Building Brand Credibility Through Micro-Influencers

Building Brand Credibility Through Micro-Influencers

(Commentary by Jeevandran Raghavan)

When one thinks of social media influencers, who or what comes to mind? Is it a group of the most highly-followed social media stars with millions of followers, or is it someone more approachable and relatable, with a smaller, yet immensely niche following? 

If it’s the latter, they are most likely micro-influencers.

Brands and marketers are now increasingly focused on the interaction between influencers and their audiences, and that is measured through likes, comments, and the ultimate trust followers have in the message of the influencers they subscribe to. 

A little bit about them; a micro-influencer is anyone with a following of roughly 1000 – 10,000 social media users (there are exceptions). These individuals are expected to take the lead role in this new era of influencer marketing.  Users are more likely to trust someone with a more refined, authentic following, and who demonstrate actual knowledge in the niche area.  

Ever wonder how can Micro-Influencers be Linked to Brand Credibility? 

The term brand credibility can be defined as the trustworthiness and believability of a brands’ product or service. It is how audiences, consumers, and prospects perceive the expertise of the brand, and that the brand also deliver on their claims. If we want to simplify this further, it’s the brand’s reputation and the perception people have of it. 

We don’t have to list why being seen as credible is important, as we know that affects sales revenue, retaining current customers, getting customer referrals, and much more. Brand credibility comes down to two things; whether you are trusted by your customers (and consumers as a whole), and your authority (and expertise) in the industry. When you have established trust and authority, you have credibility, which ultimately influences consumer purchasing behaviour.

Engaging with strategic third parties, or influencers, can be very effective in building trust in your brand, and credibility among your target audience. A customer may initially be wary of your product or service if it is new to them. If they see and hear about your brand from someone they already know and trust, like an influencer, that customer is much more likely to be receptive to your brand, and ultimately, interact or purchase from the same brand. 

People follow influencers because they like and trust them. They typically share the same interests and values. In many cases, similar to celebrity endorsement, people aspire to be like the influencers they follow. When they see an influencer using a brand, it’s natural for them to want to use that brand as well, or at the least, to be motivated to learn more about it. An influencer endorsement gives your brand boosted credibility and trust with your target audience.

Influencer marketing can be a very effective method to reach niche markets where more broad approaches have been inefficient. Likewise, it may help you delve into newer markets, where you previously haven’t held much presence. Micro influencers hold a niche. This could be anything from food hacks to fashion tips, cryptocurrency to ecommerce; but it tends to be the case that they have specific digital marketing skills, that they execute well. This means they also reach a very niche audience, who are strictly invested in the type of content influencers are producing. If a brand’s target audience matches that niche, it’s an easy way to tap into the niche market you need. 

Taking this further, platforms like Instagram recognise accounts in specific niches, so if the platform flags that someone is posting a lot of fashion-related content, and is receiving high engagement levels, they will show that content to a wider audience interested in or searching for fashion-related content via the explore page and tailored content suggestions. A win-win for brand, influencer, and follower.

Identifying influencers whose niche directly relates to your brand, product(s) or service(s), will uncover a following or segment of well-qualified potential customers that are directly interested in your brand. A strategic influencer marketing programme allows you to reach those specific segments of your target audience, with content that is very relevant to them.

The marketing landscape is ever-changing, and that is a good thing. Now more than ever, potential customers are easier to target, and be more apt to hold their attention when they’re actually enjoying the content that the micro-influencer is creating. When done correctly, influencer marketing can contribute to long term trust with both customers and clients, which can ultimately lead to increased conversion rates. That’s why micro-influencers establish credibility, trust, and personal connectivity effectively.