Saturday, March 15, 2025

How to get started with a micro-influencer program for your company

 

How to Get Started with a Micro-Influencer Program for Your Company

The cost of digital advertising is rising. Competition is intense, platforms are saturated, and privacy changes have reshaped how we reach audiences. It’s no wonder companies are seeking more cost-effective, authentic ways to connect with their customers. Enter micro-influencer marketing.

Micro-influencers may not have millions of followers, but they wield a unique power in driving engagement and trust. Studies show they deliver nearly 3x the ROI compared to celebrity endorsements. Curious how to make this strategy work for your business? This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to build your own micro-influencer program.



Why You Can't Ignore Micro-Influencer Marketing

Rising Costs of Traditional Paid Ads

With the skyrocketing costs of digital advertising, even the savviest marketers are feeling the pinch. Here’s how ad costs have surged across major platforms:

  • Meta (Facebook and Instagram) Ads: Average CPC has increased by 20–30% year-over-year in certain industries.
  • Google Ads: CPC rates rose by 15–25% in 2023, making search ads more expensive than ever.
  • TikTok Ads: Costs jumped 30–50%, as brands rushed to capture Gen Z’s attention.
  • Amazon Ads: The cost of Sponsored Product Ads skyrocketed by 29% between 2021 and 2023.

Couple these rising costs with decreasing Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)—20% lower in 2023 than in 2022, according to Tinuiti—and declining precision in targeting due to Apple’s iOS privacy updates, and it’s clear that traditional ad tactics aren’t as sustainable as they once were.

Why Celebrity Endorsements Are Losing Their Edge

Celebrities are household names, but when it comes to authentic connections with audiences, they fall short. According to a 2022 Marketing Science study, low-status influencers (like micro-influencers) yield a return on investment three times higher than high-status influencers. Why?

  • Trust and relatability: Consumers trust influencers who share unpolished, real-life moments over glossy advertisements.
  • Niche appeal: Micro-influencers target specific groups, delivering hyper-relevant messaging.
  • Higher engagement rates: Their followers are more likely to engage with content since the relationship feels personal.

Micro-influencers offer authenticity, affordability, and measurable ROI, making them ideal for brands looking to grow sustainably.



Tools You Need to Start Your Program

Building a successful micro-influencer program takes the right tools to find, connect with, and manage the right talent. Here’s a breakdown of the must-have platforms:

Influencer Discovery & Identification

Finding the perfect micro-influencer starts with discovery tools that offer detailed audience insights.

  • Heepsy: Specializes in identifying micro-influencers with robust analytics.
  • Upfluence: Integrates e-commerce data to track ROI.
  • Modash: Best for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube searches with segmented filters.
  • HypeAuditor: Excellent for verifying influencer authenticity and preventing fraud.

Outreach & Relationship Management

Outreach can be time-consuming, but these tools automate the process to keep it seamless and personal.

  • Pitchbox: Automates influencer outreach with email sequencing.
  • BuzzStream: Great for tracking your conversations and building relationships over time.
  • NinjaOutreach: Pre-loaded with influencer contact information and message templates.

Campaign Management & Workflow

Streamline collaboration and track campaign performance with these platforms.

  • Afluencer: Matches you with influencers actively seeking partnerships.
  • Mavrck: Scales campaigns while helping you establish ambassador programs.
  • Brandbassador: Focuses on building long-term micro-influencer ambassador programs.

Content Creation & Collaboration

The foundation of a micro-influencer campaign is high-quality, engaging content.

  • Canva Pro: Helps influencers craft visually stunning branded content.
  • Figma: Perfect for collaborative visual design projects.
  • Later: Simplifies Instagram content planning.

Tracking & Analytics

Measure campaign success and gather actionable insights with these tools.

  • GRIN: Syncs seamlessly with e-commerce stores to track influencer performance.
  • Traackr: Offers in-depth metrics on influencer campaigns.
  • Mention: Monitors brand mentions and gauges campaign impact in real time. Plus - there's a 14-day free trial!

Affiliate & Referral Integration

For campaigns with a sales focus, these tools help track referral-driven results.

  • Refersion: Integrates influencer sales into referral marketing.
  • Tapfiliate: Generates unique referral links for ROI tracking.
  • Rewardful: Tailored for SaaS and subscription businesses.

No matter your goals, the right toolkit will make launching and optimizing your micro-influencer campaigns far more effective.

B2B micro-influencer programs:

  • Modash (discovery)
  • BuzzStream (outreach)
  • GRIN (campaign tracking)
  • Refersion (for referral integration)


How to Build Your Micro-Influencer Program

Follow these 5 simple steps to create a high-impact program tailored to your business:

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, boost sales, or promote a product launch? Clear, measurable objectives will guide your strategy.

Step 2: Identify Your Ideal Influencers

Use discovery tools like Modash or Heepsy to identify influencers whose audience aligns with your target demographic. Focus on engagement rates over follower count for maximum impact.

Step 3: Craft Personalized Outreach Messages

Build genuine relationships by sending thoughtful, tailored messages. Tools like BuzzStream and Pitchbox can help automate this process without compromising personalization.

Pro Tip: Keep it short and compelling. Highlight why your brand is a good fit for their content and audience.

Step 4: Launch Your Campaign

Start with a pilot program that includes a small group of influencers. Provide clear guidance, creative briefs, and branded assets to ensure consistency across deliverables.

Step 5: Track, Analyze, Optimize

Measure your campaign’s performance using analytics tools like GRIN or Traackr. Track KPIs like engagement rates, ROI, link clicks, and conversions. Use the data to refine future campaigns for even better results.

Looking for a powerful all-in-one solution? Try InfluencerMarketing.ai. It uses AI to discover ideal creators, streamline management, and deliver detailed insights so you can make data-driven decisions. Plus, there’s a free 7-day trial!



Unlock the Power of Micro-Influence

Micro-influencers are transforming the way brands connect with audiences. Their authenticity, focused reach, and cost-efficiency make them a must-have for businesses navigating the challenges of today’s digital landscape.

With the right tools, strategy, and data-driven insights, you can create a micro-influencer program that drives meaningful engagement and measurable ROI. Whether you're a B2C or B2B brand, the time to get started is now.

Take the first step today by exploring platforms like InfluencerMarketing.ai. Start your 7-day trial to experience the future of influencer marketing firsthand.

See screenshot below for an example of one of their influencer finder dashboards.


Want to find out more? Read our blog post on The Power of Micro-influencers, or our Guide to Micro-influencer Marketing



Sunday, December 29, 2024

How AI Can Boost Productivity



The UK is facing a productivity crisis. Over the past decade, the country has struggled with stagnating output, with productivity growth falling to levels last seen over a century ago during Queen Victoria's reign. This isn’t just a minor inconvenience—it’s a significant economic drag.

But this decline hasn't been just in the UK: Since the 1990s, productivity growth has fallen globally.

Experts have cited poor management practices, outdated methods, and slow technology adoption as the core reasons for this decline.


Why does growth matter?

Without growth, economies and countries stagnate, as do our prospects and our children's. Do we want to be a society where our children have a better future than we do? I certainly do, in which case we need to crack this problem.

But there’s hope. Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to transform the traditional role of managers and revitalize productivity across industries. By leveraging AI to automate, analyze, and support, UK businesses could overcome management challenges and regain a competitive edge in the global market.

This post explores the link between poor management and low productivity, the transformational role of AI, and what the future might look like for UK managers and business leaders worldwide who struggle to increase productivity and innovation.



The Problem: A History of Management Struggles

From 2008 to today, the UK's output per worker has barely shifted, with the country's productivity growth 36% lower than it would have been had pre-2008 trends continued.

Why has productivity stalled?

  • Outdated Practices: Many businesses still rely on manual, inefficient systems that no longer suit the complex demands of modern work.
  • Leadership Gaps: Poor investment in management training and leadership development leaves many managers unequipped to lead teams effectively.
  • Resistance to Innovation: A failure to adopt emerging technologies like AI, which could improve efficiency, has further slowed progress.

Citi reports a sharp reduction in high-growth UK firms, signaling a troubling lack of ambition and innovation. The UK needs to make bold changes to reverse this trend.

Enter Artificial Intelligence.


The Role of AI in Revitalizing Management

AI isn’t just a tech buzzword; it’s an effective tool capable of transforming businesses from the ground up. While human leaders are (and will remain) essential, AI is a powerful assistant that enhances productivity and decision-making. Here’s how AI could revolutionize management practices in the UK:

1. Automation of Routine Tasks

Managers spend disproportionate time on administrative tasks like scheduling, reporting, and monitoring project progress. AI can streamline these processes**. Tools like intelligent schedulers, automated KPI trackers, presentation aids, and email assistants reduce time spent on operational tasks, allowing managers to focus on strategic priorities.

Imagine a manager freed from repetitive admin work and instead focusing on leading team initiatives or solving customer challenges. Automated tools make this shift possible.

2. Smarter Decision-Making with Data Insights

Statistics show that 63% of managers admit to struggling with data analysis. AI thrives at processing vast volumes of data and generating actionable insights at scale. AI platforms can analyze team performance, market trends, customer preferences, and real-time budget allocations.

For example, AI-driven dashboards powered by tools like Tableau or Power BI generate reports that help identify inefficiencies and opportunities immediately. Managers can confidently make evidence-based decisions to optimize costs, enhance operations, and deliver more impactful results.

3. Employee Development Powered by AI

Employees drive productivity, but many managers lack the tools to nurture their teams effectively. AI systems analyze employee performance metrics to identify skill gaps, recommend tailored training programs, and even evaluate engagement levels.

Platforms like Lattice or Humu provide predictive analytics to managers, helping them understand when employees might disengage and offering solutions to re-engage them proactively. The result? A happier, more motivated, and highly skilled workforce.

4. Enhanced Team Collaboration

Miscommunication and siloed teams* are productivity killers. AI can eliminate these pain points by integrating communication tools that streamline collaboration. AI analyses interpersonal dynamics and identifies team bottlenecks while recommending solutions.

For example, platforms like Microsoft Teams use AI to suggest optimal meeting times across time zones or flag communication breakdowns within teams.

5. AI-Driven Leadership Development

Leadership is crucial to productivity, yet many UK managers lack sufficient training. AI tools go beyond assisting with tasks and actively help managers improve their skills. Platforms like Butterfly.ai or CoachHub provide personalized coaching and real-time feedback on leadership behaviors, enabling managers to learn and grow in their roles.

With AI as a leadership coach, managers can gain unbiased assessments of their strengths and identify areas for improvement, accelerating their ability to lead teams effectively.



Why Human Judgment Can’t Be Replaced

While AI brings substantial benefits, businesses must recognize that it is a supplement to, not a replacement for, human managers. AI can process complex datasets and make recommendations but lacks the creativity, empathy, and moral judgment that human leaders bring.

For example, managing a team through a crisis, building trust, and resolving conflict are areas where human intelligence continues to outshine even the most ingenious algorithms. The key lies in striking a balance, where humans use AI as their sidekick to amplify their strengths, not substitute them.

Transparency and trust are critical ingredients in ensuring AI adoption within organizations. Managers must explain how AI tools are used, establish unbiased algorithms, and demonstrate fairness in data handling to maximize their teams’ confidence in the technology.



Managers of the Future

The introduction of AI will inevitably transform managers' responsibilities, but not in the way many fear. Rather than eliminating managerial roles, AI will allow future managers to focus on higher-level strategic initiatives while delegating routine tasks and data-heavy analysis to machines.

Here’s what the skill set of a future manager might look like:

  • Strategic Visionaries: Managers will spend more time focusing on long-term business direction and innovation. Think big-picture strategies rather than daily operational concerns.
  • Data-Driven Decision-Makers: With AI tools generating actionable insights, managers must interpret, adapt, and drive outcomes based on this information.
  • Collaborators and Culture Champions: Managers will continue prioritizing team cohesion and culture, leveraging AI to enhance collaboration without losing the human touch.
  • Continual Learners: AI evolves rapidly, meaning managers must stay updated with advanced tools and techniques to remain effective.

The combination of empathetic leadership and AI-generated efficiency will define what it means to be a great leader in the future. Managers will require different skill sets from today and must adapt to remain successful.



A Brighter Future for UK Productivity

The stagnation of productivity in the UK is not irreversible. AI offers the tools needed to automate inefficiencies, enhance decision-making, and develop talent—turning current management challenges into opportunities for growth. However, success will require more than just implementing technology—it will need managers willing to adapt, learn, and lead purposefully.

To remain competitive in the global economy, the UK must prioritize both AI integration and comprehensive management development. By doing so, businesses can thrive in an increasingly fast-paced world.

Now, the question is no longer whether AI can enhance productivity in management—it’s whether businesses are ready to make that leap forward.





Artificial Intelligence: Solving the global productivity crisis

PwC estimates that by 2030, AI could increase global GDP by $15.7 trillion, with increased productivity being the most significant driver.

What are my favorite Marketing AI tools right now?

As a full-stack marketer, I must choose Jasper AI, the perfect AI marketing platform. I also love Piktochart—there is no need for heavy design teams to build my e-books anymore!

*Silos happen because of the culture - culture is created by the leadership team.  The psychology of silos in organizations runs deep, is complex, and is hard (sometimes impossible) to reverse. Therefore, though AI can help solve these problems, realistically, it requires more penetrating (human) work deep into the organization. Superficial or tech-only fixes rarely work on such ingrained issues.

**Notion is a good AI Management tool if it is appropriately configured. 

Further reading -

For Success with AI, Bring Everyone On Board

Best AI productivity tools in 2025

How can I use AI to be more innovative? 

Saturday, November 23, 2024

Learning from the Jaguar rebrand campaign

Many marketers, advertisers, auto manufacturers, consumers, and the general public have criticized the Jaguar rebranding campaign.

‘It’s like murdering a British Icon. They may as well have shot Paddington Bear.’

‘That font looks like it belongs on a pink lemonade flavored condom,’ and 'the logo and color make the brand now look like a vape brand that only children buy.’

About the ad itself, one astute and funny commentator said, ‘shit looks like if Quibi made Star Trek.’

Times columnist Giles Coren rightly points out that the rebrand has alienated Jaguar’s core market—middle-class, middle-aged consumers —and replaced it with fans who probably would not even buy a car, let alone a Jaguar.

Jaguar sales have dropped significantly in recent years, with sales in 2024 being around 33,000 units compared to 180,833 in 2018. 

They used a 'Copy nothing' tagline, with a woman wielding a sledgehammer next to the line 'break moulds' - even though, ironically, many have spotted similarities with that and the iconic '1984' Apple ad of the '80s.

Iconic 1984 Apple Ad


'Copy Nothing' 2024 Jaguar Ad


Jaguar managing director Rawdon Glover said the intended message had been lost in “a blaze of intolerance” on social media and denied that the promotional video was designed as a “woke” statement. He defended Jaguar’s ‘bold’ rebrand.

But I agree with social media —it’s a terrible ad, and the old logo is way better. What’s to defend?

What I’m dying to know is -

Where were the honest, critical, informed voices at Jaguar, when this entire campaign was built? Silenced? Or not even there?

I’ve seen countless examples of management missteps in my career.

Usually, it's due to 'groupthink' and a fear of expressing opinions that diverge from those of senior leadership, which can derail things. Often, it's a failure to listen to the experts.

Just like what happened with this Jaguar rebrand campaign. 

In each case, management doubled down on the error—just as the Jaguar boss did. 

This merely compounds the problem - a glaring demonstration of the sunk cost fallacy. 

These issues could be caused by company experts not speaking up, by the leaders being 'stubborn', or by them deciding to throw good money after bad (Sunk cost fallacy).

I know it’s easy to spot problems - most of us can do that. But I’d like to offer a few solutions to myopic management thinking and the allure of biases, that can prove fatal to sound marketing strategy (to avoid the Jaguar debacle):

1. Encourage your team's contrarians, thinkers, creatives, and experts to speak up.

2. Create psychological safety. Ninety per cent of your employees will gravitate towards accepting bad decisions by senior management rather than risking the consequences of speaking out. 

You must fight against complacency and stagnation to create a dynamic workplace that rewards new ideas and people who take risks in expressing their views.

3. When you encourage people to speak up, there is a danger that they will complain without hope or even desire for problem resolution.

So, once you get your team to open up, you must keep the outlook positive, and inspiring. ‘We talk about problems to find solutions’ should be the mantra.

And above all, speak to a range of experts before you spend a fortune on a logo, website, or even campaign rebrand.

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Marketing Acts, Bad Outcome

In the heart of a bustling tech startup, they had it all—cutting-edge software, a growing user base, and a hungry team ready to dominate the market. Their secret weapon? A recently agreed Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategy. Focus, precision, and personalized outreach would surely turn the tide in their favor.

Not to mention a brand new $180,000 state-of-the-art account-based Marketing platform. 

They hadn't been impulsive buyers. They did their research - read the G2 and Capterra peer reviews, and tested the market alternatives. 

And now, yes, They were confident in its success. The world was their oyster!

The team gathered in the sleek, glass-walled boardroom, eyes on Jane, the marketing director. She pulled up the latest ABM campaign results, confidence radiating from her.

“We targeted the top 50 accounts and personalized every touchpoint—emails, workflows, ads, calls, even gifts! This is going to be big,” she said, grinning as the first slide flashed on the screen.

But then the numbers came up.

Silence fell. Her grin faded.

Not one of the accounts responded. The campaign, which had eaten up half their marketing budget, was a black hole.

“What went wrong?” someone finally muttered. Jane’s face turned pale as she clicked through the data—wrong job titles, misinterpreted pain points, automated messages that felt soulless instead of personal. 

Worse, their most valuable prospect had publicly tweeted about the "lazy spam" from the company, damaging their reputation.

The sales team had given them data that conflicted with the analytics from their ABM platform, and sales prevailed (who could argue - they closed the deals?). Then, to add to the growing sense of impending doom, the team began to lose faith.

Not only that, but installing & integrating the latest 2.0 iteration of the ABM platform had sucked valuable time, energy, resources and finally morale, from the entire team. 

Ultimately, they had to hire a Marketing Operations Manager specifically for that job. The project had gone well over time (three times longer than planned) and budget (an additional $80,000, 45% over). 

The new Marketing Operations Manager gave his notice one week after the much-anticipated roll-out day. He wouldn't be around to oversee his work. And no one else had the complete picture of how this software worked.

Carnage!

Blood-curdling screams could be heard (or was that my imagination) in the background of video calls, rapidly losing bandwidth ('Sorry, I'm gonna have to turn off my camera - my connection is bad').

Employees would disappear for days - childcare issues, family emergencies, illness, even the dreaded return of Covid (we thought it was gone forever.....). The team was disintegrating before our very eyes. What remnants remained looked exhausted, shrunken-headed and ghoulish. 

One poor lady went on a 'mental health' walk in the middle of a team meeting - and was not seen again for two weeks. Her spouse finally called in to say she was 'incapacitated' and would provide a doctor's note.

Then there was the dreaded sales kick-off, when one of the team got drunk and told the CEO 'what he really thought about how marketing was being managed at our company'.

Later that evening, Barry, head of Enterprise Sales, got into a punch-up 🥊 with a bystander—this time, it wasn't just HR that was needed 😬👀👮‍♂️.

Technology and analytics (and even Revops) professionals soldiered on, long past the point of no return, fighting bravely as hope dwindled. At times, it felt like the fall of the Roman Empire —the barbarians were at the gates, baying for blood. 

Where was the support? It was never coming! We were like lone wolves howling at night, with only a full moon's light guiding us.

Marketing had acted boldly, but the precision they prided themselves on was just an illusion. They had over-personalized to the point of irrelevance.

The CEO stood slowly, his voice cutting through the tension: “Let’s fix this. But remember, not every act of marketing ends in glory."

The team nodded, but deep down, they knew. Marketing had acted… and the outcome was bad ðŸ‘¹ðŸ‘¹

Happy Halloween!

If you haven't noticed, 'Marketing Acts, Bad Outcome' is an anagram of 'Account-based marketing'.

Did you know that according to the latest CMO Survey, 56% of Marketing Technology is never, or barely, utilized? That's at least $100 billion of wasted value, in the US alone. 

Horrorshow! ðŸ˜±ðŸ’€ðŸ©¸ðŸ”ª

Read my guide for ideas on how to escape an Account-Based Marketing nightmare.

Sunday, September 22, 2024

The Power of Microinfluencer marketing

             

Suppose you look at where the most significant move in influencer marketing has been in the last few years. In that case, celebrity endorsements like Kim Kardashian, Selena Gomez, Dwayne Johnson or David Beckham are passe—so 2010's

The real action these days is with micro-influencers or even nano-influencers. 

What Is a Micro-Influencer?

A micro-influencer has 1,000 to 100,000 followers who focus on a specific niche or area and is generally regarded as an industry expert or topic specialist.

Micro-influencers have stronger relationships than typical influencers. This is often driven by their perception as an opinion leader of [a] subject matter. Unlike a celebrity or regular influencer, a micro-influencer frequently has a very uniform audience. They are usually far more knowledgeable about the companies they talk about and more relatable to the regular consumer.

Everyone says that to succeed in business, you need an authentic brand. Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made. But joking aside, Consumers crave authenticity these days. 

Some large brands have even had to scrap high-quality and expensive videos because they appear too commercial. Imagine a ludicrous situation where a giant brand is paying big bucks to make its videos look like they were taken by a regular person on their Apple phone. I kid you not - this is happening right now!

Authenticity is the quality of being true to oneself and one’s beliefs. Branding means presenting an honest representation of what your business stands for and how you want customers to perceive it. This includes conveying clear values and messaging and building trust with audiences through consistent communication and interactions.

When businesses are authentic, customers feel they can trust that their products and services are genuine. This helps you, as the business owner, build authentic relationships with your audience, which can lead to increased sales and customer loyalty.

Additionally, authenticity helps brands stand out from the competition by allowing them to show their unique characteristics. When you're true to yourself, you trust your judgments and decisions, and others also trust you. They'll respect you for standing by your values and beliefs. 

And let’s face it – who do you really believe uses and loves l’Oreal shampoo, a celebrity who is paid millions of dollars for saying that and will probably be advertising another shampoo brand next year?

Or a beauty influencer who has been raving about how much she loves L’Oreal products for years without being paid for that? And whose blog or TikTok channel is devoted to that one topic (Beauty or even shampoos).

I talked about branding with Henny Frazer, the ex-head brand at Hyatt Hotels. She impressed upon me the idea that branding is not purely about a ‘logo’ or a company's image or colour palette. That is actually just a tiny part of the picture.

A brand is embedded in your employees and your culture—how they work and interact. Secondly, it is highlighted by your most passionate customers—the ones who evangelize your company and often tell others exactly why they love your brand. And if you have those types of customers, surely your company should help them get their message out?

From my experiences working in marketing, I know nothing is more potent than a delighted customer—no ad campaign, powerful celebrity endorsement, or even a mesmerising brand or silver-tongued salesperson.

But don’t just listen to me: Tech companies, including Adobe, Monday.com, SAP, and Squarespace, among many others, are well known to engage in micro-influencer marketing campaigns. 

Dunkin' Brand (Dunkin' even named a new drink, 'the Charli' after a Microinfluencer) has been doing this for years, as have many sports brands like Nike, which, for example, sponsors thousands of college athlete micro-influencers. 

AirbnbShopifyHelloFreshWarby Parker & Audible are other well-known brands that are currently investing in micro-influencers.

If this strategy appeals to you, why not check out these tips on how to build an unstoppable brand community?

Below: The return on investment is almost three times higher for brands that invest in micro-influencers than those that pay for celebrity endorsements (Professor Pauwels, Northeastern University business school, ex-Chief Data Scientist at Amazon). 

Micro-influencers can help a business grow by:

> Targeting a specific audience

Micro-influencers often have a niche audience, so they can help brands reach the people most likely to be interested in their products. For example, a brand could work with a cake-decorating influencer to promote a new line of piping tips.

> Building trust

Micro-influencers often have a deeper relationship with their audience, which can lead to more effective endorsements and higher call-to-action rates. When influencers are accurate and transparent about products or services, their followers are more likely to purchase.

> Make Genuine Connections

Do you think there’s no such thing as the wrong client? If you’ve ever had a client who was a lovely person but just totally not aligned with you, you’ll know that there is! Not every client is the right client. If you’re not being authentic in your business, you’re not going to attract the people (clients, team members, partners) you’ll thrive with.

Authenticity builds strong connections with the right people who will become life-long customers and sing your praises to others. Micro-influencers can help potential customers determine if your brand is right for them.

One major issue most brands face right now is a decline in loyalty. With that comes the dreaded customer churn issue: companies lose long-term customers.

But suppose you build authentic relationships with customers who start out with shared values, goals, and aspirations. In that case, you will likely retain those customers and grow your business faster and more straightforwardly. Micro-influencers are your bridge to that end goal.

> Increasing brand visibility

Micro-influencers can help increase brand visibility by retaining followers and hooking them with their content.

> Boosting credibility

Working with popular influencers can help a brand's credibility within an industry. This can help the brand land new partnerships, attract talent, and develop meaningful industry relationships.

> Creating dynamic, and exciting new content

Influencers know how to create content that stands out on social media. Some of the hands-down best brand content I’ve seen over the last five years has come from small-time influencers (take Lauren Cella*, a schoolteacher influencer who works with Adobe and Dunkin’).

Monitoring content performance can help a brand determine what's working and what's not. This can help a brand adjust its strategy and decide whether to continue working with specific influencers or partner with new ones.


Should Your Brand Leverage Micro-Influencer Marketing?

Micro-influencers have a comparatively more minor following and don’t often boast celebrity status. Because of that, brands can bank on their followers' interest in whatever made the micro-influencer "internet famous.” 

In addition, smaller influencers tend to be more grateful for a brand's attention, produce far better results (in terms of actual sales revenue per spend), and are more cost-effective, on average, than celebrity endorsers. 

Some well-known micro-influencers include:

  • Alina Gavrilov, a fashion micro-influencer with 99,800 followers
  • Lauren Cella*, education micro-influencer (Millennial teacher who talks about her Gen Z and Gen Alpha students, who now partners with Adobe), 140,000 followers

Check out her hilarious history lesson on the French Revolution, designed to entertain and captivate Gen Z and Alphas. 

  • Anndrea Celleste, 198,000 followers, travel and culture micro-influencer
  • Francesca Newman-Young, a travel micro-influencer with 84,900 followers
  • Lonni Smith, a beauty micro-influencer with 64,000 followers
  • Russ Crandall, a food micro-influencer with 40,400 followers
  • Francesca Newman-Young, travel micro-influencer with 120,000 followers
A tweet from travel micro influencer Francesa Newman-Young:

Micro-influencers will often cost far less than macro-influencers. “[Micro-influencers] give you the best bang for your buck. They have a following, but typically don't charge the same rate as those with a larger following.”

For further reading: how to Build a Micro-Influencer Marketing Strategy by Shopify


Want to find out more? Read the Guide to Micro-influencer Marketing