Is micro-influencer marketing the solution for the raise in ad cost? here is my 100 hours research

Ori1129
Shopify Partner
1 0 1

Hi fellow Shopify mates.

 

Like everyone, my store got a big hit because of the raise in ad cost which pushed me to look for alternatives.

All signs led me to micro-influencer marketing. After over 100 hours studying the field and researching different Shopify apps I understood there are two types of solutions, Pull vs Push:

1. Push: "We have a db of influencers that you can connect with"

I tried a few apps and the thing is most of them that claim to provide this kind of service requires lots of work from my side to find, asses, contact, brief, monitor and pay for posting branded content. On top of that there is additional support that I should give usually because compensation calculation or payment issues. 

Bottom line the ROI is not worth it (at least in low scale)

2. Pull: "We convert your customers to influencers/affiliates"

Here I found two types of sub-solutions:

a. Set a general discount amount offer that is presented within my store and given to customers after they post. The upside is that it required low effort from me and is cashless. The downside is it kind of felt like shooting in the dark since it treats all customers social accounts equally and they can only enjoy the discount . Therefor when I set the discount I preferred to stay on the safe side and offer low discounts which naturally pulled less attractive social accounts and definitely didn't help to motivate them to post again for the same exact discount.

b. Set a commission that is presented within my store to customers for each sale coming from unique referral link. This is the classic method AKA Affiliate marketing that does not work for small brands and small social accounts.

 

Im sharing this since I want to know your thoughts:

  • Whether you think micro-influencer marketing is a solution for the raise in ad cost? 
  • If so, are you actively also looking for an app to answer that need? or did you already find one?

*I purposely did not mention any app name I tested to avoid app support team comments.

 

Looking forward to get your comments! Peace and Love 😇

Replies 2 (2)

Brendan-Optily
Shopify Partner
87 10 21

Hi @Ori1129, I love that you've asked this question and am looking forward to seeing the other answers.

 

The first thing to say is that you're absolutely correct about the prices going up. The two major platforms, Meta and Google, have put their prices up by between 60-70% this year. That means you need to spend almost double the amount to achieve the same results as you did last year. This is tough.

 

On the influencer topic, I've seen merchants starting to work together much more in this area. Think about it, you are likely to be an influencer among your customers - they know and trust you because they've bought from you and now hopefully follow you on social. 

 

Try finding other merchants who are complementary and not competitors to you. Then run cross-promotions based on product swaps - for example hamper giveaways that contain a mix of products from both brands. 

 

This approach is good for both sides with no additional influencer fees.

 

This will create some great organic content and user generated content which you can then include in your ads. 

 

You could also consider running some dark posts between your social channels in order to amplify the impact of the cross-promotion.

 

I know I didn't answer your question, but I hope that helps a 

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gavinw
Excursionist
30 2 8

Hi there! Obviously, there are pros and cons to using micro-influencers for your brand.

On the plus side, micro-influencers are often more engaging with their followers than larger influencers, and they can be more affordable. They also have a higher trust quotient with their followers than celebrities or traditional bloggers.

 

On the downside, micro-influencers may not have as large of a reach as larger influencers, and you'll need to work with more of them to get the same reach. Additionally, it can be difficult to track the ROI of campaigns featuring micro-influencers.

 

All in all, I have to say that the idea @Brendan-Optily suggested is great, this could be the best way to go.

 

As for the app, clients I had used Tribe and Ambassador. Apparently, both platforms make it easy to find and collaborate with micro-influencers, as well as measure the success of your campaigns.

 

If you're looking for more specific recommendations, here are a few other apps:

• Grin: Focuses exclusively on teen influencers
• Influma: Aims to connect brands with social media stars across all verticals
• Upfluence: Targets agencies and businesses with larger budgets

 

Good luck with your business!