Luxury brands have mastered the ability to present immersive traditional adverts, planned and executed in the utmost professional manner. Yet, in the past years, most have learned that while traditional adverts are beneficial, a successful collaboration with a significant digital influencer may make or break a luxury brand's new campaign or launch. Though the openness offered by social media appears to have conflicted with various luxury businesses' feelings of exclusivity in the past, brands are now reliant on the expanding realm of digital influencer marketing.
According to Forbes, influencer marketing represents 86 percent of the top 30 fashion brands’ overall earned media value. While a large following tends to be a prevalent criterion for brands when selecting an influencer to partner with, Fashion & Beauty Monitor’s data demonstrates that influencer marketing does not always have to be a “number game”. Micro-influencers are growing popular among brands as they tend to have impressive engagement rates with their audiences, which is an appreciated factor.
The follower criterion to be a micro-influencer is contended by different sources. According to Influencer Matchmaker, micro-influencers are social media users with 3,000-100,000 followers and/or subscribers.
Over the past year, digital marketing strategists have demonstrated that accounts with smaller followings were just as beneficial for fashion as macro-influencers. Due to their approachability, micro-influencers are seen by their followers as popular friends or acquaintances. They regularly communicate with their following on a personal level, making them a dependable source for advice and recommendations.
By focusing on their target audience, micro-influencers have gained a degree of celebrity through their compelling content and niche interests. So, why do luxury brand marketers value collaborations with micro-influencers?
Firstly, micro-influencers usually have an engaged audience since they tend to have specialised interests, therefore sharing content that they are enthusiastic about and establishing their genuine point of view in doing so.
“The relationship between me and my audience is the most to me,” says V Girl Yatri Pabari. “I love having chats in the comments about particular pieces and outfits and supporting each other and my fellow creators, while all being around authentic and creative content creation. Having that kind of community is, I believe, what brands value and expect.”
Followers of micro-influencers tend to be very active. People that wish to actively participate in what the influencer shares, whether through likes or expressing themselves in the comments, make up a large fraction of their fan base. Most likely, they have been following their progress from the beginning of their careers to the top of the ranks. Therefore, many brands continue to rely on influencers of all sizes as part of their marketing strategy, and if they have not already, it is something to be considered.
Next, micro-influencers allow marketers to disperse their campaigns rather than focusing on a single channel. Brands may reach a vast collective following over a bigger range of media by using several micro-influencers who each have amassed their group of loyal followers. This is especially practical when it comes to algorithms, where content might easily be missed if posted by a single creator.
“I would define my content as classic, timeless and minimal. It is a style folio that aspires to inspire through styling pieces that can work season upon season and create a rotational wardrobe of versatile pieces. I like to document everyday looks that consist of pieces that may be similar to what people already own too, to give different ideas on ways to style.”
Lastly, using micro-influencers authentically deliver a brand’s content to a niche target audience. As explained by Forbes, “a micro-influencer serves more niche audiences and can be beneficial to a brand because they provide access to a small subset of a targeted demographic interested in your business”.
Micro-influencers tend to have a higher rate of followers that specifically follow them due to shared interests. When looking to collaborate, a brand aiming to market a product that fits a specific style category will seek out influencers whose audiences fit their niche. Whether it is dewy and natural makeup or vegan smoothies, these niche interests are usually well executed by the influencer and give brands insight into what their followers are interested in.
“The majority of my audience are women around the same age as myself, late 20’s into their 30’s. I feel that a more classic wardrobe and style, which I try to create, resonates a little more around that kind of age range, where women are searching for those quality pieces that will stand the test of time and work with the existing wardrobe that they’ve curated,” says Yatri.
Whether brands work with a macro or micro-influencer, you can expect remarkable results that will drive more engagement than traditional marketing tactics once they have found a like-minded creator. Influencers of all sizes have the ability to deliver perfectly in compatible marketing strategies, which is why they are valued for their contributions as creators instead of just numbers. Here at V Management, we understand the importance of working with diverse talents, and continue to build relationships with a range of creative and dynamic influencers.
