If you’re looking for a successful Instagram influencer marketing campaign, there are several tips you can follow. Choosing the right influencer is critical if you want to succeed in this social media marketing strategy. It is best to go for a micro-influencer instead of a mainstream one.
Micro-influencers have smaller fan bases, but are more likely to interact with their audience in real time. You can also choose a micro-influencer who can promote your product or service and advance your brand’s image. And in comparison to other larger accounts, all influencers are doing what they can to get more IG followers, it’s just a matter of waiting around to see which ones are growing at a faster pace.
With all of that being said, let’s now take a deeper look into what it takes to create a successful advertising and branding campaign on social media.
Micro-influencers are Better for Instagram Influencer Marketing
Whether to work with a celebrity or a micro-influencer for your Instagram influencer marketing campaign depends on the product you are trying to sell. Influencers with huge followings are more likely to create brand awareness, whereas micro-influencers aren’t. This is because they’re so small in size, and their followings are too small to have a meaningful impact on public perception. Nevertheless, micro-influencers have higher engagement rates compared to celebrities. And they’re more likely to convert your audience into buyers compared to celebrities.
When choosing an influencer for your Instagram influencer marketing campaign, look for one that is actively involved in the product’s industry. A smaller influencer has fewer followers, but they’re still active on the platform, engaging with fans on a regular basis. These micro-influencers also have a loyal following, meaning they’re more valuable than spammy accounts.
In addition to their huge followings, micro-influencers often interact with their fans on a more personal level. This builds trust with their followers, making it easier for them to recommend new products, restaurants, or beauty products. Additionally, micro-influencers are more effective than celebrity influencers, and campaigns with them are 6.7 times more efficient per engagement. For example, Belgian micro-influencer Miette Dierckx has more than 36,000 Instagram followers and has partnered with Coca-Cola as a brand ambassador.
One of the most significant differences between macro and micro-influencers is the size of their audiences. While macro-influencers have large numbers of followers from all niches, micro-influencers have a smaller audience and a higher proportion of genuine fans. Additionally, micro-influencers are more authentic, and are more likely to engage their audience around specific topics. The niches that micro-influencers follow often have very targeted communities and more followers than macro-influencers.
Choosing a micro-influencer for your Instagram influencer marketing campaign is also a matter of personal taste. Micro-influencers create content that focuses on their passions and are dedicated to building a community around their niche. Consequently, their following is smaller than that of macro-influencers. Therefore, they’re a better choice for your Instagram influencer marketing campaign.
They have a smaller fan base
While celebrities with millions of followers can attract a broad audience, influencers with fewer than 1,000 followers reach a more targeted demographic. According to a recent survey, 82% of customers trust content posted by micro-influencers. These accounts also increase engagement rates: content created by influencers with fewer than 1,000 followers gets 1.7% of likes. In the last quarter of 2018, Diageo, the parent company of several Scottish whiskey brands, collaborated with Nick Offerman to promote its scotch whiskey.
Brands report difficulty finding and managing influencers for marketing campaigns. They report problems coordinating contracts with influencers, including time restraints and bandwidth. Micro-influencers tend to have a higher engagement rate than larger influencers, which is a sign of their devoted fan base. They also report lower costs than mega-influencers, as they charge less than a million followers.
Consumers fear that celebrities are putting their paychecks before their fans. This is an overly-simplistic assumption, but it’s one of the most common reasons why influencer marketing is dying. However, there is a way to counter this dilemma. The answer lies in the trust that consumers have for influencers. While there are many reasons for this trend, the fact that brands are spending less time promoting their products through influencers should not discourage any business from pursuing influencer marketing.
In terms of popularity, it’s important to keep in mind that most influencers are not famous. In fact, there are people with more followers who will be interested in the same thing as you. But there are also a few caveats to remember when using Instagram influencers to promote products. While a lesser-known influencer may generate some results, a larger influencer with more followers can help you reach the targeted audience.
Engaging with Audiences in Real Time
While social media has long been used as a platform for product recommendations and first impressions from brands, the recent rise of direct social sales has been impressive. As a result, consumers increasingly seek out real, authentic posts that do not feel like advertisements. One study shows that consumers are six times more likely to buy a product when it contains a photo they have liked on a social media account. Furthermore, users trust other users as influencers, and are more likely to purchase a product if someone they know recommends it. This is why influencers are often regarded as the most trusted resources for product recommendations on social media.
The biggest distribution of Instagram influencers is in the beauty, fashion, music, and photography industries. Conversely, the least number of influencers are in the family, cinema & actors, and fitness and gym. The number of influencers who post on Instagram varies by industry. In addition to their product endorsements, influencers have begun to blur the lines between their personal interests and their brand. The beauty influencer, for example, has expanded her reach into fashion and beauty and has collaborated with many brands in the food industry.
Despite these challenges, Instagram continues to grow. With over a billion monthly active users, it is the leading social platform for influencer marketing. While it is significantly smaller than Facebook, Instagram still has a relatively high engagement rate, which is a positive sign for the future of the platform. As a result, Instagram has the best mix of reach and engagement for influencers.
The fast-paced social environment of Instagram can be challenging for marketers, but the benefits can be enormous. For example, a large majority of influencers are not famous. One food blogger with 100,000 followers has a small audience, but her loyal following is probably what drives her sales. Because of this, she is likely to drive more sales through the influence of her following. In fact, it’s estimated that more than half of consumers use an ad blocker, making influencer marketing more effective than ever.
Increasing Brand Loyalty
Working with Instagram influencers is a proven way to boost your marketing efforts. Not only do they have a loyal following, but their content is also created with a purpose. In this article, you will learn how to maximize your campaign results by working with a group of these influencers. For example, a recent campaign by Coca-Cola saw 3.5 million likes and generated 1,000 pieces of user-generated content. Instagram influencers specialize in a specific topic and attract a specific type of audience. With this in mind, you can cherry-pick a specific audience.
A successful influencer will have an organic following, which will boost your brand’s visibility in Google search results. Especially if you’re a new business, you may not have high domain authority yet. In this case, it’s wise to hire an influencer who can write guest posts and increase your website’s search ranking. Guest posts will also increase brand awareness. But remember that an influencer is human, too. He or she may be behind on posting commitments, or make mistakes with the tags and calls to action. Then again, it’s always better to be hands-on when cultivating an influencer, so you can learn from their mistakes. Fujifilm uses a formal ambassador program, using photographers and videographers to promote its products.
Influencers vary in size and scope, but the benefits can be enormous. Micro-influencers tend to have less reach than celebrities, but their followings are more engaged. Using a combination of micro-influencers can deliver the same reach and engagement of a celebrity. For example, Microsoft recently ran a campaign with National Geographic on International Women’s Day. The influencer network of National Geographic was comprised of multiple profiles.
Working with Instagram influencers can yield high ROI. Because most of them have multiple platforms, many influencers have huge audiences across several social media channels. A recent campaign by Gillette used female beauty influencers to promote Gillette Venus. The campaign featured a catchy hashtag, “Choose to Smooth,” to increase engagement. It reached 476,000 users and generated an engagement rate of 2.2%.