New research reveals the mighty power of ‘micro-influencers’.

Influencer marketing is here to stay. But not as you know it. Huge following? No longer essential. New parents and parents-to-be are focusing their attention on micro-influencers, who have between 1k to 20K followers for authentic, ‘real-life’, parent-to-parent product recommendations and lifestyle inspiration.

According to new research* from Emma’s Diary,  parents trust other parents, and when it comes to influencers, they trust micro-influencers the most. 65% of those surveyed agreed that they are likely to trust product recommendations from micro-influencers with up to 20K followers.

It’s not the size that counts!

85% of parents advised that they consider micro-influencer reviews more authentic; with over half (58%) commenting that they like that micro’s share real-life stories and personal experiences, which are raw and honest – rather than staged marketing messages.

The Emma’s Diary Parent Squad is a group of 10,000+ UK micro-influencer parents who share opinions, advice and tips with other parents across the country. Nine out of 10 of micro-influencers surveyed communicated that sharing authentic, genuine reviews is their top priority during their brand partnerships.

Parents discover and buy products from Influencers

Five out of 10 parents surveyed said they trust product reviews and recommendations shared by Parent Squad members more than other reviews by parenting influencers.

A massive seven out of 10 parents discover new products via social media influencers and have used promotional codes provided by influencers. 67% have purchased an item using the link provided by influencers. The most popular categories purchased are baby gear; kids toys & games; baby & kid’s clothes; beauty & skincare, with the value between £10 and £46.

Parents are clear that an influencer is not determined by the size of their social community, with four in 10 agreeing that having a high engagement rate and being approached by brands is when the shift from parent to influencer occurs. This supports influencers own perceptions. One in three Parent Squad members surveyed said they consider themselves an influencer when they start getting approached by brands to review their products. One in four think that having a high engagement rate is what matters the most.

Alex Perkins, Head of Social & Influencer Marketing at Emma’s Diary commented: “The extensive insight achieved through our 10,000-strong Parent Squad provides brands with a targeted marketing opportunity that ensures results.

“Furthermore, our new Parent Squad Hub uniquely features a Partner Portal, where brands can track their campaign results in real-time and access a vast library of market and category insights, gathered by Emma’s Diary and the Parent Squad over the years.”

Overall, a considerable number of parents (68%) follow influencers on social media. Facebook has a higher daily use (83%) compared to Instagram (77%). However, Instagram use is on the rise among parents in the UK, and it’s their favourite social platform, with over half (56%) of surveyed parents cited Instagram as their preferred platform, compared to only a third preferring Facebook.

Click to view the full report

To find out how Emma’s Diary and its Parent Squad can help you reach and engage with this audience of mums-to-be and new parents contact: https://www.emmasdiary.co.uk/parent-squad/contact-us . @officialparentsquad & @officialemmasdiary

About Emma’s Diary

Emma’s Diary is a multi-channel programme spanning digital, social, publications and sampling. It provides advice, support and up-to-date information to parents throughout pregnancy, birth and the first 24-months of baby’s life. Emma’s Diary reaches and engages parents across multiple channels – at home, on the go, and in the retail and healthcare environments.

Emma’s Diary Parent Squad

Emma’s Diary Parent Squad is a UK-based micro-influencer parenting community, which creates authentic, relatable content that builds trust – perfect for driving purchase intent for brands. This engaged and passionate community of real parents – from pregnancy to tweens – with up to 20K social followers, love to try and review new products and experiences. Partner brands benefit from access to campaign results through an exclusive Partner Portal, where content can be seen in near-real time at anytime, anywhere.

References

*All statistics are from surveys conducted by Emma’s Diary: ‘What do you think about social influencers?’ consumer survey of 1,170 pregnant women and new parents in Sept-October 2021 and ‘Micro-influencer survey’ of 978 Emma’s Diary Parent Squad Member, with social communities ranging from 1K to 20K followers.

For the purposes of this research, a micro-influencer is a social media user with 1,000 to 20,000 followers. A mid-tier influencer is a social user with 20,000 to 200,000 followers. A macro-influencer is a social user with 200,000 to 1,000,000+ followers.