Be Better

Although “go big or go home” may be a sound strategy for some business activities, it may not move the needle as an influencer marketing strategy.

Consumers are Wary

According to a study by media agency UM, only four percent of internet users globally trust information shared by traditional influencers. Moreover, unless your brand can afford to pay mega-bucks to celebrities or other public figures to endorse your products or services, you may have a difficult time getting on those influencers’ radar screens.

SmallBizGenious created an infographic with over 80 statistics about influencer marketing. One stat that stood out for me is:

“Micro-influencers, having between 2,000 to 50,000 followers, deliver 60% higher engagement rates, and those campaigns are 67% more efficient than those with influencers who have larger followings.”

It makes sense. Micro-influencers are:

• More accessible.
• Generally, more interactive with followers.
• Perceived as more trustworthy than influencers with hundreds of thousands or millions of followers.

Get Real About Influencer Marketing

Brands are also discovering the influential value of their average Jane and Joe customers. Satisfied consumers that post organically about their brand experiences generate authentic (and free) advertising for companies. A recent Social Media Today post cited a Stackla study that found after people see a peer’s post about a brand, they are almost 10 times more likely to buy than if they see a traditional social media influencer’s post.

With a Twitter following around 4,000, I’m in the “micro” and “average customer” categories. I am enjoying the shift in influencer marketing. A couple of my favorite brands (Chewy.com and CVS) have acknowledged and rewarded my loyalty. I’ve never expected anything in return for my social media accolades to them. I genuinely value their products and customer service and wanted to share that. Still, it is nice that they’ve noticed and have shown their appreciation. I’m more loyal to them than ever, and I’ll be tweeting and posting their praises again.

Keep that in mind if you’re looking to gain traction with influencer marketing. Show the real people who are already engaged with your brand that you value them. That’s the path to generating the kind of online word of mouth and authentic endorsements that potential customers will trust. Building those bonds is far more attainable than cutting through the noise to reach high-profile influencers. And the stats show that it’s a far more effective strategy, too.