The larger an influencer’s audience, the more expensive it is to work with him or her. Consequently, marketers will have to make a large investment in a single piece of content and gamble on a considerable return. While this can be a very effective and profitable tactic, it is not always advantageous. Sometimes you simply don’t have the budget for a social media star. Other times you may have the budget, but the ROI simply doesn’t justify the expense. In those cases, you’ll need to think smaller.
As an influencer’s popularity grows, more and more brands are knocking on their door offering them money to promote their products. If the influencer accepts offers from every brand that comes their way, questions of trust and authenticity begin to arise. The audience might ask, “Is this influencer promoting a product they really love, or are they just doing it for the money?” On the other hand, a micro-influencer may not know exactly how to be an influencer at first, but they have a small, dedicated community of followers who know their tastes and preferences inside out. This influencer only promotes a few products, so they come across as discerning, selective and dedicated to sharing authentic opinions with their audience.
You will need to research your potential influencers. Take note of the size of their audience and how often they post product promotions. Also, pay attention to audience reactions. And finally, study the content of the posts themselves: what they say about a brand can reveal how they relate to brands and their audiences. Ask yourself to what extent they care about both and what value they add to each.
In addition to being expensive, celebrity influencers may be too busy to consider your proposal. If you need to implement your campaign fast, you may not be able to work with the macro-influencer of your choice. He or she may already be working on several campaigns with other brands. In that case, you would need to turn to a micro-influencer who can help you get your campaign up and running in a timely manner.