Our Take On: Working with Micro-Influencers vs Influencers
Alright, I am going to come right out and say it: it's better to work with micro-influencers or even with customers who are simply passionate about your product but have little to no social media presence, rather than the bigwigs with hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of followers.
Phew, there, I said it, and boy do I feel relieved!!!
Controversial as it may sound, we have had more success working with micro-influencers (or as we like to call them, collaborators) than we have had when working with those who have a large following. Think of micro-influencers as people who have a small or even a very small social media presence. Here are the primary reasons we like to work with the micro-influencers:
1. They are more eager to work and provide content in a timely fashion as they are trying to make a name for themselves.
2. They do not have that sense of entitlement that comes with a large following (sorry but it’s true) and tend to be more down to earth and easier to work with, making it easier to build an authentic relationship together.
3. In many of our experiences, they provide more authentic content than those with a larger following because they genuinely love the product/brand they are working with, rather than just being interested in another paycheck or brand logo to boast about.
4. You are able to work directly with the collaborator themselves and not their manager/team, which makes the overall process more seamless. When working with big names, we have had instances where a manager has quit/been fired, and because of this, the creator was not able to deliver content, leaving us out of thousands of dollars of product and money with no content in return.
5. Content does not come with a hefty price tag. In 2023, some content creators are asking for $40,000+ for 10-minute or less videos. In THIS economy? Are you kidding?! That must be a joke! Or you could work with micro-collaborators and give them gear in return or even a couple of thousand dollars… I know which one I would choose.
By no means are we saying that everyone on social media with a large following is not genuine and of value. All we are stressing is that sometimes, a smaller bite at the apple gives you a bigger return and longer partnership. We have experienced first-hand that if you want to create more authentic content for your brand and save money at the same time, consider collaborating with someone who has 2,000 followers rather than 900,000 followers. Just a thought!
Next up: Our Take on: It’s Not (Just) About the Likes!