Business Lounge Journal – Marketing and Service)
Executive Summary:
- Influencers are very important, 58% of people aged 18-34 years buy something because of the influence of influencers.
- A micro influencer is an influencer who has 1000 – 50,000 followers.
- The advantages of micro influencers are: lower costs, higher trust levels, relatability, the right followers , and better interactions.
Social media is an essential tool for most businesses today to increase both brand equity and profitability . From promotion, public relations , direct selling, even to recruitment, it can be increased by using social media . One of the important functions for social media is to promote a brand or service with a marketing campaign . One of the keys to the success of a marketing campaignis to use influencers correctly, research from Edelman found that in the last 6 months of 2019, 58% of people aged 18-34 years bought something because of the influence of influencers. It’s not enough for a marketing campaign to get reach or brand recognition; The reach must continue to be profitable . This is why we must understand micro influencers.
Who is a micro influencer? Micro Influencer is an influencer who has followers under 50,000 (for an influencer who has 1000 – 10,000 followers can be called a nano influencer) on their social media platform . Various studies and social media experts have found that micro influencers are the future of social media marketing . Some examples of brandswhich have become very big because they successfully implemented micro influencers in their promotions are Daniel Wellington, Banana Republic, and Audible (Amazon). These three examples are just a few of the many successful ventures using micro influencers. If we pay close attention to our own social media , maybe we can find several large and small businesses, international and local that use micro influencers.
Reach from a micro influencer is certainly smaller than a macro influencer, so what are their strengths? What makes micro influencers effective?
- The cost of using a micro influencer is much cheaper than a macro influencer. To get one photo poston Instagram from a micro influencer only costs around 2 million rupiah, while the cost for one photo post on Instagram of a macro influencer with 100,000 followers can reach 20 million rupiah or more.
- The trust level ofa micro influencer is much higher than a macro influencer. Authenticity (authenticity) is very important, a macro influencer or celebrity is often seen as a figure that is easy to pay for, while an endorsement from a micro influencer is often seen as an invitation from a friend.
- Relatability. Many people see a micro influencer as a “normal person” who is just like themselves. The Edelman Trust Barometer shows that in recent times peers are considered a more credible source.
- Followersof micro influencers are often a more appropriate target. A micro influencer is often followed by fewer but more “loyal” people, including their own friends and family. Micro influencer followers also often havehigher engagement .
- Higher interaction. A micro influencer often has time to answer all of his followers ‘questions , while a celebrity with millions of followers will not be able to have time to answer all of his followers’ questions .
Looking at all this, can you conclude that a micro influencer is better than a macro influencer? Not. One example of how micro influencers are not suitable for use is in choosing brand ambassadors whose number of followers shows a higher credibility to the brand . Every business is unique and a marketer must be able to analyze brands , products, and feedback to determine which influencers are right for their business.
