[Column] Jennifer Feaster: YouTube Content Game: Micro-Influencers vs Macro-Influencers

Influencer marketing has proved to be a worthy investment for brands: in a recent Twitter survey, 49% of responders said they rely on influencer recommendations when making purchases.

However, the influencer market has grown extremely competitive, with micro-influencers trying to find their place in the sun and macro-influencers trying to stay in the spotlight. What is this YouTube content game about and how can micro-influencers win on the platform? How can a brand find the right influencer to work with?

Macro-Influencers and Micro-Influencers: The Difference Explained

Macro-influencers (trendsetters) have 1M+ YouTube/ Instagram/ TikTok followers or about half that number in smaller countries, including the Netherlands. Working with a YouTube macro-influencer allows a brand to reach a large audience but, that audience will be rather generalized and less engaged with the influencer. It’s a lot like TV in that the audience is watching from a distance.  And just like TV, the costs will be very high.

Working with such influencers can be a good option for companies that want to raise brand awareness and have major budgets to invest in their campaigns. However, if a brand is looking to build a loyal audience, improve their sales, and stick to a reasonable price tag, working with “an army” of micro-influencers can be a much better option.

Micro-influencers are creators (both individuals and brands) that have a considerably smaller online following, ranging from 2,000 to 50,000 subscribers. Such influencers usually represent a specific niche, like winter sports, sustainability, or house plants, and have deeper relationships with their YouTube family. This audience feels personally connected to the micro-influencers. They’re not just ‘watching’; they’re engaging. So despite their limited reach, micro-influencers make a great cost-effective option for the brands that are looking for high-quality engagement, rather than just numbers.

The success story of a well-known accessory brand, Daniel Wellington, proves just how fruitful influencer marketing can be with the right partners. Everything started when the founder of the company, Filip Tysander, realized he had rather a limited budget to achieve his seemingly unreachable goal: making $200 million from affordable watches. In order to get there, he chose to work with micro-influencers, Instagrammers with a small audience of around 5,000 followers. Over a period of four years, by choosing the right influencers he managed to turn his seed capital of $15,000 into $220 million in revenue.

How Can Micro-Influencers Succeed on YouTube?

Although competition is indeed fierce and growing a YouTube channel (whether personal or professional) is no piece of cake, there is still room on the platform for new-comers. AGE Media is a creative agency focused on YouTube and we've got lots of tips & tricks for both brands and creators looking to become an influencer.

Now, what are the must-do things for those who want to become YouTube micro-influencers?

Personal branding.  Creators (people) need to brand themselves on YouTube channels by communicating their/ values, preferences, expertise, unique brand features, and other elements that will help viewers recognize their content. Brands need to present as people in order to succeed on YouTube; it’s a personality-driven platform.

Opting for quality over quantity. With an overwhelming amount of content available today, it’s vital to stand out and deliver real value. Better to inform, educate, or entertain your audience 3 times a week than deliver a daily monologue with little meaning.

Working with algorithms and SEO. Creating high-quality content is no longer enough. Understanding the goals of the algorithms is crucial to getting discovered. Working with SEO usually involves keyword research, proper optimization, knowledge of YouTube trends and the needs of the target audience.

Jennifer Feaster is Co-Founder at AGE Media and a seasoned media innovator, helping brands, creators, publishers, and artists get their message heard and reach a wider audience to make a difference.

www.agemedia.net