The rise of micro-influencers in a post-TV world

The days of catchy television jingles and glossy newspaper advertisements pulling in crowds are long gone. Today's consumers scroll endlessly, swipe constantly, and ignore traditional ads faster than ever, creating a massive shift in how marketing works. With digital platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok dominating our screens, new forms of advertising have emerged. Enter the micro-influencers: a new breed of creators reshaping how brands reach their audiences.

Micro-influencers typically have between 10,000 and 100,000 followers on social media platforms. Whilst that might seem modest compared to big celebrities or macro-influencers, their real strength lies in how deeply they connect with their followers. On Instagram, micro-influencers deliver an average engagement rate of 3.86 per cent, significantly higher than mega-influencers who manage only 1.21 per cent. Unlike big-name celebrities who often endorse products they'd never personally use, micro-influencers prioritise authenticity. They share only what they genuinely believe in, which means their audiences aren't just watching; they're connecting, interacting, sharing, and most importantly, buying.

Brands are thinking twice before pouring money into traditional advertisements these days. The classic big-budget marketing approach focuses on mass reach rather than real engagement. Instead, companies are increasingly drawn to micro-influencers for several compelling reasons: niche targeting, authenticity and trust, high engagement, and superior return on investment. Micro-influencers allow brands to target very specific demographics or interest groups, making campaigns both precise and relevant. They also maintain close, two-way interaction with their communities, responding to concerns, sharing personal stories, and creating an environment where marketing feels more like trusted advice than promotion.

According to the Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising report, about 92 per cent of consumers place more trust in recommendations from other people, whether acquaintances or strangers, than in any type of paid advertisement. That statistic alone should make Bangladeshi entrepreneurs sit up and take notice. When it comes to actual returns, businesses are earning US$ 5.78 in revenue for every US$ 1.0 invested in influencer marketing on average, with some top performers seeing returns of up to US$ 20 for every dollar spent.

The global boom— numbers that tell a story: The numbers for 2025 paint an exciting picture for the influencer and creator economy. The global influencer marketing industry is projected to reach approximately US$ 32.55 billion in 2025, up from US$ 24 billion in 2024. That represents a remarkable 35.6 per cent year-over-year growth and an astounding increase from just US$ 1.7 billion back in 2016. This exponential expansion tells a compelling story of an industry that has evolved from an experimental channel to a cornerstone of modern marketing strategies.

This year, 86 per cent of marketers report using influencer marketing. What's more interesting is that 73.2 per cent of brands now collaborate with at least ten influencers per campaign, reflecting how scaled partnerships have become the norm rather than the exception. The data becomes even more compelling when you look at engagement patterns. On TikTok, nano-influencers achieve a staggering 10.3 per cent engagement rate, whilst micro-influencers maintain 8.0 per cent.

Consumer behaviour mirrors this trend. Some 72 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials follow influencers for product recommendations. Sephora's #SephoraSquad campaign showed how multinational brands can leverage micro-influencers effectively. Launched in 2019, the initiative brings together diverse creators to produce genuine tutorials, reviews, and stories that resonate with Millennial and Gen Z audiences. Rather than relying on one-off posts, Sephora cultivates long-term relationships with influencers by offering early access to products, professional development, and enhanced visibility. Campaigns such as the #SephoraSquadChallenge for Rare Beauty achieved over 1.0 billion views on TikTok.

The Bangladeshi context— a market ready to explode: With one of the fastest-growing internet populations in South Asia, Bangladesh presents an ideal landscape for micro-influencer marketing to thrive. The country now has over 120 million internet users and more than 50 million active social media users, with Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram being the most popular platforms. According to Statista, Bangladesh's influencer advertising market is projected to reach US$ 30.4 million in 2024, with expectations to grow to US$ 45.3 million by 2028 at an annual growth rate of 10.47 per cent. More than 500,000 local creators now have over 10,000 followers on at least one social platform. Social media usage in the country is growing by approximately 20-22 per cent annually, adding nearly 10 million new users each year.

Our audiences tend to favour storytelling and emotional authenticity over polished corporate campaigns. Local influencers resonate deeply because they communicate in Bangla, use familiar cultural references, and maintain a genuine, relatable presence. Content created in Bangla significantly outperforms English content in terms of engagement, making language and cultural relevance essential components of successful campaigns. Creators such as Rafsan the Choto Vai, Nadir on the Go, and Salman Muqtadir have become powerful voices whose opinions can influence entire communities. These aren't just content creators; they're cultural touchstones that young Bangladeshis trust and follow religiously.

Brands are allocating considerable budgets to live presenters and digital creators rather than producing costly TV commercials. Restaurant owners now invite food vloggers to review their offerings, whilst tech companies launch new products through influencer events instead of celebrity endorsements. Influencer marketing has matured significantly in the country, with micro and macro-influencers playing crucial roles in shaping consumer decisions across sectors like travel and food vlogging, fashion and beauty, e-commerce, and lifestyle.

Working with micro-influencers gives you access to engaged audiences without the hefty price tag of television adverts or celebrity endorsements. A food delivery app partnering with a Dhaka-based food vlogger who has 50,000 followers will likely see better results than a generic billboard campaign, and at a fraction of the cost. The key is finding creators who genuinely align with your brand values and can speak authentically to their communities.

Navigating the challenges: Whilst the rise of micro-influencers offers numerous advantages, it also brings challenges worth acknowledging. Maintaining authenticity and trust remains one of the biggest concerns. When brands collaborate with many creators, it becomes difficult to assess whether content feels genuine or overly commercialised. Managing such a vast network can also lead to logistical hurdles involving coordination, content approval, payments, and performance tracking.

Another growing issue is fraudulent activity. Fake followers, bot-generated engagement, and inflated metrics can all distort campaign outcomes. For Bangladeshi brands operating with limited marketing budgets, falling victim to fake engagement can be particularly damaging. Advanced analytics tools are emerging to help brands identify the most effective influencers based on audience match, engagement quality, and projected ROI (return on investment), but vigilance remains essential. Global campaigns must adapt to diverse cultural norms and constantly evolving regulations regarding influencer disclosure and advertising transparency.

What's next— the future of influence: The future of consumer engagement is expected to become increasingly human-centred, data-driven, and transparent. As audiences continue to demand greater authenticity, brands will need to prioritise long-term collaborations over short-term promotional campaigns. The integration of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics is already reshaping how brands identify, evaluate, and manage influencer relationships. AI-powered platforms will play a crucial role in detecting fraudulent activity, predicting campaign outcomes, and tailoring content to specific audience segments.

Sustainability and social responsibility are becoming essential elements of modern marketing. Micro-influencers tend to champion causes such as ethical consumption and environmental awareness, aligning brand messages with evolving consumer values. For young Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, partnering with influencers who share your values, whether that's supporting local artisans, promoting sustainable fashion, or highlighting social causes, can create campaigns that resonate on a much deeper level than simple product promotion.

The bottom line for Bangladeshi entrepreneurs: Micro-influencers are revolutionising marketing by emphasising authenticity and deep community engagement over sheer reach. Brands globally, including here in Bangladesh, are leveraging these smaller, highly connected creators to deliver culturally relevant campaigns with strong ROI and long-term loyalty. Despite challenges like fraud and logistics, the benefits of precise targeting and genuine consumer relationships make micro-influencer marketing indispensable.

For young entrepreneurs and business owners in Bangladesh, the takeaways is you don't need massive budgets or celebrity endorsements to make an impact. What you need is the right creator who genuinely connects with your target audience, speaks their language both literally and culturally, and can tell your brand's story in an authentic way.

The question isn't whether you should incorporate influencer marketing into your strategy; it's which creators you'll partner with and how quickly you can adapt to this new marketing reality. The opportunity is here, the infrastructure is building, and the audiences are waiting. The only question is: are you ready to seize it?

The writer is a postgraduate student at BRAC University.

nahida.sultana.5623@gmail.com