By now, we’re all well aware of the impact of influencers for ecommerce. These influential people push sales by promoting products in a way that’s natural, authentic and trusted.

But not all influencers are the same. They vary by their specialisms, interests or reasons for fame, the audience they have as a result and the size of that audience. While micro-influencers have fewer followers than macro- or mega-influencers, they can still bring serious benefits for your ecommerce company.

Read on as we discuss four benefits of micro-influencer marketing for ecommerce brands.

What are micro-influencers?

First things first, let’s clear up what exactly we mean by micro-influencers. While the exact definitions vary, they are typically influencers with between 10,000 to 100,000 followers. That’s fewer than mid-tier, macro and mega-influencers, but a bit more than their nano- counterparts, as this breakdown shows:

· Nano-influencers – 1,000-10,000 followers

· Micro-influencers – 10,000-100,000 followers

· Mid-tier influencers – 100,000-500,000 followers

· Macro-influencers – 500,000-1 million followers

· Mega-influencers – Over 1 million followers

While it may seem like more followers equals more influence, this isn’t always the case. Nano-, micro- and some mid-tier influencers offer greater focus than macro- and mega-influencers. This may apply to their audience’s age, location and interest as well as the level of influence they have amongst their followers – which brings a range of benefits for your ecommerce brand…

1. Focus

With a more focused following than their macro- and mega- counterparts, micro-influencers provide a better opportunity for various ecommerce niches. Whether it’s a specific age group or a particular interest, you can find a micro-influencer whose followers closely reflect your target audience, much more than any mega-influencer could.

Let’s say you wanted to promote sports clothing, as an example. A micro-influencer who has 25,000 followers because of their home workouts will provide better value than a mega-influencer with 1 million followers, none of whom follow them because of fitness specifically.

2. Engagement

Compared to the open-invite party that mega-influencers create, micro-influencers are more akin to being in a room with your friends. While their followers might not be as numerous, they’re typically much more engaged.

Having fewer than 100,000 followers means they can still monitor comments on their videos and even interact with people. This level of engagement is a big benefit when it comes to ecommerce influencer marketing. Rather than a distant, unreachable celebrity, followers see them as someone they know and trust.

This can be a huge factor, given that trust is ranked amongst the top five buying criteria for consumers. It also creates a two-way stream, where customers might even buy your product simply to connect with the micro-influencer, letting them know their own thoughts, for example.

3. Relationship

With between 10,000-100,000 followers, most micro-influencers are still pretty normal people. While they might have some specialist assistance with their social output, they’ll still be down to earth and keen on building professional relationships.

For ecommerce marketing, this means you’ll get a lot more thought, care and effort going into your promotion. Rather than a simple picture a caption, they’re likely to actually engage with your product and provide an authentic, positive review.

You could also benefit from a bit more exclusivity. While micro-influencers will naturally get their fair share of enquiries, they won’t be as bombarded as the most renowned influencers. With fewer products being promoted, there’s no chance of yours getting lost in the crowd.

4. Cost-effective

With less notoriety and fewer followers than mega- and macro-influencers, micro-influencers are typically much cheaper to work with. Given all of the factors above, they can also provide a better return on investment. The end result is a much more cost-effective solution for ecommerce marketing.

Connecting with micro-influencers for ecommerce

Want to generate the best return on investment for your ecommerce business? Find Your Influencer makes it easy with an established network of micro-influencers. Covering a range of interests from fashion, health and beauty to food, interiors and parenting, you can find the influencers that fit your brand to a T.