Micro-: a prefix commonly used in English, derived from Greek meaning ‘small’.
Ordinarily, one might consider something denoting minute quantities as insignificant or having little value, but can we underestimate the power of incremental changes that work together to push for transformation?
Enter the so-called ‘micro-influencers’. When the world went blog-mad in the 2000’s, their impact knew no bounds, but times change and they were hastily pushed aside in favour of bigger names, budgets and aspirations.
As we know though, some of the best trends come back around. Recently, the micro-influencer has been experiencing somewhat of a renaissance, especially in healthcare, partially due to the popularity of short-form video and newer platforms like TikTok, but also from the worldwide awaking of the general public to health and its importance in a post-pandemic world.
Birds of a feather flock together
Specifically, we’re looking for the people who talk directly with their community, not to an audience, and quite often these are people with lived experience of a health condition.
Put yourself in the position of someone who has just been diagnosed with a chronic, life-long condition, like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our inherent, empathetic human nature to feel like we belong to something and connect with others would eventually drive you to seek content from those who know exactly what, and how, you are feeling.
It takes more than just being in the same boat
To successfully create impactful content with a micro-influencer, it’s important that we identify those that have more than just an arbitrary number of followers and adhere to compliance regulations, they need something more – three things, to be precise.
The first is authenticity. Arguably, this is something that can’t be taught, but that is vital for building trust with communities we want to reach. The people we need to work with are those that are brave in sharing their real life and honest experiences, making them incredibly likeable, warm and relatable to their dedicated following.
The next is belief. The micro-influencers we work with need genuine confidence in what they are saying. Whether that’s because they’re actively advocating for better healthcare, creating awareness, or passionate about providing support to others, if they aren’t viewed as a consistent, true and unapologetic voice, their words will have little impact and our content will likely fall flat.
The last is credibility, and this works both ways. In order to drive behaviour change, people have to see enough merit in what your micro-influencer is saying to break potentially years’ worth of stigma, mistrust or prejudices. It’s also not just about the content created at the time – unless they have a history of communicating valued and accurate material, they won’t be seen as a reputable source. Equally, as healthcare communicators, it is our responsibility to demonstrate to the (sometimes very niche) communities we are trying to reach that we listen, care and can add value.
Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a micro-influencer who truly upholds the values listed above. The IBD Café, created with Rachel Sawyer (founder of the online community ‘The Bottom Line IBD’) and Galapagos, has reached many people affected by IBD through Rachel’s following. This partnership has started to create conversation and a feeling of support among the IBD community to help enable people to live well with the condition.
Rachel said: “The people I am lucky enough to engage with through The Bottom Line IBD are a reflection of the wider IBD community as a whole. If we can help them, one conversation at a time, we can create discussion and a sense of community and support that can snowball into real change for all those living with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis).”
Are we saying goodbye to blanket communications?
The short answer is, no. Of course there will always be a place the large scale awareness campaigns that will forever fulfil their purpose, but we must not overlook influencers who hold the key to the minds and behaviours of those looking for additional guidance and support.
I believe that entrusting a mico-influencer with the opportunity to create authentic, believable and credible content is a real cornerstone in helping us to – one micro-community at a time – create better health for all.
