Has less become more? We’re taking a look at the rising popularity of micro-influencers and what they could do for your business
INFLUENCER [in-floo-uh n-ser] noun a person or thing that influences.
The concept is nothing new to most people; it’s those accounts who’ve built up an online following, established their credibility and use their platform to promote (or ‘influence’) brands/products/events to their following.
It’s an industry that’s has grown quick and fast. Back in 2010, vloggers filmed their Boots hauls on MacBook webcams in their teenage bedrooms. Fast-forward to now and the same influencers are lining up million-pound brand partnerships and flying to the Maldives. Arguably; what they’ve gained in following, some might’ve lost in relatability.
But there’s something going on behind the pink walls and avocado macchiatos that we can’t ignore; influencers have something to say, and people are still listening.
That’s where the micro-influencer comes in. With a smaller following, micro-influencers usually focus on a particular niche. Using the same premise that influencer marketing was built on, micro-influencing works because of the trust between content creator and consumer – they’ve still got that magic relatability.
Typically, their blog is a passion project and they still have ‘normal’ lives just like us – you might share an office with one, you might have gone to uni with one, you might have even been sitting next to one scrolling through Instagram on the bus to work this morning.
With this relatability comes another winner – locality.
I definitely appreciate a flay-lay of a perfectly shaped macaroon perched on a marble table as much as the next person, but I’m 400 miles north of that Soho brunch spot. I mean, I might add a note in my phone to pop in next time I’m down south, but it’s even more unlikely that I’ll ever remember to make the reservation once the train tickets are booked.
Contrast that to the number of times I’ve screenshotted, saved or forwarded the posts of Edinburgh food bloggers – and genuinely followed through and made a reservation – and there really is no comparison.
The cobbled streets of our city see new restaurants and bars popping up weekly and trying to keep up can be exhausting. Instead, I’ve opted to re-gig my own Instagram feed into a mini What’s On guide, with photos and reviews of the latest restaurant openings and bar launches delivered straight to my phone. Suddenly, the choice for Thursday’s date night becomes a lot simpler.
We caught up with Ailsa, owner of Edinburgh food blog, Edineats, to get her take on the capital’s Instagram food scene:
“Checking Instagram and Instagram pages of local bloggers that I follow is really my first port of call if I’m going out to eat somewhere in Edinburgh – as opposed to checking a review site such as Trip Advisor or something.
“I get quite a lot of messages from tourists coming into the city and Edinburgh locals looking for recommendations on where to eat so I do think it’s becoming increasingly popular that people are finding recommendations from social media sites and bloggers.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmwBZLRBcJj/
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