Digital marketing trends are in a constant state of flux, and it takes a village to jump on them all. However, there are some that have staying power and provide potential opportunities for aesthetic practices within reach.
Among the latest trends with staying power is the rise of a new category of targeted audiences called ‘micro-influencers.’ As social media channels have taken center stage, and consumer demands are increasing online, staying visible and relevant remains a constant challenge for time and budget-limited practitioners. Micro-influencers have staying power and can be a worthwhile marketing tool for aesthetic practices and medspas.
In a nutshell, influencer marketing has become a powerful marketing and media strategy that generates major engagement for big brands, most notably via Instagram. While this is out of reach for a solo practice due to the sheer fees generated by supermodel, artists and reality stars, micro-influencers may actually not be. Micro-influencers have smaller follower counts, starting at a few thousand and going up to six figures.
The real benefit of a true micro-influencer is his or her authority within a specific niche. They tend to have expertise in a designated category or related categories; such as beauty, fashion, lifestyle, fitness, etc. Therefore, their followers are highly invested in the content they produce, eagerly searching for tips and recommendations that resonate closely with what their interests are.
They can also be a huge boom for product and procedure sales. For example, choosing the right micro-influencer to have a lip filler in your practice who does a video diary of the treatment, shows pics of her results, and describes her entire experience in detail while tagging your Insta handle can cause your phone to ring off the hook (or the digital equivalent).
If you want to connect with these micro-influencers, you need to understand some of the basics of how the process works. First of all, check out their audience demographics to determine if it’s the right fit for your goals. Since the demographics and interests are going to be far more specific to your practice, utilize some analytical tools to narrow down what their true reach is. The true benefits are a higher engagement rate because their followers have bought into their specialization; i.e. aesthetics, beauty, wellness, etc.
Keep in mind that many of the most ideal micro-influencers for your practice will be located in your local market where their influence ranks the best. For example, a micro-influencer living across the country may not resonate as well with your target audience for non-surgical or minimally-invasive treatments. You don’t have to stick with LA, New York or Miami for identifying trending influencers. The value of micro-influencers is that they can be in Cleveland, Fort Worth or Bloomfield Hills or any small town; location really doesn’t matter that much on digital platforms. However, if you can find a few local micro-influencers to work with you have an opportunity to invite them to experience what you offer in your practice, and that makes very powerful and compelling content.
Reach out on Instagram, engage with the influencers you are interested in by commenting on their posts and joining the conversation and see where it goes. Don’t offer them bribes, compensation, or anything like that at the initial point of contact at risk of offending them. These are potentially longterm relationships and should be handled with care and consideration.
Looking for more branding and marketing tips? Check out Wendy Lewis’ best-selling book, Aesthetic Clinic Marketing in the Digital Age (CRC Press 2018).
