Rise of Micro Influencer Marketing

Step into any marketing meeting at any company and you’ll hear the same thing: We can’t advertise but we need to sell. It’s a crazy problem to have really. And it’s as real as ever. The other day I picked up a Los Angeles Times for the first time in years. You know what? No ads. The only place you see ads are on your social media. So, the question is… how, in 2020, will brands advertise without ads on social media?

Influencer stats:

• 63% of brands plan to increase their budget for influencer marketing.
• Over the past three years, Google searches for “influencer marketing” grew by 1,500%.
• By 2020, influencer marketing is projected to become a $10 billion industry.
• 93% of influencer marketing campaigns use Instagram.
• Instagram influencer marketing is a $1.7 billion industry.
• 55.4% of influencers use Instagram Stories for sponsored campaigns.
• The top 25 YouTube stars get 3x more video views than traditional celebrities.

The Rise of Micro Micro Influencers

We know how it all started: A chef got on Facebook, started cooking incredible food, then brands like Cuisinart and Kraft got hold of them, got them a studio and turned them into a show. More brands joined, big big brands that had them cook with Ragu pasta sauce or Pop Tarts. And it became a circus.

Audiences lost interest when the chef made something they didn’t eat. They started to flip the switch off when one episode was healthy and the other wasn’t. So, they looked for healthy cooks. Then healthy vegetarian cooks. Then healthy vegan cooks.

Now, it’s all about micro micro influencers. What does that mean? It’s not even about a massively famous influencer anymore really. It’s about your neighbor or a local person who creates something that really interests you. People who nail the exact content you really want.

That doesn’t mean the superstars aren’t making money. But, what it does mean is if you’re a small brand or have a small amount of followers, you can get work.

Authenticity of Influencers

Professionals who are good at advertising and marketing have one goal: Sell product. The only way you do that is to get your product in front of people who will buy it. Simple. So, when they started to hear that there were influencers on YouTube, Instagram or Facebook or blogs that could reach millions of people, of course they jumped on it. But then everyone started selling anything. We met with one world famous country artist who said he would sell Sharpies in a post if the money was right.

It didn’t take long for people to wise up. More importantly, it didn’t take long for brands to wise up. Now, both are hell bent on making sure they respect their customers and audiences. And that’s what is most important. When the brands change their focus to authenticity.

Why do Brands Set the Pace?

They have the money. Many brands won’t use someone who doesn’t represent their brand in an appropriate manner.  Thus the influencers must be authentic. It’s a great change. And that’s why, once again, any size influencer can get into the game and make good money.

Big Money even from Small Brands

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook make money off of ads. But don’t be fooled into thinking they rack up the profit off of brands like Ford and Coca-Cola. Watch any YouTube channel about advertising on social media and you’ll see they are talking to beginners. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent by small brands trying to make a big name.

These brands need a way to advertise and they are making it happen in a big way for themselves by themselves. No ad agency. No media company. Just finding the right partners on their own, getting advice online and creating content with the right partners.

The exponential rise in brands launching with distribution platforms like WIX, Shopify and Amazon make it easy to sell online. Influencers know they need to start looking for lots of small brands instead of one big mega brand name.

Learn 6 Steps to Earn Money on Instagram

Communities Helping One Another Out

The rise of communities is everywhere. People find massive benefits at SoulCycle and CrossFit. It’s no different in the influencer world and social media in general. It’s one big community of sharing advice, products and assistance. People prop one another up, show off what their friends are making or selling, ask one another to follow this page or that person… all with the power of community. 

HOLLYFY Works This Way.

We have created a community that serves every single reason we’ve talked about here. Any size influencers gets matched with their perfect partner. Brands big and small get their products into the right form of entertainment in the blink of an eye. It’s about matchmaking. It’s about connecting with one another in a fast, easy way that enables both sides to benefit.

Social media is an incredible tool. Powerful. Profitable. And it’s only going to grow in 2020. The important thing is how you are going to use it efficiently.