Do you have less than 10,000 (but more than 1,000) followers on Instagram?
Do you have a passion for a topic that could be considered a niche market?
Are you open to receiving nominal compensation from brands in exchange for promotional posts on your social media account?
If you answered yes to all of the above, then congratulations! You’re already on your way to becoming a nano-influencer.
Just when you thought micro-influencers couldn’t get any more micro, nano-influencers are here to re-revolutionize the social media marketing industry. Here’s how it works:
- Last year, a popular sneaker brand spent a small fortune on macro-influencers with millions of followers, hoping that a handful of posts to the masses would translate to actual sales.
- Dissatisfied with the results, the footwear brand decides to alter its approach and target nano-influencers in an effort to spend far less and obtain a similar (or better) outcome.
- Via hashtags, the brand locates you, a #sneakerhead with a respectable 4,500 followers on Instagram, decent photography skills, better-than-average engagement, an impressive sneaker collection, and a genuine interest in and experience with the product.
- The sneaker brand direct messages you with an offer — an amount far less than they would pay a professional, full-time influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers — to create x number of posts featuring, naming, and singing the praises of their products.
While the risk may appear greater with an amateur influencer, it’s in fact more likely that a nano-influencer’s 10,000 followers are “real people” as opposed to bots and bogus accounts. Plus, this nano-strategy has a secret advantage, one even more powerful than the low price tag: authenticity. We’re bombarded day in and day out with paid, celebrity-driven advertisements, which can ultimately breed distrust in a brand. (The Verizon guy is now the Sprint guy and, gosh darnit, we don’t know who to trust anymore!)
So, rather than paying Kardashian prices, brands are now using everyday people to spread the word about their products – in 1,000 to 10,000-user increments. The result is a more genuine, grassroots approach to building a brand. Even mega-corporations are feeling the pressure to be more authentic: Starbucks’ Instagram account is chock full of “real people,” actual baristas, and social impact stories. As the year progresses, we’re likely to see even more brand ambassadors at the nano-level, more behind the scenes imagery, more homespun content, and anything that will make a brand’s marketing efforts appear less pretentious and more down-to-earth.
Looking to hire your own nano-influencers to promote your new sushi restaurant, scooter company, or Cuban food truck? Look no further than your own backyard. Start with Instagrammers who have actually been to your restaurant, visited your storefront, or purchased your product. Target users who live in your area and truly care about your niche market. Just remember: nano-focus on authenticity, you’ll see macro-sized results.
About Brand Poets
Founded by Tana M. Llinas, Brand Poets is a collective of strategists, visual storytellers, and digital artisans crafting smart, poignant campaigns that command attention. www.brandpoets.com
