Are Micro-Subcultures beginning to replace Micro-Influencers?

Influencers used to have a point. They had a unique perspective, they led sub-cultures, but now influencers, particularly micro-influencers on instagram, all seem like carbon copies of each other or Kim Kardashian look-a-likes. Brands are at risk of compromising their authenticity by paying these 'influencers' to post on the promise of reach, 'If you're talking to everyone you're talking to no one' Georgie Harding co-founder of tastemaker based e-commerce company Semaine remarked on a panel we were both recently speaking on. 

With macro-influencers losing their relevance, and Gen Z more likely to try a product if it's recommended by a friend instead of influencers or traditional advertising, brands need to start paying attention to their top 1% of fans; the individual, their immediate peer group, and the micro-subcultures they inhabit. Using a combination of natural language processing and computer vision here at Zyper, we've identified thousands of these micro-subcultures that house peer to peer influence networks. From #curlyhairdontcare to #bookstagram or #memoriesofmotherhood these are places where smart brands have an opportunity to find their true fans, and secure product placement with extremely high levels of engagement. 

Sahar Saidi of Lus Brands (another start up in this current Y Combinator batch with me) produces a range of products for people with curly hair. Her brand's Facebook page is a place where members of a subgroup of a subculture – women with curly hair – are participating as an interactive audience while simultaneously building networks. When brands can facilitate building these networks with their own community hashtags #theplantone #popcornenthusiast #flowerstoyourdoorstep the effects are powerful. The communities we are building for our clients are in many cases driving a lower cost of acquisition than Facebook, a 5x higher LTV and on average, a 16% higher repeat rate of purchase. Influencers used to have a point, but the point is now every customer is an influencer. Smart brands should cultivate a more open-source ecosystem that allows the individual to market with the brand instead of being marketed to.

If you'd like to learn more about community marketing and how to turn your passive followers into active brand advocates email us: hello@zyper.com