Micro-influencers y marcas: gestión, rol estratégico y dinámicas de remuneración en el marketing de influencia

The aim of this study is to understand why brands use micro-influencers, content creators with up to 100,000 followers, and how they manage the relationship, either directly or through third parties, what objectives they aim to achieve with them and how they remunerate them. Methodology. A qualitative study was conducted in Spain, consisting of 19 semi-structured in-depth interviews with brands that use micro-influencers. A snowball sample was created, including brands with different profiles, belonging to a variety of sectors and company sizes, and considering both international and national companies. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. A mixed coding method was applied, combining deductive and inductive approaches. Results and conclusions. Three distinct groups were identified among the brands: the “Obligated” forced to use micro-influencers for budgetary reasons, the “Duals” who perceive different benefits in macro and micro-influencers, and the “Believers” who prefer micro-influencers for their greater engagement, credibility and better transmission of brand values to consumers. Original contributions. The study's contribution lies in shedding light on why advertisers choose to work with micro-influencers and what the process of working with them is like from the advertisers' perspective.