What is the best social media marketing strategy for your brand? You've probably considered more organic social posting, listening, and monitoring. Stronger paid ad programs. Wackier TikTok videos. Better content creation. Or adding a new social platform altogether. Where do you invest?

The short answer is… think small. When it comes to Influencers that is. If your audience isn’t driving sales fast enough, partner with a specialty food Influencer- they don't need to have a big name.

NANO and MICRO Influencers are passionate and purposeful. They’ve done the heavy lifting to grow their audience who follows their opinions and trusts them.

10 Minute Read

7 Benefits of Working With NANO & MICRO Specialty Food Influencers

In 2022, the Influencer market in the U.S. was valued at a record $16.4B. Add to that entrepreneurial creativity and passion, diet and health consciousness, plus the romance of gourmet food.

This synergy can fuel getting your brand in front of smaller audiences. More people these days research and find products to buy and things to eat directly from Influencers who empower their purchasing habits.

50% of Millennials trust product recommendations
from Influencers. –Morning Consult 2022

What Is Influencer marketing?

It's when an Influencer, like a blogger or content creator, works with a brand like yours to promote your products via brand mentions and endorsements. In return, you compensate them with cash, gift cards, spiffs, commissions, free products, or rewards. Influencers have gained credibility in a specific niche on either one or multiple social platforms.

NANO Influencers are defined as 1k - 10k followers. MICRO Influencers have anywhere from 10k - 50k followers. Keep in mind the bigger the audience, the lower the follower engagement rate.

Benefit #1 Content

Influencers can be hired to create original content (images, videos, and blog posts) that highlight a brand's products or services.

Great content can come from fans. They’re excellent sales drivers. Because, NANO and MICRO Influencers have highly-targeted audiences, sharing in-depth content is very relevant – especially when it’s directed to a specific demographic.

Start cultivating relationships with Influencers as soon as possible. Think about what Influencers might look for in return for promoting your product. Highlight what benefits your products have that will impact the Influencer’s following.

Benefit #2 Feedback

Brands can save money and avoid unnecessary work when audiences tell you whether or not they're interested in your product. Smaller audiences can give you honest, unfiltered feedback that could be helpful focus group data.

NANO and MICRO Influencers allow for deeper audience engagement – part of the trust and personal nature of these social interactions. Sponsorships thus can become more human, fostering mutuality and honesty especially with feedback.

Benefit #3 New Communities

Influencers can introduce brands to new communities you might not have considered. People love to hear from recommenders and value what they say. One on one recommendations are more possible with a smaller community. Your NANO or MICRO Influencer can be a facilitator to create more of an authentic experience.

Strive to get deeper audience insights. You’ll want to query your Influencer to see what kind of content and posts track the best and resonate with your Influencer’s audience likes, desires, and aspirations. In addition to paid placement or promo codes, consider affiliate links and other incentives.

Benefit #4 Virality With Brand Awareness

Brands can go viral or reach more potential customers depending on the Influencer or campaigns. But make sure your production capacity is ready for virality. Chances are, NANO and MICRO Influencers’ audience might already be interested in your products. Their followers are fiercely loyal and move almost like a cult in some respects.

Today’s product purchaser is more empowered from social proof. At the smaller levels, Influencers and reviews create trust as if it came from a friend or loved one. Another reason why engagement rates are high with smaller audience size.

Brand awareness is costly to create. But you’ll end up saving money by leveraging a niche market to hit your target audience. Plus, you’ll know exactly what works and doesn’t work to help you mitigate risk and scale up. Product reviews and social shares are a great beginning to generate more effective personalized content.

89% of marketers who currently engage with Influencer marketing will increase or maintain their investment in 2023 –HubSpot Blogs Data

Benefit #5 Increased Sales

Discount offers, coupon codes, affiliate links, rewards, and brand awareness can help boost sales on a specific product. As big-name celebs wield massive followings, you might be in awe of the vanity metrics. But does this translate into revenue goals you or your boss really care about?

For businesses of all sizes, partnering with a NANO or MICRO Influencers can be effective – even if your own audience is larger. The authentic and original content they can create can drive sales and traffic. Once you get the hang of running smaller, more profitable campaigns and build some Influencer relationships, you’ll create a solid foundation for social media strategy.

Lower cost. Higher ROI. Higher engagement. Better conversion. These are the hallmarks of working with Influencers with smaller audiences. Keep in mind you’ll become better at crafting personalized, tailored content that speaks to and serves your Influencer’s audience well.

Benefit #6 Social Proof & Trust

Reviews from customers create trust for future potential customers. Companies can think of this as a word-of-mouth referral from a friend.

One of the biggest benefits only a NANO or MICRO Influencers can offer is to help your brand build trust. The Influencer becomes a thoughtful spokesperson with a fresh take on your brand’s promise. Honest feedback goes a long way and can be very constructive. Video or live stream are powerful ways to personalize your Influencer’s message.

Retailers will also trust what an Influencer has to say and reviews of your brand. You can disclose that this was part of a paid campaign. But if the reviews and opinions are honest, it’ll compel retailers to carry your products. For more fun and excitement, consider having your Influencer take over your Instagram Stories for a day.

Yes, there’s more noise with huge audiences with comments fueling it. But, sometimes, the noise can spark ideas. So listen to what’s being said to you and about you. And make sure to review hashtags and misspelled usages for remarks.

84% of marketers expect to launch at least one campaign
involving an influencer in the next 12 months. –eMarketer

Benefit #7 The Power of Partnership

NANO and MICRO Influencers don’t have big audiences. But they can deliver big impact. Look at that from a cost vs. benefits standpoint. They’re also going to be way easier to work with, nimbler in helping you plan, collaborative, and probably a more creative partner.

Make sure your partnership is mutual and the fit and vibe feels right to you. You’re introducing a new voice for your brand. It has to compliment your voice. If you approach the relationship more personally you’re going to build true advocates for your company for the long game.

Finally, get creative in your partnering. In addition to offering a spiff or commission benefit, create a plan to help them earn products they can send to friends, followers, and loved ones.

Earn An Average of 6X ROI

We have created a simple, inexpensive, and effective resource for specialty food brands to succeed with NANO and MICRO Influencers. Please check out our 2023 Food Influencer FastStart Kit. It will help get you in the game. No matter what your food category, there’s an Influencer waiting to share your brand with their engaged and passionate audience.

Summing it up

So do the benefits outweigh the risks with NANO & MICRO Influencers? If so, it could be just the thing you need to cut through the chaos and justify your marketing spend with campaigns that are less risky and more apt to give you better ROI. 

Happy Influencer Marketing !
Lou
Lou Nicolaides
lou@ludwigmarketingandsales.com
(626) 703-4592