Forbes Communications Council members explore ways to partner with the right microinfluencers.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.
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Many companies are looking at sourcing microinfluencers. These popular online personalities have smaller, more intimate fan bases. While a brand partnering with a microinfluencer may reach fewer people, the audience will be highly targeted and, often, more open and trusting than a larger influencer’s followers would be.
Microinfluencers’ relationships with their followers are still fresh, authentic and familiar. The recommendations they share are viewed as helpful advice from a trusted friend, rather than part of a corporate marketing ploy.
Below, 10 Forbes Communications Council members explore effective strategies to help companies find and leverage a mutually beneficial partnership with the right microinfluencer for their brand.
1. Harvest Industry-Specific Hashtags
To find a microinfluencer, harvest industry-specific hashtags and spend some time with the accounts that use them. Once you discover your potentially ideal microinfluencer, perform an audit of their account. Analyze engagement, frequency and quality of posts, plus how well-aligned they are with your brand vision, mission and goals. – Melissa Kandel, little word studio
2. Ensure Value Alignment
Microinfluencers can provide very targeted interaction with your brand, but they should share the same values as your company. Look for influencers who are aligned with your organization’s perspective on industry trends and can help drive thought leadership. Then, show mutual benefits of the engagement by providing examples of past influencer campaigns, audience engagement, and the ROI. – Nysha King, Healthmonix
3. Test Multiple Posts Per Influencer
Working with microinfluencers is as much about quantity as it is quality. Quantity matters, in regard to both the number of influencers you work with and how much each influencer is doing for your business. I recommend testing multiple posts per influencer over a set period of time. Multiple engagements with the same audience build awareness for your brand, but too many can turn people away. – Scott Wanamaker, eAccountable
4. Prioritize Their Engagement Rate
When sourcing microinfluencers for your company or campaign, it’s crucial to prioritize the content creators’ engagement rates. Since the follower count is still in the “micro” stage, it’s important to consider how and when their followers are engaging with their posts. Otherwise, an influencer who has more followers can get by with a smaller engagement rate as they continue to pump out content. – Jessica Abel, G7 Entertainment Marketing
5. Look For Similarities In Substance And Style
When searching for a microinfluencer as a possible partner, look for similarities in substance and style. Ensure their content and audience aligns with your own. The more common ground there is between your brand and the microinfluencer, the more likely the content will resonate with your community. – Andrew Caravella, Sprout Social
6. Check Their Credibility Rating
The most important point to remember is that the number of followers isn’t a good indicator of whether or not someone is a good influencer. Research proves that credibility, not popularity, is more important for most consumers. Therefore, find influencers who have the highest credibility rating according to your target audience, and then provide them with the support they need. – Brittain Ladd, PULSE Integration
7. Give Them Creative Freedom
Give microinfluencers the freedom to promote your product to their audience as they see fit. It’s their audience. They know how to connect and engage with their followers. Leave it to them to authentically promote your product or company. They can make it seem as if it’s coming from a friend versus being used to sell. Treat them like your partner rather than a vendor. – Parna Sarkar-Basu, Brand and Buzz Marketing, LLC.
8. Ask Them To Provide Statistical Data
Microinfluencers must have statistical data in order for you to get the most benefit out of working with them. If their followers are not from the same age group as your target customers, for example, then this microinfluencer might not be a good fit for your company. – Ross Kernez, HPOne
9. Let The Influencer Drive The Campaign
Unlike bigger influencers, who have shown fewer scruples when it comes to brand partnerships, microinfluencers are acutely aware of their duty to their audience. Without that niche audience, their content wouldn’t be supported. Allow them to drive the campaign, from asset creation to storytelling, so that it feels organic. Do that, and you’ll get a way better ROI. – Patrick Ward, Rootstrap
10. Let Them Massage Your Content Into Their Style
Authenticity is key when it comes to marketing through microinfluencers, so it’s important to allow them to massage your content into their style. This means that rigid brand and copy guidelines can actually hinder the performance of a microinfluencer campaign if their audience feels that it is just an “ad” done for payment. – Roshni Wijayasinha, Foxquilt
By the Forbes Expert Panel®
