5 Reasons To Become a Micro-Influencer on Instagram

Instagram has come a long way since the days of posting selfies while holding a fancy latte or sharing a friend’s wedding photos. Instagram is no longer a “life’s moment” platform. Instead, it has become one of the most indispensable social media marketing tools. Brands should be taking advantage of this to reach their target audiences.

At the center of this all-important shift are micro-influencers. But what are micro-influencers? Keep reading to find out and discover why you should consider becoming a micro-influencer on Instagram.

What Is a Micro-Influencer?

To understand what a micro-influencer is and what one does, you must look back towards the beginning of digital influence. The concept of social media started making waves worldwide not too long ago. Individuals soon discovered the power of these platforms to voice their opinions. They also found it easy to influence audiences by sharing their own experiences.

Over time, this type of online influence evolved into several forms. Today, you have celebrities with millions of followers and popular personalities with a smaller but highly engaged following.

Enter the micro-influencer!

What Does a Micro-Influencer Do?

Micro-influencers tell stories. Whether they relate a personal experience with a brand or create a narrative about critical issues, the essence of their work is storytelling.

They don’t just post photos and quotes either. Instead, they weave their stories using colors, moods, and themes and build a timeline or storyline for their audience. Micro-influencers also use Instagram’s features to connect with their followers. They post polls and quizzes and take the time to host Q&A sessions regularly. This way, they ensure a two-way dialogue at all times.

How Do Micro-Influencers Differ From Macro-Influencers?

At this point, you may wonder what the difference is between traditional influencers and micro-influencers. The most obvious contrast between conventional (macro) and micro-influencers is not the number of followers. It is the strength of the connection between the influencer and their audience.

Macro-influencers tend to be celebrities and well-known media personalities. They have an extensive reach on social media and usually boast over 100,000 followers. However, they don’t necessarily have a personal connection with their audience.

On the other hand, micro-influencers don’t usually influence their audience to buy from or associate with a bunch of brands. Instead, they choose a niche like travel or fitness and focus on this topic when creating content. Micro-influencers typically have anywhere from 1,000 to 100,000 followers. Most importantly, they generally have a strong bond with their followers.

Like macro-influencers, micro-influencers also engage in brand collaborations. The difference is that micro-influencers value genuine relationships over compensation. For example, a celebrity might endorse a beauty or fitness brand because they get paid millions. A micro-influencer typically buys and uses products they love, ensuring a genuine endorsement.

Reasons To Become a Micro-Influencer

The authentic interactions between micro-influencers and their followers are one of the main reasons you should consider becoming an influencer yourself.

If you genuinely love a particular brand and its products, you’ll want to keep sharing it with your followers. This means you get to talk about something you love while providing a valuable review for the brand.

This type of interaction on Instagram often leads to high engagement rates. You can then go beyond direct endorsements and start using affiliate marketing strategies.

You can use unique affiliate links to direct your audience to the brand’s shop page and earn commission on sales driven by these links. Hence, you’ll make money talking about something you’re passionate about while endorsing the brand you love.

More reasons to become a micro-influencer include the following:

• 1. More Conversations

  Instagram favors conversation and even healthy debate. Beyond pretty pictures and inspiring blogs, it is a platform where influencers and followers can discuss their experiences. In fact, it is a place where new conversations spark up every second.

  If you have fewer than 100,000 followers, you have a better chance to initiate conversations and comments. This means your posts will continue to gain traction as the views and likes pile up.

• 2. Brands Will Want to Partner With You

  You won’t be charging brands millions to shine a spotlight on their products. Brands with limited budgets or those interested in reaching niche audiences would rather partner with micro-influencers than spend too much money on trying to engage a general following.

  This opens many opportunities for you to collaborate with brands you trust and want to work with. As you establish your expertise as a micro-influencer, you’ll also find more opportunities to build long-term partnerships.

• 3. Learning and Growing

  If you’re all about the bigger picture and want to reach macro-influencer status, you can use micro-influencing as a stepping stone to get there. Along the way, you learn how to use content as a tool with an emphasis on SEO.

  You’ll find new ways to tell traditional stories. You’ll also create effective methods to engage with an audience online, big or small. Everything you learn as a micro-influencer will serve you well when you take on the role of macro-influencer.

• 4. Money, Money, Money

  Even if you want to stay a micro-influencer and value authenticity above money, you still need to earn some to continue your journey on social media.

  Fortunately, there are many ways for you to do this while keeping your integrity intact. You can host workshops, tutorials, and product launches or expand your affiliate marketing strategy. The sky is truly the limit here.

• 5. You Can Be the Voice You Want To Hear

  As a micro-influencer, you can step in when things get hairy in your community. You can raise awareness around pressing issues and drive change. Micro-influencers often double as community ambassadors. You can actively promote products while initiating crucial dialogues and finding solutions.

Express Your Unique Creativity

One of the best things about being a micro-influencer is that you don’t have to fit into a mold. You can use your creativity to stretch or implode the limits of online content and conversation.

Use your influence to redefine the dynamics of social media, and you’ll soon become an invaluable asset in the eyes of your Instagram community.