Margie Barkley: Micro-influencers and affiliate Marketing

Micro-influencers are great for affiliate marketing, whether you’re a content creator who wants to monetize it or a publisher who wants to increase reach.

Affiliate marketing and micro-influencers

Influencers are increasingly important. Many brands prefer to work with micro-influencers who are niche to promote their products and services.

Continue reading to find out what a micro-influencer looks like, how you can become one, and why affiliate marketing is mutually beneficial for brands and micro-influencers.

What does it mean to be a micro-influencer

Micro-influencers are just what they sound like: an influencer who offers niche content to a smaller audience.

Influencers are content creators on social media, whether they’re on Instagram, Pinterest or YouTube. Influencers are used by companies to promote their products as they have a large following that trusts and values the insights and opinions of their chosen influencer. Micro-influencers, on the other hand, are people with smaller followings and niche content. Influencers may be known for their reach to millions.

Although there is no set criteria, it is common for micro-influencers to have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers. Although this might seem like a small number compared to the major influencers, it would make you highly desirable for brands. Advertisers would find you a valuable asset as a micro-influencer. You’ll have a highly engaged audience and can be more interactive than bigger influencers. This could make it easier for them to market to their products.

Influencers have become such an effective tool in advertising that they are rarely a cost-effective option for brands. Although it might seem impossible to get a TikTok celebrity with millions of followers to promote your brand or product, you can still make a great impression by reaching out to their micro counterpart. Although you might not have the same reach as a larger influencer, they have a growing, engaged audience. However, the brand would still target a strong audience that values their opinion and is more likely to buy the products being endorsed. It is a great idea to establish working relationships early with micro-influencers, especially if your platform is growing rapidly.

Micro-influencers can also make money by working with brands to promote their products. This will help them to become a trusted source and build their audience.

How to become a micro-influencer

There is no single way to be successful in micro-influencer-marketing. It will take time to get to know the system, but there are many things you can do to tailor your content to achieve strong results.

Find your niche

Micro-influencers are highly respected in their niche. You must ensure that you are creating relevant, regular content that keeps your audience coming back for more.

You will need to be passionate about your niche, whether you are a lifestyle blogger, a fitness model, or a travel photographer, to make sure you are a reliable source of information.

It’s important to choose a niche that’s not over-crowded with influencers. Without going so niche, you won’t have the ability to build a strong following. Micro-influencers are more successful in niches that aren’t as well-known. You’ll attract a larger audience if your subject isn’t covered by many influencers. Although you might not want to limit your options when you are looking into affiliate marketing as an influencer, brands will be more inclined to do business with you if you can show that you are a trustworthy, knowledgeable voice in a relevant field to their product.

Be consistent

It doesn’t matter how you present your content, consistency is key. It doesn’t matter if you post every day, every few days or weekly. But it is important to follow a structured and planned schedule. Your followers will become familiar with your content if you keep posting consistent and enjoy it. A lack of a well-structured content structure can lead to audiences losing interest in you and their trust in your authority.

It is crucial to understand your target audience, what they are looking for, and to create a platform that they trust for entertainment, information, and advice.

Create a community

Another important thing is to engage with your audience. You are a brand in many ways. But, a key part of why influencers and micro-influencers are so valuable in marketing is their ability to humanize a corporate, mass-produced approach. Micro-influencers have this advantage: a smaller audience allows you to build a deeper relationship with your followers and gain their trust. It’s crucial to keep in touch with your community by leaving comments, liking posts, and following back.

Do your research

Do your research, stay current on social media trends and best practices. It is important to establish your account, build your brand identity and lay out your content. You can monitor other influencers to see which ones work and which don’t. Take a look at the top performing hashtags, which posts are most popular, how to use CTAs, how to share links and how to best use them.

A CTA is a simple text line encouraging users to take specific actions (ex. ‘Buy Now’, ‘Start Saving Today’, etc.). It can have a significant impact on your target audience. Knowing how to best frame the content is critical.

You might sign up for platforms such as linktr.ee if you want to promote your links on Instagram. This will remind your audience to click the link whenever they post affiliate content.

You should decide whether to post short-form, expired content such as SnapChat Stories or Instagram Stories or whether you prefer short-form video content such as TikTok Reels or YouTube Shorts. It is possible that your audience will connect more with blog content, such as product reviews. Your audience and niche will determine what content works for them. Make sure to do your research and keep an eye out for the best.

Keep it fresh

You can offer variety. Some content might be exclusive to TikTok users, while others may be reserved for Instagram feed posts. You could also have content for Pinterest boards that share inspiring content to your audience. While consistency and structure are essential, it doesn’t mean that you have to put all your eggs into one basket. Diversify your output to increase reach and keep content fresh and interesting.

Although your ultimate goal is to make money through micro-influencer marketing you will only be able to do this if your output includes both sponsored and organic content. Remember that you are not just a billboard featuring a face. Instead of posting ads after ads, keep it grounded by sharing authentic and relatable content. If you make a lot of sponsored content, your audience will lose trust.

Social media is always changing. To be a micro-influencer, you need to keep up with it. You should always continue to research, test, and refine your approach, even after you have established a brand and structure that can take you to the next level.

When your audience grows, you can begin engaging with advertisers and brands. To show that you are a trustworthy partner, you might start by promoting brands organically. If you want to be the first one to tag the brand on social media, they may be more open to working together. Affiliate marketing programs such as ShareASale are the best and most effective way for micro-influencers make valuable connections to brands.

Affiliate marketing can help you make money from your micro-influencer network

After you have reached a certain level, brands will likely offer you a variety products to endorse. However, it is worth the effort to build your following and reputation.

Because platforms such as ShareASale provide a structure for influencers and marketers to connect directly, affiliate marketing is one of best ways for micro-influencers monetize their content. Instead of waiting for brands to reach out on social media, you can create a program that allows you to connect directly with the most relevant brands or products for your audience.

Affiliate marketing is the practice of promoting a product or brand in return for a commission on any conversions that result from your endorsement. While the commission and conversion goals can vary, affiliates will often be paid a percentage of every sale that is directly attributable to their efforts. It could also include click throughs, sign-ups, subscriptions, and other conversions. The brand will give affiliates a unique link to their product page which they can use to promote the product on their website, Instagram, or personal blog. When a user clicks that link, and converts as desired, it is tracked and paid to the affiliate.

Affiliate marketing allows micro-influencers to work with niche brands to promote products that they love. Imagine you are a micro-influencer who focuses on coffee and has a few thousand followers. Partnering with a new coffee roaster could give you exposure and allow you to review their beans through your social media pages. After you have made the connection, and been approved into the program you will be able generate unique affiliate links that you can place in your review. For example, if the coffee brand pays you commission on sales, every time a follower sees your review, clicks the trackable link and makes a purchase, you’ll be paid.

Why would brands choose micro-influencers over other people?

Advertisers find micro-influencers valuable for many reasons. They aren’t as costly as big-name influencers, but still deliver impressive results. Micro-influencers may be able to build a deeper, more personal relationship with their followers. Micro-influencers may not be able to keep up a close relationship with their millions of followers. However, micro-influencers can engage in more meaningful ways which can prove beneficial for the brands whose products it promotes.

Unless you are looking to grow your audience, a micro-influencer will likely be focused on growth. Brands can take advantage of this trend by connecting early. You gain more followers and the brand is more visible as they have already established a strong relationship with you. This will help you to strengthen your platform. It’s mutually beneficial, with both sides able to grow and share the profits.

Micro-influencers have a greater impact on audiences than brands because they are more human. It’s easier to connect with people, regardless of whether you know them. Influencers’ endorsements of products feel more authentic than brands promoting their product. Consumers value customer reviews. Influencers, particularly micro-influencers might feel more authentic, while still being experts on the subject.

It is important that micro-influencers are careful about what they post and which brands they endorse. A micro-influencer, who promotes any brand or any product, will be less credible than one that reviews camping gear. Some brands may find major influencers too mainstream or broad, while a micro-influencer might be more focused on the specific niche of the brand.

ShareASale’s publisher tools allow advertisers and micro-influencers to form strong relationships with the right partner. Browse our merchant directory to discover brands that appeal to you and your audience. Or, work with our dedicated influencer partnerships managers to make money while promoting products that you are passionate about.

Affiliate marketing and micro-influencers