How to launch an Instagram micro-influencer campaign

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Most social media users have become tired of regular ad pop-ups and their devices, which has necessitated marketers to develop creative ways to catch their attention. One very effective innovation, especially over the past decade, is social media influencers. However, even more, important is the rise of micro-influencers who are becoming a viable alternative to big influencers. 

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When someone sees a micro-influencer, they don’t see someone trying to force a product or service down their throat. Posts from micro-influencers are like messages from friends. Who are micro-influencers? This post will explore what makes micro-influencers so unique and how you can launch an Instagram micro-influencer campaign. 

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Who are micro-influencers?

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Micro-influencers are people who have built a community out of the social media following. Such people often make posts relating to their expertise or area of interest, and they have been recognized as thought leaders by their followers. Also, the social media following of these micro-influencers is relatively more significant than the regular social media user but is usually less than that of big-time celebrities or influencers. 

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One unique thing about micro-influencers is that despite their modest following, they still boast enough power to drive conversations, start trends and even influence their followers to take specific steps. Micro-influencers usually boast of a following between 10,000and 100,000followers.

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Why do you need micro influencing for your business?

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There are several benefits to using micro-influencers; here is a breakdown of some of the most important ones:

▶ They give great value to money

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The majority of marketers have limited budgets, making micro-influencers the better option because they won’t cost too much. Additionally, the engaged audiences such influencers boast will quickly give you a good return on your investment.

▶ Better engagement

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It is here the number of followers the micro-influencers have come in. Unlike what is obtainable with macro-influencers, micro-influencers can easily engage with their audience actively. Due to the engagement, these influencers have with their audience, their opinions are better regarded.

▶ Targeted audiences

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When it comes to marketing, the more targeted you are with your audience, the higher your chances of getting the best out of them. Most micro-influencers boast of a niched-down audience, making it easier to connect with them on topical issues. By working with an influencer within your niche, you will be marketing your products or services to people who already have a keen interest in them.

An easy way to determine the engagement rate of influencers on Instagram is by dividing the number of engagements their posts generated by the number of followers and then multiplying by a hundred percent. 

▶ Ease of working with them

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Getting in touch with the big guns in the industry can be quite challenging because they have too many organizations seeking to partner with them. However, you will find it easiest to connect with micro-influencers. Also, establishing a fruitful long-term relationship with micro-influencers is relatively easier. 

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How to identify the ideal micro-influencer for your campaign

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Before you choose an influencer to work with on your project, you need to have clearly defined goals on what you aim to achieve with them. Your set goals will play a huge role in determining who to work with.

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Make sure you define your goals for the campaign from the beginning and let it be what guides all your decisions. Here are some tips to help you find the right micro-influencer for your marketing project:

1. Analyze your Instagram followers

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You’d be surprised at what you may find by simply going through your follower list on Instagram. Scan through your followers and search for anyone with the correct number of followers. The next step would be to click on their profile to check how much engagement their posts generate and then engage the one that fits your needs in a discussion. The beautiful thing about such influencers is that they are already admirers of your business, and you don’t have to do much to convince them.

2. Hashtag searches are helpful

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Scroll to the search bar of your Instagram and type in relevant keywords relating to the services and products you are offering. This method should make it easy to locate accounts with reasonable engagements within your area of interest.

3. Leverage on marketing agencies

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Another effective way to get the best micro-influencers is by using the services of marketing companies such as Vling. Such agencies usually boast a robust database of the best influencers in your preferred niche.

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How to reach out to your preferred micro-influencer for your campaign

Direct messages

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Direct messages may not give you freedom of expression, meaning you need to be creative with the few words. DMs are short, personalized, and straight to the point. You should ensure the influencer has a substantial interest in your brand.

Emails

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Emails are a formal way of contacting influencers you would love to work with. Sourcing the mail contact of your desired influencer shouldn’t be too difficult as some of them have it on social media bio. Reaching out with emails makes it easier to be detailed regarding your intent. An ideal email should contain a simple subject line, the introduction of your brand, and your compensation or offer.

Through comments

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You can quickly build a positive rapport with the influencer before reaching out officially for partnership. Also, it makes the influencer familiar with your brand name before you contact them in the DM.

how to collaborate with micro-influencers

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Ways of collaborating micro-influencers for your project

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You need to know how best to use a micro-influencer for your project if you want the best results. Here are some ways to collaborate with micro-influencers for your project:

1. Set clear cut goals

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Like most other marketing strategies, you need to set clear goals on what you and your team want to get from partnering micro-influencers. Part of your goals should be growing engagement and brand awareness. Also, you may want to launch new products and have the influencers post them all over social media.

2. Know the KPIs to keep track of

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Once you are clear on your set goals, you may start trashing out the specifics of your key performance indicators for each of the set goals. For instance, your aim may be to increase the social media following of your brand or increase social reach and improve the rate of social engagements. 

3. Identify the capacity of your team to handle a micro-influencer campaign

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Find out how much effort and time will be used in the micro-influencer process. You also need to know who the key stakeholders will be and how much time will be devoted to the project every week. Also, you need to identify the tools that will help you accomplish your mission. The right influencer technology should be able to easily find people already discussing your brand, connect with them, engage them, reward them and evaluate the performance of such a campaign.

4. Have a budget

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Additionally, you need to consider the budget you should allocate to a micro-influencer marketing strategy. Knowing how much will be required to reach a certain number of people and the cost of engaging an influencer is also critical. 

5. Come up with creative briefs

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Once you get people on board your micro-influencer program, ensure to keep them engaged so that they retain the initial energy and excitement. Be clear with them about your target audience and what they are influencers can do to help out. Ideally, you could develop creative briefs and forward them to your influencers to study. 

6. Give rewards

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Givin your micro-influencers rewards can help strengthen engagement with your business while also encouraging them to churn out higher quality content for you. Note that rewards aren’t limited to cash incentives alone, and they don’t have to be expensive. 

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Summary

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Investing in influencer campaigns is a smart way to boost your brand reach and increase sales. Micro-influencers rank as one of the most underrated but effective means of connecting to a broader audience on a personal level at a lower cost. An easy way to implement this strategy is by leveraging the skills, expertise and network of platforms such as Vling.

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