Head to Head: Do we need to be wary of micro-influencers?
In this series, Mumbrella invites the industry’s senior PR professionals to share their opposing views on the industry’s biggest issues. This week, Red Agency’s Martin Harkin goes head to head with The Remarkables’ Natalie Giddings on whether or not the industry needs to be more careful with micro-influencers.
With the rise of micro-influencers, everyday people are accruing more power and influence. As a result, some industry professionals are warning brands and consumers of the dangers of this new form of marketing.
So, do we need to be more careful with micro-influencers? Red Agency’s head of influencer management, Martin Harkin, says yes, agencies and marketers need to create “safeguards” to ensure influencer and brand partnerships are legitimate and meaningful, while The Remarkables’ Natalie Giddings argues brands are simply misusing micro-influencers.
Yes argues, Martin Harkin, head of influencer marketing and integrated account director, Red Agency:
In short, absolutely. The rise of micro-influencers has seen everyday people turn into powerful online brands in their own right and, as we wait for rules and regulations to catch up, the need for agencies and marketers to put safeguards in place that ensure partnerships are legitimate, meaningful and worthwhile is crucial.
@Martin, where is the research from that you reference in your comments? I’d be interested to hear where these statistic come from and the source.
Also very interested to see where this research/reference has come from.
I would also suggest that as an influencer, that it is very important to only work with brands where there is an absolute fit. One that you would recommend to your closest friends and families. It takes a long time, money and hard work to build a personal brand and influence. Who you work with can ruin this in a heartbeat.
completely agree Julie – this always makes the greatest content and yields the best results.
The real reason why PR people love micro-influencers is this:
Most micro-influencers WORK FOR FREE. Send them a $5 product and they will post like they got paid $2,000. It’s because they like to pretend they are influencers because influencers get brand deals, right?
And the PR clients eat it up because all they look at is the followers.
Newer research is showing that micro-influencers actually don’t move the needle on awareness or sales like regular macro-influencers or mega-influencers.
Can you please share some of this research?