by Mattr | Aug 20, 2015 | news
(Originally posted in Social Media Today) Shoes of Prey, a little-known women’s custom shoe producer, decided in 2010 that it needed to boost its brand awareness. But without deep pockets for high-octane celebrity promotion, the company had to get creative. Instead of turning to a big-name promoter, the company sought the endorsement of fashion vlogger Blair Fowler. Fowler was just 17 years old, but she had a dedicated following of more than 300,000 subscribers. After Fowler hosted a Shoes of Prey giveaway on YouTube, the company saw a sustained 300 percent increase in sales. Once the video hit 750,000 views and 30,000 comments, the company received coverage from publications such as the Wall Street Journaland Business Insider for the publicity maneuver, which led to a partnership with Nordstrom. Would the media have taken notice if an A-list celebrity had just said, “Buy these shoes?” Maybe, but it’s unlikely. Small But Mighty Seeking out micro-influencers rather than high-powered celebrities isn’t just easy on the pocketbook; there are some other reasons to choose lower-caliber influencers for your brand. Micro-influencers are high-quality promoters. They’re social media wizards who genuinely care about the topics they deal with, and they’re more likely to provide you with authentically passionate content. Micro-influencers tend to be invested in what they do, so they make it their business to personally engage with the products they promote. Additionally, celebrities and high-profile influencers aren’t easy to access. When you choose a micro-influencer, you don’t have to go through agents or other representatives — you can usually just contact and negotiate with them directly. What’s more, they’ll often plug your product for nothing more than a...
by Mattr | Aug 10, 2015 | news
(Originally posed in Target Marketing) Meet Julie Cohn. She’s a travel expert who operates a popular website. She’s not a big-time celebrity like Kim Kardashian, who has millions of Twitter followers. But in the family travel sphere, her name carries a lot of weight. Julie is a travel micro-influencer: a passionate explorer who posts photos of and commentary on her adventures on social media. She doesn’t necessarily have a massive following, but her everyday approach still speaks to a substantial audience in unique ways. As a whole, micro-influencers are a growing group of personalities who play an increasingly integral role in the success of modern marketing campaigns. Consumers are quick to connect with regular people like Julie. If she promotes a favorite travel knapsack or family-friendly destination, her readers and followers are highly likely to explore those same options. Consumers are quick to trust her opinions and follow her advice. In many cases, micro-influencers have proven to be equally as effective as traditional marketing avenues, while the most popular ones are actuallybetter than typical methods. The Power of Micro-Influencers Because of their low price and highly engaged audiences, micro-influencers earn brands a higher ROI for their promotional efforts than oversaturated, conventional methods like keyword optimization. Their social media followers are apt to like, comment on, and share their posts — which not only circulates brand-related positive cheer throughout relevant audiences, but also expands a brand’s reach to new, untapped audiences. Partnering with micro-influencers through social media and blog content provides an organic, trusted source of marketing that consumers love to connect with. These partnerships are especially valuable for travel...
