Who is a micro-influencer and why should loyalty marketers care? According to a new study conducted by Dr. Jonah Berger from the Wharton School and the Keller Fay Group, micro-influencers represent an emerging influencer marketing channel that could hold the key to optimum customer engagement.
An influencer is best defined as a person who has a greater than average reach or impact through word of mouth in a relevant marketplace. Micro-influencers are not traditional celebrities, but rather individuals who work in their categories or are truly knowledgeable, passionate, and authentic and are seen as trusted sources when it comes to recommendations for what to buy.
The study−funded by Experticity, which is the largest network of influential category influencers−shows that micro-influencers are a reliable and credible channel that has real impact in swaying consumer behavior.
For loyalty marketers, here’s a key takeaway from the nationwide study: These influencers have up to 22.2 times more conversations each week regarding recommendations on what to buy versus an average consumer. What’s more, 82% of consumers who were surveyed indicated they were highly likely to follow a recommendation made by a micro-influencer.
“The growing importance of influencer marketing has led marketers to openly question exactly how impactful word-of-mouth is when coming from different types of consumers,” said Dr. Berger. “This study has helped illuminate who has the greatest impact and why, which is a great tool for marketers as they try to harness the power of influencer marketing.”
A unique element of the study was that in addition to interviewing influencers, the researchers also interviewed the consumers who received advice.
Here are some other key study findings:
Not only do micro-influencers have more buying conversations, these influencers are more direct in their recommendations with 74% encouraging someone to “buy it or try it” compared to 66% of the general population who encouraged those actions in their recommendations.
87% of the buying recommendations they make are happening face to face.
According to people receiving advice, influencers were seen as more impactful compared to an average person based on the following characteristics: more credible and believable (94% vs. 83%), more knowledgeable (94% vs. 84%) and better at explaining how the product works or could be used (92% vs. 83%).
The study was specifically designed to examine how and why micro-influencers are more influential than the average consumer.