Micro influencers are everywhere. They’re flooding our Instagram, Twitter and YouTube feeds with their perfectly-sized followings and angelic voices, right? Well, not always. There are so many different avenues to take when searching for the perfect micro influencer. Whether you’re a start-up or an established company, it’s important to be able to recognize the good eggs and separate them from the bad. In this article we will cover 5 ways to avoid fake micro influencers, and falling for empty promises.
1) Followers ≠ Engagement
When you are on the hunt for the best micro influencer for your brand, it’s easy to swoon over an impressive social following – don’t. A long, attractive list of followers can potentially mean exposure for you, but is it the right kind? What you really want to look for is the reach, and whether the following appears to fit your target market. Are you a good fit together? How do you find the perfect micro influencers for your brand?
2) Following to Followers Ratio DOES Matter
There are a few key things to note when distinguishing between a true micro influencer and a poser. The first is one that you can easily find out on your own: is the following to followers ratio (on Instagram & Twitter) low or high? You are looking for a lower amount of followings versus followers. A red flag is if the numbers of each are practically identical — this suggests the use of the “follow for follow” tactic, as opposed to content that drives new followers on its own.
3) Look for Reach and Engagement
An easy way to remember these two metrics is:
1) How many people saw the post? (Reach)
2) How many times did people actually interact (like, comment, re-tweet/share) with the post (Engagement)
When you’re on the hunt for some new micro influencers, make sure you take the time to scroll through their feeds and check out their engagement. Calculate the ratio, and set a number that works for you! An engagement ratio in the neighborhood of 10% or more is a great start! If someone boasts a following of 20k people but only averages about 150 likes per post, something isn’t adding up, and they may not be a great micro influencer.
4) Greedy Influencers
The whole point of using micro influencers over celebs is their level of passion, trust and integrity with their followers. Someone who tweets all day about doggy products probably isn’t the best micro influencer for TVs. Beware of micro influencers who are just looking to make money no matter what they’re selling… they tend to have less integrity. Not only that, but their audience won’t appreciate the blasts of random products that really don’t mesh with their particular niche. The best micro influencers are particular about who they will work with, and also have their own goals in mind. Look for micro influencers like that, the unicorns.
5) Analytics Need to Be on Point
An excellent way to measure your likeness and compatibility with potential micro influencers is to analyze their following. Try out Qoints AI Discovery Tool for free to measure some of your own potential or current micro influencers. Avoid vanity metrics; pick Key Performance Indicators that actually relate to the goals of the campaign. Finally, don’t forget to monitor the results and tweak your strategy to ensure your goals are being met.
In the end, it’s important to not rush into making deals with just any old micro influencer out there. Do your due diligence and make sure that you’re not only a good fit together, but that the micro influencer is genuine. Don’t forget to use the help of professionals to find the best micro influencers for your brand and audience, and to measure the results by using the right analytics tools, picking appropriate KPIs, and setting goals before you start.