Micro-influencers and where to find them

By Camilla Dudley
Trends and insights
Group photo of reunion party

What are micro-influencers?

First, let’s talk about what an influencer is. An influencer is someone with millions of followers and a global presence. Think @KylieJenner or @MirandaSings. A social media influencer essentially endorses a product on their accounts by wearing a brand’s clothes, drinking a brand’s drink, or supporting a brand’s cause. The more followers a social media influencer has, the more attention their post will attract. For customers, social media influencers are a trusted source of information for which products work the best, which products are cool, and which products they should invest in.

The problem is, the more “famous” a social media influencer becomes, the more removed they are from your average customer, and the less trusting your customers are of the influencer’s endorsements.

That’s why many smart brands are turning to micro-influencers. Micro-influencers are more relatable versions of social media influencers. They often have thousands of followers and have a niche area of interest. For example, a micro-influencer might be well known in the fitness community, food industry, or in the make-up world, but less well known to the general public. While they have fewer followers than someone like Kylie Jenner, micro-influencers have highly engaged fans and those fans are often extremely loyal and trusting.

What can micro-influencers do for your brand?

Since micro-influencers have already built a strong following, they can be valuable to brands. At the most straightforward level, a micro-influencer can provide a trusted review of a brand’s product. In fact, as many as 49% of people on Twitter rely on recommendations from influencers on Twitter.

For example, the below Tweet is from Danielle Bernstein of @WeWoreWhat, a micro-influencer in the fashion world, giving a shout-out to @Postmates.

A micro-influencer’s shout-out to a brand’s product can also spark a word-of-mouth marketing campaign, especially on Twitter. As a result, nearly 40% of people on Twitter say they’ve made a purchase as a direct result of a Tweet from an influencer.

Since micro-influencers are often very knowledgeable in their industry, they can do more than just tag your brand in a picture. They can explain how your product has helped them and why they are promoting it. Micro-influencers can also show your products in action and explain how it works or how it’s best used.

Below,@bethcomstock, a business change-maker and author, shares what she loves about the Manhattan-based makeup company, @glossier:

Where can you find micro-influencers?

Finding micro-influencers can be tricky, but you can use Twitter’s advanced search to find the type of influencers you are looking for. Here are a few additional suggestions on where to find the micro-influencers who can do the most for your brand: 

  • Start with your brand’s Twitter followers. The best micro-influencers will be ones who are already invested in your brand. Reach out to them and ask if they’re willing to showcase your product through their personal accounts.
  • Use hashtags. Identify the hashtags most commonly associated with your industry. Search posts with those hashtags and see if you can find anyone whom you would want to showcase your brand.
  • Try searching the internet for top bloggers in your industry. Bloggers will often have social media accounts tied to their blogs so you can quickly get a sense of their reach and the content they like to share.

Additional reading:

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