When it comes to reaching your target audience directly on social media, influencer marketing stands out as one of the most effective strategies available today.
Why?
Well, for starters, they post engaging content on a regular basis that almost forces you to follow them. They also have the attention of your audience which can be extremely valuable when you are trying to get more coverage for complex cybersecurity solutions on a platform such as LinkedIn.
Influencers also provide an authoritative voice on topics related to your niche industry and can humanize your brand by connecting it with content that resonates deeply with your ideal customer profile (ICP).
But when it comes to collaborations, many companies make the expensive mistake of going with larger influencers. In this blog, we’ll break down the key reasons why micro-influencers should be part of your cybersecurity marketing strategy and how to choose them. Ready? Let’s dive right in.
What are Micro-Influencers and Why Should You Collaborate with Them?
Micro-influencers have a deep understanding of their chosen niche or industry, typically having anywhere between 10,000 and 100,000 followers. They differ from macro-influencers in terms of reach and engagement but not in a bad way.
Micro-influencers have a defined audience of like-minded industry experts and leaders, such as DevOps, CISOs, and AWS cloud security architects. They have also built both trust and credibility within their niche communities and have a more engaged following, particularly on LinkedIn.
B2B micro-influencer posts on LinkedIn show a 3%-6% engagement rate and a 1% – 2% CTR. This is truly groundbreaking when you consider that the global average CTR for sponsored content on LinkedIn falls between 0.44% to 0.65%.
And it gets better.
Micro-influencers charge a fraction of the cost of macro-influencers, whose fees can set you back upwards of $10,000 per post on average. Yikes! Even worse is that their audience is typically fragmented, leaving your key messages lost in the shuffle and out of visibility from your intended audience.
How to Choose the Right Cybersecurity Micro-Influencers in 4 Easy Steps
Now that you have a better understanding of the true value and potential a micro-influencer brings to the table, let’s kick things up another notch on how to approach them.
Here are 4 areas to examine when choosing a cybersecurity micro-influencer.
Niche down -The cybersecurity field is vast. It encompasses various specialized areas, ranging from cloud security to pen testing, zero trust architecture, and phishing prevention, just to name a few. When selecting a micro-influencer, it's crucial to mirror their expertise with your specific cybersecurity niche. Take the time to do your homework. Your outreach efforts will be well worth it.
Are they active? - You don’t exactly want to partner with someone that posted a few years back. Check the influencer's recent posts and evaluate the number of comments, likes, and shares they receive per post. A micro-influencer with a highly engaged audience is more likely to generate meaningful interactions and promote your messages effectively.
Check their audience - Beyond the influencers themselves, it's essential to understand their audience demographics. Analyze who follows the influencer, whether they are key decision-makers or people just interested in general cybersecurity tips. One way of doing this is to find an engaged post and click on the likes. That should give you a sneak preview of their audience and if they meet your criteria.
Different platforms, different messages - Consider the platforms where the micro-influencer is active. Different social media platforms cater to diverse audiences and content formats. Long-form content such as guides and listicles, performs well on LinkedIn, while Instagram is more visually oriented (think infographics), and TikTok for short explainer videos.
Defining Micro-Influencer Marketing Success by the Metrics That Matter Most
Measuring the impact of micro-influencer campaigns is crucial to understanding the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. To do this effectively, you need to track the right KPIs that align with your campaign goals. Here are a few metrics to look for that can determine the success of your campaigns.
ROI - Is it all worth it at the end of the day? ROI serves as the benchmark for assessing whether the resources invested in a particular campaign have yielded measurable returns, and ultimately, whether the strategy is contributing to the organization's bottom line.
Conversion Rate: Let’s talk lead gen. Is the content resonating with the influencer’s audience? This metric reflects the effectiveness of the influencer in driving actionable results. Conversions can also be tracked for different collaboration activities, such as webinars and events in the form of registrations, and podcasts in the form of downloads. Analyze the metrics. Rinse and repeat.
Engagement rate - Monitor the overall engagement rate, which includes likes, comments, shares, and other interactions with the influencer's content. Pay close attention to comments, as they often indicate a higher level of engagement and may serve as lead magnets for your sales teams.
Audience growth rate - Audience growth rate refers to the rate at which the influencer's follower count increases during and after a campaign. Here’s how to calculate it.
(Audience Growth During Campaign / Initial Follower Count) x 100
So let’s say you decided to collaborate with a network security micro-influencer who had 5,000 followers. During the campaign, the influencer's follower count rose to 6,000, stabilizing at 5,800 after the campaign. That translates to a 20% audience growth rate, attracting 1,000 new followers interested in network security through your campaign.
Not bad, right?
You’ll spend a lot of time performing trial and error until you find what works. Experiment with different content pieces across different platforms and with different influencers.
Oh, and don’t be afraid to negotiate, especially if you can assure the micro-influencers of long-term relationships and collaborations. It’s a win/win for everyone.
Conclusion
Micro-influences can have a tremendous impact on your cybersecurity marketing strategy. They are cost-efficient, speak directly to your niche audience, and are generally a lot more accommodating than larger influencers.
Here are a few top-rated cybersecurity influencers to get you started on your marketing efforts.
Looking to transform your influencer marketing efforts without the sleazy tactics? Cyfluencer is the fastest and easiest way to get your content read, shared, and engaged with by trusted professionals in the cybersecurity community.