Study: Micro-influencers Generate Higher Engagement Rates on Instagram

CommPRO.biz Editorial StaffSocialPubli.com, a global micro-influencer marketing platform, announced the release of the 2018 Global Micro-Influencer Study uncovering insights and providing a closer look at the state of the micro-influencer marketing landscape from the influencers’ point of view.To examine how micro-influencer campaigns perform in comparison to their counterparts across social media networks and gain a better understanding of what works – and what doesn’t – when partnering with the long-tail of influencer marketing, SocialPubli.com analyzed internal campaign data and surveyed 1,000 vetted micro-influencers within its global community.“Influencer marketing is at an inflection point and micro-influencers are playing a vital role in its evolution from a passing fad to a permanent, viable and effective marketing strategy. With this first installment of our global study, we wanted to hear first-hand from micro-influencers to offer brands not only a panoramic view of this powerful category but also a deep dive into their beliefs, preferences, and behaviors,” says Ismael El-Qudsi, CEO of SocialPubli.com.In the study, micro-influencers share their perceptions toward sponsored content, compensation, social media use, content creation and the best ways to collaborate with brands.Findings from the study underscore the clear downward correlation between follower sizes and engagement rates, regardless of platform, geographical location or niche. When analyzing the last three campaigns completed by the 100,000+ influencers registered in the platform, the data shows that micro-influencers deliver 7X more engagement on Instagram than the average generated by mid, macro, and mega-influencers combined.Additional key findings from the study include:1. Social media is a micro-influencer’s natural habitat: 80% of micro-influencers spend at least 3 hours a day on social media. Of these, 47% spend more than 5 hours.2. Micro-influencers are avid content creators: 77% publish content on a daily basis with almost half (48%) publishing at least twice a day.3. They are active brand advocates and frequently recommend what works for them: 84% recommend products or services at least once a week with 37% of these doing so on a daily basis.4. Micro-influencers agree that authenticity, quality and engagement matter:a. 99% say they believe in the products and services that they promote.b. When asked what the most important factors are to maintain the engagement of their followers, micro-influencers responded: being authentic (32%), sharing quality content (27%) and engaging with their followers (27%).5. It’s not all about the money: 37% of micro-influencers cite being fans as the top reason why they would consider working with a brand more than once, followed by 30% who cite receiving a fair and competitive compensation and 14% who say the brand’s values must be aligned with theirs.6. Instagram dominates among micro-influencers: 61% of influencers selected Instagram as their favorite social media network, followed by Facebook (17%) and Twitter (12%).7. There is a clear movement towards professionalization: 52% of micro-influencers see influencer marketing as a viable career option stating that their professional goal is to be full-time content creators.8. Micro-influencers feel that the work they do as influencers goes unrecognized: while there is a desire to create content full-time, 68% of micro-influencers believe that the work they do is not sufficiently recognized.“The study shows that micro-influencers have strong, authentic personal brands and are committed to providing their online communities with creative, quality content. While they aspire to dedicate themselves to influencer marketing on a full-time basis they have also voiced a clear need for greater recognition which is indicative that the ecosystem as a whole needs to mature and improve in order for them to be able to effectively translate their vocation as influencers into a tangible career path,” says El-Qudsi.MethodologyResearch was conducted by SocialPubli.com using an online questionnaire between May and June 2018. In total, 1,000 influencers from 22 countries responded.Download a free copy of the 2018 Global Micro-Influencers Study here.