Micro-Influencers are a very topical subject these days in Social Media Marketing. Recent studies have shown that 75% of all consumers are more likely to buy a product or service based on a reference they read on Social Media. We introduced the power of the micro-influencer previously in a post “The Age of the Micro-Influencer“.
Given most people have hundreds of friends and family they are connected to, they are strongly influenced by those they are closest to.
Influencer-Marketing is where a person “endorses” a product or service and this shapes the purchasing behavior of others. For decades on television advertising we would see celebrities, sports figures, or other prominent people “endorse” a product. These people are now referred to as “Mega-Influencers” and have the capacity to shape behavior of millions of people. In Social Media, the “Mega-Influencer” has a very large following that they can sway and impact. In most cases, these people are paid for that power and influence.
“Micro-Influencers” are everyday people that have 10,000 or fewer followers on Social Media, in other words – your customers. They come to your Paint & Sip or Escape Room venue. They are capable of posting great photos of their “experience” and influencing hundreds of their friends and family. As these people are generally known more closely and not paid, their endorsement is actually much more powerful to their local network.
When your customers post an endorsement about your business in the form of a photo with them having a great time, this is referred to as earned social media. It is an extremely powerful and effective way to drive new customers to your business.
Jose Angelo Gallegos recently published an article Understanding The Difference Between ‘Micro-Influencers’ and ‘Mega-Influencers’ in Social Media Today that walks through this trend in social marketing.
To understand more about this subject, see also Brand Authenticity Matters — Consumers crave authenticity more than ever.
We are all Micro-Influencers!