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In the digital age, we are constantly bombarded by ads and marketing campaigns from different brands. However, what many companies fail to realize is that consumers are increasingly relying on influencers rather than celebrities or brands to make purchasing decisions.
In this article, you will learn about micro-influencers and their impact on buying decisions of Generation Z (Gen Z) customers - the generation of customers with increasing spending power. Let’s get right into it.
Micro-influencers are people who have from 10k to 50k followers on social media platforms. Despite having fewer followers than celebrities or brands, micro-influencers still have a strong impact on the buying decisions of their fans. They tend to be more relatable than other sources because their content is very similar to what the average person would post online.
That is where the concept of shoutouts comes into the picture. A shoutout happens when influencers promotes a company’s product on social media, describing their experience whilst using that product. Micro-influencers often engage with their audiences through shoutouts (in the form of a picture or video content) after having used the products themselves. Such authentic, personal experience makes it easier for customers to relate to and trust the influencers. For example, a consumer seeing someone using a certain product on Instagram will be more inclined to purchase that item because they can see themselves doing the same thing. Not only products, micro-influencers can also help you promote a podcast that you’re hosting or a service that you’re offering.
Micro-influencers are also considered much less expensive than celebrities for companies to collaborate with and get marketing messages across to their targeted audiences. This means that companies (even those that are just starting an online business) can reach their target audiences for a much lower cost when working with micro-influencers.
However, it is important to note that despite charging lower costs, micro-influencers still have a strong influence on the buying decisions of millennials and Gen Z customers. Why’s that? Let’s discover this in the next part.
Generation Z are people who were born in roughly the late 1990s through 2015. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z consumers have a different approach to brands. They are more educated, so they know what to look for when purchasing a product. They are also more tech-savvy and have better online access to get informed about the products they want to purchase.
Because of these characteristics, micro-influencers, rather than companies, have a stronger impact on Gen Z customers’ buying decisions. They know that not everything brands say is true, so they are more likely to consult micro-influencers for product recommendations.
With expertise and experiences in their industry, micro-influencers make it easier for Gen Z to get the information they need about a certain product without having to rely on brands. As a result, it’s a smarter move for companies to partner with micro-influencers to gain trust from Gen Z customers.
Since Gen Z is on social media much more than previous generations, they consume so much content and sometimes this all becomes just noise. As a result, authentic content such as a personal story with a product is more likely to shine.
Gen Z customers also look for transparency in the influencers that they follow. They expect that these influencers don’t get paid to give biased reviews on any products.
This is a crucial part of building up a personal brand and is one of the reasons why Gen Z customers are more likely to trust micro-influencers because these people have a less marketable image than celebrities.
Gen Z customers seek to display their lifestyles and stand out. They trust what influencers say because they often see these influencers as role models. For example, when micro-influencers say that they love using a specific skincare product, Gen Z customers follow it because they want to have similar smooth skin as the influencers.
Over time, these customers develop trust and respect for the influencers and follow their advice many things such as fashion or lifestyles.
You need to develop an influencer marketing plan that is aligned with your business goals and brand identity. Then, find the right influencers that meet the criteria of your marketing campaign. This way, you will get better results than if you were to just approach an influencer at random without knowing anything about them.
Engagements vary greatly depending on the type of content posted by the micro-influencers, certain types of content will get more engagements than others. It's hard to list out the "best" content for your campaign until you get some real analytics, but useful and actionable content usually works better than a simple stock image. Gen Z customers are used to reading about products through blog posts and videos, so try writing some step-by-step tutorials, or fun facts about your company and product lines. This will help you maintain customers' interest and build trust over time.
Get the influencers to hold a contest instead of just providing free products for endorsements and reviews. Try asking influencers what their fans would like as prizes, and then use these items as giveaways for the contests host exclusively for the influencer's viewers/followers! This way, it'll be easier for your brand to stand out from all the other companies seeking attention from potential customers. You can also share the content on your channels, then tag the influencers, or comment on their posts occasionally to get exposed to the target audiences and drive more traffic to your channels.
You should work with the influencers to come up with the right message for your campaign. Although each influencer has a unique tone of writing, the message needs to reflect your brand values as well. Make sure your message is truthful and doesn't exaggerate facts.
Understanding the latest trends in the market is important for all companies but it's even more significant when it comes to social media. This is where people get the most of their information about what's currently trending.
For example, if saturated hues are back in style, you should take advantage of this opportunity by using the same trends colors on your advertisements so they'll be more noticeable to your target market.
If you have a business idea and want to market your products successfully on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok, working with micro-influencers is the way to go. This is a less expensive yet highly effective way of advertising and reaching Gen Z customers alike. With the above tips in mind, you should have a good idea of how to use micro-influencers to get your product out in front of more potential customers.
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