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Which Brands Work With Micro-Influencers?
Influencer Marketing
Which Brands Work With Micro-Influencers?
The influencer marketing industry, which is expected to expand to $16.4 billion in 2022, is clearly a force to be reckoned with. Now more than ever, brands are prioritizing building partnerships with digital content creators and using their accounts as channels to more effectively reach and engage their audience.
The high-quality content that influencers deliver for their brand partners keeps our feeds interesting and chock full of product recommendations, which today, are even more trusted and respected when they come from a smaller and more targeted account. These smaller accounts are run by micro-influencers.
Micro-influencers are content creators that have a following of anywhere from 1,000 to 100,000 people. While they have historically been an under-utilized marketing tool, brands are beginning to realize the power of micro-influencer marketing.
In this blog, we’ll round up some of our favorite examples of brands that have successfully implemented influencer marketing into their strategy, from macro- to micro-influencers. We’ll also discuss which brands are working with influencers, how brands can find influencers to work with, and what are considered to be some of the best influencer marketing campaigns.
Brands That Have Had Success Working With Micro-Influencers
What brands work with micro-influencers? A growing number, it turns out. According to Statista’s Influencer Marketing in the United States Report, more than 60% of companies used influencer marketing in some capacity in 2020.
Some of the brands that have had success working with micro-influencers include:
- Sephora. Beauty, skincare, and cosmetics company, Sephora, enjoys a strong community following. In 2019, they tapped into their highly-engaged audience with the creation of the #SephoraSquad beauty influencer program. They selected 24 beauty and makeup micro-influencers for a year-long deal where influencers would post product reviews and tutorials in exchange for perks like free products and samples. Thanks to the program, their sales and engagement soared.
- Coca-Cola. Although already a globally known brand, Coca-Cola had success with its brand ambassador program which targeted European content creators in the travel, food, sports, and fashion verticals. The campaign included eight creators with over 100,000 followers (macro-influencers), and eight with fewer than 100,000 (micro-influencers) and it brought them more brand exposure in Europe.
- Sperry. An example of a fashion brand that works with small influencers is popular boat shoe brand, Sperry. They connected with 100 micro-influencers on Instagram who were fashion-focused and had purchased Sperry shoes in the past. Their #OOTD (outfit of the day) campaign, run with creators who were actually fans of the brand, brought a large increase to their engagement and following and boosted purchases of their shoes.
What Small Brands Work with Micro-Influencers?
It’s not just big-name brands that are working with micro-influencers. In fact, micro-influencers can be a great opportunity for marketers to get the word out about their up-and-coming brand to a niche and highly-engaged audience.
Some of the small brands working with micro-influencers include:
- Jewelry brand @Casavaliano, who uses the account @casvalino_zhaly to find micro- and nano-influencers to work with.
- Vegan watch manufacturer, @elonnovac, who works with micro-influencers to share sponsored content.
- Fashion boutique, @theminxylabel, who finds small influencers with their scouting account, @theminxylabel_scout.
How Do Brands Find Influencers To Work With?
There are a few ways brands can find influencers to partner with. First, they should do research on their audience and have a good idea of what their target customer likes, thinks about, and how they interact online.
Then comes the research portion. Brands looking for influencers should make sure that the one they choose to work with has relevance to their brand or sway with their target audience. Some brands utilize influencer marketing agencies or software, enlisting the help of experts and tools that take the grunt work out of content creator scouting. Lionize’s AI software is one program that does this seamlessly for brands.
Finally, when a company is ready to begin an influencer partnership, they’ll reach out. For smaller creators, such as nano-influencers, brands can conduct outreach via comments or DMs to set up a partnership. However, those with a higher following who have found a way to monetize their online presence, like micro-influencers, will probably expect a more formal form of outreach, such as an email (or one to their manager).
What Are The Best Influencer Marketing Campaigns?
The best influencer brand collaborations come from companies that really understand their product, saw a gap in their marketing or an opportunity for better targeting, and were ready to get creative.
Here are a few of what are considered to be the best influencer marketing campaigns:
- H&M. One of the most popular fashion brands on social media, in part because of their influencer campaigns, H&M has had great success connecting with creators over the years. By working with influencers like Julie Sariñana (@sincerelyjules), they boosted their brand with credible recommenders.
- Dunkin’ Donuts. When the popular donut chain found out that TikTok star, Charli D’Amelio, was a fan, they had to reach out. In 2020, they formed a partnership, and she posted videos of her drinking her signature drink, “The Charli,” which led to a 57% increase in app downloads.
- Glossier. Beauty brand, Glossier, has had success with influencer marketing from those who might not even consider themselves to be influencers. Instead of working with a few big names to promote their cosmetics and skincare items, they rely on “regular women” to be their influencers, rewarding them with reposts, merchandise, and a recently-started referral program.
How Lionize Can Help You Find Micro-Influencers To Promote Your Brand
Lionize’s AI software takes the headache out of influencer marketing for small and large brands alike. We help you quickly find the perfect influencers for your brand’s niche and reach out to set up campaigns. Let’s get your influencer marketing strategy off to the right start in 2023. Book a Discovery Call with us today.
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