Why Marketers Want to Work with Micro-influencers
Many companies have incurred losses or shuttered entirely due to the COVID-19 outbreak. At the same time, the pandemic has created new opportunities for certain people, particularly micro-influencers, whose reasonable pricing and increased performance make them incredibly appealing to firms whose advertising budgets have been severely cut. Micro-influencers are more trusted than big superstars and mega-influencers (Gerlich, 2022). Micro-influencers are an efficient marketing tool that allows consumers to discover products. However, micro-influencers on their own are not powerful enough to push consumers to make the final purchase in most cases (Rahmah et al., 2019). In order to meet consumption, a company may encounter some other marketing tools in the micro-influencer marketing approach. In addition, micro-influencers are more persuasive due to a higher perception of the authenticity of the promoted brand due to the perception of authenticity of the influencer (Park, 2021). Therefore, micro-influencers are effective in some aspects of marketing, but for greater effectiveness, their campaigns must be accompanied by other marketing activities.
Micro-influencer Marketing During the Pandemic
Micro-influencer who has done an outstanding job of marketing a brand during the Covid19 pandemic is Holly Becker. Holly Becker, the blogger behind Decor8, was chosen by the firm for the ad. The influencer selected items from the collection to demonstrate how her readers may use them in their own homes. Holly Becker is active on Instagram (@decor8 – 125 000 followers), Pinterest (decor8 – 419 000 followers), and Facebook (decor8 – 193 000 followers). Her targeted marketing segment is a mixed model segmentation and includes interests, lifestyle, age, and gender characteristics within demographic and behavioral features.
This micro-influencer’s promotion is outstanding because Pottery Barn wanted to market their new decor line, and Holly Becker, as an interior design influencer, presented their goods in a visually attractive manner. She selected items from the collection to demonstrate how her readers may use them in their own homes. She also hosted a giveaway in which readers had a chance to win a $500 gift card. And to boost engagement for the contest, she asked readers to name their perfect companion for a dinner party. Through one influencer alone, the campaign generated 500 reader comments and more than a thousand engagements. (Geyser, 2021). The social reach of the campaign was close to 4 million, helping the brand successfully promote the new collection.
References
Gerlich, M. (2022). Micro-influencer marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic: New vistas or the end of an era? Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, 9(4), 354-370.
Geyser, W. (2021). 8 influencer marketing case studies with incredible results. Influencer Marketing Hub.
Park, J., Lee, J. M., Xiong, V. Y., Septianto, F., & Seo, Y. (2021). David and Goliath: when and why micro-influencers are more persuasive than mega-influencers. Journal of Advertising, 50(5), 584-602. Web.
Rahmah, S., Ren, D., & Spier, P. (2019). The impact of micro-influencer marketing on millennials purchasing decision. ResearchGate. Web.