How to Engage Micro & Nano Influencers in 5 Easy Steps

In the ever-evolving world of branding, it has become crucial to adopt innovative strategies that can cut through the noise. From personalized campaigns to disruptive tactics, native advertising to mobile-first approaches, staying ahead of the curve is paramount. And now, the buzzword is "influencers." Every creative brief, marketing convention, and daily blog is abuzz with influencer tactics and methodologies. While most brands focus on the mega influencers, there is significant value in targeting micro and nano influencers who have a smaller but highly engaged following.

Understanding Micro and Nano Influencers

Like anything in advertising, marketing, and branding, the answer lies in scale. When brands talk about spending more and more of their budgets on influencers, most of the time they’re looking to the “mega” variety. These are the Kim Kardashians, Kylie Jenners, and Cristiano Ronaldos of the world. We’re talking way over one million followers; and quite often, over 100 million.

But there are issues with those influencers, other than the enormous cost of a sponsored post. They hit a very broad audience, they have millions of followers who aren’t genuinely engaged, or are completely fake, and they spend a lot of time pushing a wide variety of products and services.

Below them are “macro” and “mid-tier” influencers, and then at the sharpest point of the funnel you have the micro influencers (10k-50k followers) and nano influencers (1k-10k followers). These influencers may not have the reach, but their followers are way more engaged. They’re speaking to a specific crowd, they have authenticity that the mega influencers don’t, and best of all, they’re affordable and available.

So, knowing who these influencers are, and why they are a great resource for your brand, the next question is…how do you bring them in? Well, here are five steps to success that Cinebody has refined to onboard micro and nano influencers.

Step one: Find your tribe

There are way more micro and nano influencers than their mega influencer counterparts. This gives you the opportunity to target some niche areas that will help you get your brand noticed by the right people. Do a little digging. See who’s posting about your brand and/or related topics. Who’s already an advocate? Who could become a great ambassador? This is a good starting point for step two…

Step 2: Outreach and Engagement

You have a good idea of who you want in your creative circle. Now, let them know you’re looking. It can be as simple as asking a question or making a comment on your social channels. Or, you could create specific content designed to attract the right players. You want to reach out to the right people, pique their interest, and get them jazzed for step three.

Step 3: Auditioning Promising Candidates

You went fishing. You got some bites. Now you need to reel them in. Once you get feedback from potential micro and nano influencers, take the time to contact each one directly. Don’t just do a cut & paste message for everyone. Make each message a little personal. Tell them how to audition using the Cinebody app, having them state their name, where they live, and why they believe they’d be a great content ambassador for your brand.

Step 4: Identifying the Perfect Fit

With your auditions in, you’ll be able to see pretty quickly who is a natural fit. That means someone who’s not only a great brand ambassador, but also great on camera. These people are now on Cinebody and ready to rock great content for you. Tell the winners they’ve been chosen, and that they’ll receive assignments in the near future. Get them excited for what’s to come.

Step 5: Unleashing Their Creativity

Now is the really fun part. You get to see just what your chosen influencers can do for you. This is when you get to harness the power of your fans, giving them the opportunity to be a part of the creative process and becoming your go-to ambassadors.

Remember, with Cinebody the rest is just as easy as the set-up. You can give influencers real-time feedback, and even give them incentives to encourage participation for better content. And across the board, you now have an army of creators ready to capture awesome content for you. All of them can provide more generic footage monthly, and some can be given specific missions.

Either way, you’ve tapped into a fanbase that will give you great content on demand, from anywhere in the world. And it’s why the time of the micro and nano influencer is now.