With the rise of influencer marketing came the rise of influencers, and with the rise of influencers came the rise of micro-influencers. To find micro-influencers, you’ll have to know how micro-influencers on Instagram function.

What is a micro-influencer? A micro-influencer is an influencers whose following is between 1,000 and 10,000. These are smaller than what people usually expect from an influencer. However, micro-influencers still have an engaged audience that are interested in the recommendations that they make.

Micro-influencers can be a great way to start or expand your brand’s influencer marketing campaigns because they are real, authentic people that consumers trust to a higher degree than Instagram celebrities with higher follower counts.

3 Places to Find Micro-Influencers

1. Follow Your Brand’s Hashtags – If an influencer is consistently posting to the same hashtags that your brand values, working with this influencer will help you get discovered by their audience and appear at the top of the search results for this hashtag. Hashtags can be a great way to identify what crossover an influencer has with your brand.
2. Analyze Your CRM– Using a tool like Carro to find the influencers that have already exist on your customer list can help you capitalize on the influencers that know and love your brand the best. Search your social followers, email subscribers, and past purchaser lists to find influencers that meet the criteria for your influencer campaigns.
3. Check Locations– Looking for an influencer that you can meet in-person? Using locations to filter influencers can be a great way to partner with someone that can get a more first-hand experience with the brand. Local influencers may also be able to easily drop by the office for meetings. In fact, inviting influencers to your office can provide a great face-to-face experience and gives an influencer the opportunity to really get to know the brand. Local influencers will jump at the opportunity to shoot behind-the-scenes footage at a brand that they love!

6 Steps to Finding Your Micro-Influencers

1- Set the Goals for Your Micro-Influencer Campaigns

What kind of influencer are you looking for? What return on investment makes the campaign a success? Does the participating influencer need a particular follower count? What are influencers expected to do for your brand? Before starting an influencer campaign, take the time to answer these questions with your team.

2- Define the Role of the Influencer for Your Brand’s Campaign

Do you know how the influencer will interact with your brand? Determine, prior to reaching out to an influencer, what their role will be. Is this a continued partnership or a one-time post? Do you expect the influencer to create their own reach and buzz? Do you plan to repost the influencer’s content and drive attention to their posts? What image rights do you need to repost on your website, in email marketing campaigns, and in social ads? The influencer’s role and expectations should be clear before pitching, so that you know what your bottom line is while negotiating with influencers.

3- Compile a List of Influencers

Using any of the three methods above, compile a list of every influencer that meets your criteria. Include notes like “expects payment” or “posts to #Example on a weekly basis” to help you later on. If possible, list the email address of each influencer to make reaching out easier.

4- Set Your DM/Email Schedule

Many of the influencers on your list will not have email addresses listed on their social profiles. In order to reach out to these influencers, you’ll need to take advantage of Direct Messages, or DMs. However, most platforms have a limit to the amount of unsolicited messages you can send per day. Determine how many messages you feel comfortable sending in a day and how long it will take you to message the entire list.

5- Construct Your Pitch Templates

Typically, most brand managers will send three messages to prospective influencers. 1) An Introduction asking if they are interested in collaborating, 2) A Details message that addresses the requirements, the expectations, and begins the negotiation for things like content posting and payments, and 3) The Confirmation message with  everything finalized and repeated so that the influencer knows exactly what was agreed upon.

6- Start Pitching!

Reach out to influencers and see what the response is. Don’t expect everyone to want to work with you or to even respond, but if you continue pitching, you’re sure to find micro-influencers to work with!

Found another great method for identifying micro-influencers? Leave a comment below!

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