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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!