The Power of Micro-Influencers on Instagram
Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to influencers on Instagram.
In fact, more followers means less engagement. According to a new study from influencer marketing platformMarkerly, influencers with less than 1,000 followers have a like rate of 8 percent. Those with 1,000 to 10,000 followers have a like rate of 4 percent.
And what about the mega-celebrities with 1 million to 10 million followers? Their like rate is a measly 1.66 percent. Comment rates follow a similar significant downward correlation between audience size and engagement. In order to determine like and comment rates, Markerly analyzed more than 800,000 Instagram users to see how many likes or comments a post received compared to the user’s audience size.
The sweet spot according to Markerly lies with ‘micro-influencers’ who boast between 10,000 and 100,000 followers. These influencers still maintain a sizable audience, but that audience is much more likely to be in tune with exactly what that influencer is all about.
More importantly, micro-influencers are often seen as more trustworthy and authentic. They’re often creating content in addition to their full-time job—so there’s less of a chance they’re bombarding their audience’s feed with unrelatable sponsored posts.
Trustworthiness and authenticity are key to growing an engaged audience. And now, an engaged audience will soon be key to success on Instagram.
The social network created an uproar last month when it announced it would soon be changing its algorithm. Posts will be ordered to prioritize moments Instagram believes an individual would care about the most.
And how will Instagram be able to know what you care about? By what content you engage with the most.
Like other social networks, this algorithm places a heavy emphasis on content from friends and family members—the people you trust most.
Micro-influencers will soon rise to the top of their audience’s feeds as their trustworthiness keeps them top-of-mind.
It’s time more brands kept them top-of-mind, too.
Mackenzie Mennucci
Content Specialist & Social Community Manager
