18 Key Micro-Influencer Statistics for 2020
When I was in 2nd grade, I was absolutely that girl crying at the kitchen table with her dad, trying to learn long-division and fractions. Fast forward to freshman year at Florida State University where I learned I’d have to take Calculus 1, 2, and 3 to become a marine biologist… two weeks later, I was sitting in the English department switching my major.
Math was far from my favorite subject - so it might seem odd that a girl who hates math and numbers created a reporting dashboard platform based entirely on metrics and statistics. 🤷🏼♀️
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to rely on statistics and data to take emotions out of decisions and projects - especially when you’re in a creative field like public relations or influencer marketing, you can feel very emotionally tied and connected to your work.
Your work is your worth, and if heaven forbid that fails…it feels like a major personal failure, too.
As a micro-influencer, navigating toward an industry dominated by celebrities can feel pretty daunting. Comparison brings on even more emotions, which can really cloud the quality of your work. But there’s no reason to feel like your content can’t shine as bright as the same kind as influencers with hundreds of thousands to millions of followers. What appears on the outside isn’t always telling the full story.
It’s good to practice objectivity in your work, not only for peace of mind but for understanding what you bring to the table.
Leaning on statistics allows you to see a simple, clear overview of an industry, which is why we’re sharing some of our favorite micro-influencer statistics for 2020.
Don’t stay in the dark. Keep these micro-influencer statistics in your back pocket when negotiating and communicating with brands!
Micro-Influencer Statistics: Market Growth
1. 81% of active influencers on Instagram are considered “micro-influencers” with between 15K–100K followers.
- This segment creates our standard definition of “micro-influencers.”
- Over 558K individual influencers have more than 15K+ Instagram followers, establishing the largest group of creators.
- That might seem like a fraction of the overall Instagram community, but in reality, they amass a HUGE portion of the platform, which is why it’s important to stand out.
2. 93% of influencer marketing campaigns utilize Instagram.
- YouTube comes in at 50% - Instagram is without a doubt the most popular platform for brands and influencers.
- It’s the second most popular social media network behind Facebook, with audiences turning to the application daily for fresh, new content.
- Makes it well worth the time and energy spent in connecting with followers, creating engaging content, and growing your account.
- Even if most of your content derives from another platform (YouTube, written blog, Twitter), Instagram users are abundant - and are always lurking, making it an effective secondary platform.
3. Fashion, beauty, and travel have the most promising future for micro-influencers.
- No surprise here - these topics are incredibly popular with key audiences like females 18-34, a highly desirable advertising demographic.
- The females 18-34 demographic illustrates high purchasing power, brand advocacy, and is the most likely to dedicate a portion of their monthly budget to fashion and beauty products. The demographic sees these categories closer to “needs” than wants and thus, prioritizes quality and overall return on investment. That’s where the power of micro-influencers comes in!
4. The most untapped niches for micro-influencer marketing are science/environment, education, and business.
- With more creators comes more chances to specialize and create micro-communities.
- For these untapped niches, new creators can gain traction quickly, stand out, and scoop up high-paying brand deals.
- With a built-in community, creating a dedicated following from these niches allows for experimentation in other more popular categories. And depending on your particular audience, you might see some crossover
5. By 2020, influencer marketing is projected to become a $10 billion industry.
- As brands see incredible returns, awareness, and growth thanks to influencers, they expand their budgets to correlate.
- Once a small sector of the overall marketing landscape, influencer marketing is now one of the highest-rated channels and is only slated to inflate even higher as more brands turn to its promising deliverables.
- The industry was evaluated to be worth $1.7 billion and $3 billion in 2016 and 2017, respectively. In 2020, it’s estimated influencer marketing will become a $5–$10 billion industry.
6. 52% of micro-influencers say their goal is to work as full-time creators.
- Creating as a full-time gig allows for more everything: more autonomy, more creative direction, more opportunities.
- Of course, all of these extras come from the platform a micro-influencer has already built as a part-time creator, which can often require the dedication of full-time influencer work.
7. 42% of marketers partner with influencer networks or “turn-key” providers to run their marketing programs.
- Managing an influencer marketing program is a time-consuming thing to do. Many marketers already have busy schedules, so they prefer to partner up with a managed service to run their influencer marketing.
- According to the study, 18% trust their agencies to deal with this type of campaign. Additionally, 19% manage influencer programs in-house, 14% use a mixed approach, and 7% use a self-service platform.
- Different types of brands call for different approaches, whether it’s hands-on or delegating that responsibility elsewhere. Whoever you’re working with, make sure you’re familiar with their role, and these micro-influencer statistics.
8. 3% is the average micro-influencer Instagram engagement rate. 5-8% is considered high.
- Ever thought your engagement rate was super low? Most influencers worry over this number - but in 2020, the average influencer with less than 100K followers has a 3-5% Instagram engagement rate. The micro-influencer statistics don’t lie: 5-8% is considered a high engagement rate for micro-influencers.
- Frequency, authenticity, and making a concerted effort to connect with your audience are just a few ways to boost your engagement and have your followers clamoring for that reply, like, or enter your promo code. Embrace your brand, and don’t be afraid to let your followers know that.
9. The average return for an influencer is six dollars for every one dollar brands spend.
- Brands see a lot of return by partnering with high-quality creators with targeted, engaged audiences, influencers outrank many other digital marketing channels.
- By expanding into this sector of marketing, influencer marketing gives brands the results they’re dying for. Conversions are the goal for every brand, and the more assurance they have for reaching their campaign goals, the more likely they’ll be willing to partner up with micro-influencers.
10. 77% of micro-influencers create content every day, and 48% post at least twice a day on social media.
- Social media is literally an influencer’s job - so it’s no surprise a lot of time is spent on platforms. 47.4% of influencers spend over 5 hours a day on social networks while 32.5% spend 3–5 hours.
- This shows micro-influencers are GRINDING just as hard as macro-influencers, if not harder. Micro-influencers don’t have the luxury of large teams, a huge budget and business management to help expand and continue growing their brand.
- The majority of them create content daily while nearly half of them post on social media at least twice a day. That type of consistency can put these creators over the top.
- At times, the quality is better than that of macro-influencers. Both the content and engagement are coming from a genuine place -- the creator themselves! This fosters a better response and loyalty from the community.
11. Influencer engagement rates are much higher among micro-influencers with fewer followers.
- This might come as a surprise, but one study showed that Instagram follower engagements look A LOT better among micro-influencers with smaller audiences. Audiences with 10,000 followers hit the average at 3.6 %, while influencers with 5,000 to 10,000 followers had a rate of 6.3 %. The highest rate came in with influencers who had 1,000 to 5,000 followers, who saw an 8.8 % engagement rate. We’re naturally inclined to support the underdog, but make a good effort to keep that high engagement rate as you continue to grow.
- Quality over quantity prevails here. Put your best foot forward with both your community and brands. With engagement being one of the most important considerations for brands, your tight-knit community is among your strongest assets.
12. 82% of consumers would follow a recommendation by a micro-influencer.
- The value of a digital influencer recommendation is undeniable. The majority of consumers would follow a suggestion made by a micro-influencer, which speaks to the validity this type of social proof has.
- For comparison, 73% of consumers are likely to act on a recommendation from an average person.
- This invaluable type of social proof comes in the form of testimonials, which we tend to rely on more than we think.
Micro-Influencer Statistics: Revenue
13. Micro-influencer campaigns are 6.7X more efficient per engagement than macro-influencers.
- Engagement is named the “top criteria in influencer campaigns” popular as brands value connected audiences vs. a large follower count. By being authentic, sharing quality content, and engaging with their followers, recommendations are more trusted, and micro-influencers come across as more relatable.
- No need to overthink your engagement -- start by talking to your followers as you would a close friend. Don’t generalize, and don’t be afraid to open up a little.
- As greater metrics give more credibility to the value of greater engagement, more brands will seek out these micro-influencers who have built dedicated and connected followings.
14. 48% of brands consider the audience relationship to be the most valuable factor when collaborating with an influencer.
- What brands value most in terms of collaborating with an influencer is the impact they have on their audience.
- Was the content impressionable? The comments section PUBLICLY tells all, and audiences have no problem being honest with an influencer. Sure, we’re counting on mostly numbers for this list’s sake, but the quality of what your followers say about you is just as important as the quantity. Generic, positive comments are fine, sure, but shoot for building an audience who feels personally invested in your content, which will drive even more conversions and keep the awesome brand deals coming. They’re the EASIEST testimonials to come by.
- For 31% of the respondents, user-generated content is the most valued outcome of an influencer campaign, while 23% of the respondents love influencer marketing because influencers distribute brand-related content to their audience.
- When the content feels relatable even with some product placement sprinkled in there, followers are sure to engage.
15. 68% of bloggers prefer to work directly with brands instead of through influencer marketing networks.
- Nearly 80% of the pitches bloggers receive come from an influencer marketing agency or influencer network. However, it’s no shock that the majority of creators would prefer to maintain a direct, first-party relationship with the brand.
- This type of authority cuts out the middleman and puts the decisions in the creators’ hands. It also allows them to formulate real relationships with the brand’s marketing and/or PR professionals.
16. The majority of micro-influencers make up to $1,000 per sponsored post.
- 96% of micro-influencers charge up to $1,000 for a single sponsored post.
- 87% charge up to only $500 with 84% of them charging $250 or less per sponsored post.
- This is an attractive number for brands, who perceive this as a greater investment than chasing after a more “lucrative” influencer at a higher price tag, who isn’t guaranteed to offer the same results. T
17. Micro-influencer campaigns are 6.7X more efficient per engagement than macro-influencers.
- Micro-influencers provide an authentic voice, which the audience trusts more. They keep a close relationship with their follower base and make their recommendations feel like they’re coming from a friend, which is seldom the case with macro-influencers.
- The likelihood of a response, like, or some sort of acknowledgment from a micro-influencer is significantly higher than that of a macro-influencer, creating a level of loyalty that is less likely to be fleeting than a follower of a macro-influencer.
- This connection assumes a greater level of consideration from the micro-influencer, which means audiences are more likely to tune in to sponsored content versus completely ignoring it.
18. Micro-influencer campaigns drive 60% higher engagement rates than average campaigns.
- Micro-influencer statistics show that these influencers have dedicated niche audiences that are highly interested in the content they post. This audience is more engaged compared to the audience of celebrity influencers and thus more likely to act on their recommendations.
- When a micro-influencer’s followers feel they can access that influencer more easily, they’ll actively seek out a micro-influencer's suggestions, proving they lend more credibility to the micro-influencer than a celebrity.
Key Micro-Influencer Statistics for 2020
Micro-influencer statistics suggest MANY, many things.
One, they suggest that micro-influencers are the future and that brands will continue to seek them out in favor of celebrity influencers. These high-quality influencers are proving to be hidden gems. They’re…
- cost-effective
- offer desirable engagement rates
- target specific niches
- have loyal followings
...all of these characteristics combined make for a competitive influencer that brands can't resist working with.
And now with these 18 key micro-influencer statistics at your disposal, Kalypso can help you organize each individual campaign, optimizing the metrics that matter.
Don’t sell yourself short on the idea that your following isn’t as huge as the celebrity influencer promoting random products left and right that don’t fit her brand. Micro-influencer statistics back up the idea that sticking to your authentic brand and having a tight-knit community will land you better, more successful brand campaigns.
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