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The influencer marketing industry is expected to reach $16.4 billion in 2022. The global pandemic catalyzed social media consumption, which is one of the reasons the industry has grown so much over the past few years. More than that, the ROI of influencer marketing is 11x greater than some types of digital marketing. It’s not a trend; influencer marketing is a tried and tested strategy that works for brands big and small.
Today, we draw back the curtain on influencer marketing—specifically micro-influencing. We most notably mention two big-name brands that work with micro-influencers in Canada to prove its effectiveness.
Are you ready to find out which ones?
Keep reading for the deets…
Micro-influencers are individuals with less than 100,000 followers on social media that have engaged audiences who trust their recommendations. Micro-influencers are authentic and truly knowledgeable about their niche (e.g., cooking, yoga, traveling), promoting only what they can honestly stand behind.
Brands collaborate with micro-influencers to reach new audiences who are likely to be interested in their products. For instance, a skincare company may partner with a beauty micro-influencer to endorse its new vitamin C serum.
Compared to macro-influencers, who have more than 100,000 followers, micro-influencers are often cheaper and more accessible. Micro-influencers on Instagram have smaller but more engaged audiences, making them an effective marketing asset.
Getting into the micro-influencer game is a great way to get your name out there while also helping brands reach new audiences. However, it's important to know how to go about it. The right tools and strategy can make the process easy.
While micro-influencing may seem complex at first, it's actually fairly simple.
1. Find your niche. How to become a micro-influencer starts with finding your niche. What are you passionate about? What kind of products do you like? It’s important to dial in the content you’ll be creating instead of being a generalist so you can find the right audience and stand out.
2. Share curated content. You can’t post just anything on social media if you’re an influencer. You have to be strategic. Share content targeted to your specific audience while authentically promoting relevant products or services they will be interested in.
3. Collaborate with brands. Sometimes, brands looking for content creators will reach out to you if they like your content. But how do influencers reach out to brands? With a media kit. A media/press kit should showcase your engagement rates, audience demographics, and what you can offer.
4. Create branded content. Once you’ve found your niche, curated a consistent Instagram feed, and found brands with influencer programs, it’s time to create branded content. However, you don’t want to promote products and services excessively, or it dilutes your authenticity.
Brands with micro-influencer programs partner with individuals who have smaller followings on social media to endorse products with genuine posts instead of sponsored ads. Depending on your goals, micro-influencer programs can be a great way to drive traffic to your website and boost e-commerce sales.
70% of teens trust influencers over celebrities, which is why brands that collaborate with small influencers on Instagram have better conversion rates. Micro-influencers have mutual relationships with followers, responding to comments and engaging with other accounts, so they feel more like a friend. 90% of consumers trust brand recommendations from friends, and micro-influencers often fall into that category.
Next, we list several big-name brands that will work with small influencers to market their products successfully.
LaCroix actively encourages its followers to use branded hashtags such as #LaCroixlove and #LiveLaCroix to create user-generated content it can repurpose. The brand engages with everyone who tags the brand, regardless of follower counts. Through a micro-influencer program in 2015, LaCroix grew its fanbase from 4,000 to 30,000 within 8 months.
Banana Republic is a fashion and lifestyle brand that uses micro-influencers to reach new consumers. They collaborate with micro-influencers on Instagram of varying account sizes to model their clothes in different settings and tag the brand, so followers know where to get the same outfit. Banana Republic reached a total of 43.2 million consumers as a result of running 13 micro-influencer campaigns.
Sephora is a beauty brand that works with micro-influencers in Canada. Launched in 2019, #SephoraSquad is a wildly successful social media campaign on Instagram, boasting over 75,000 posts and counting. If selected to be an influencer, brand ambassador deals include Sephora swag, peer and professional coaching, features in brand campaigns, and more. Sephora is just one of many Canadian companies looking for brand ambassadors.
Swedish watch company, Daniel Wellington (DW), has collaborated with micro-influencers from the very beginning. Instead of offering financial incentives, the company offered influencers free products—and the strategy paid off. By using social media as the company’s primary marketing method, Daniel Wellington has grown into what’s now a $200 million business.
Keep in mind that the best brands to work with as an influencer are those that align with your interests and values, not necessarily brands that pay influencers. Influencers don’t always get monetary compensation. Instead, they may receive benefits such as discounts, free products, exclusive invites to brand events, etc.
If you want to bring your business into the 21st century—it’s time to launch a micro-influencer program that will amplify your brand’s message in the social feeds of millions of consumers.
At Bonus Track, our in-house team leverages data, authentic relationships, and strategic casting to source, secure, and manage talent. In collaboration with our content department, we’ll co-produce assets to align with project goals and brand standards, ensuring we execute a tailor-made strategy that converts every time.
If you’re ready to hit play on this modern marketing strategy, reach out.
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