Instagram influencers have become vehicles of online marketing for businesses of all sizes. A quick look at the latest trends and statistics will tell you that influencers are only getting more popular by the day.

Here’s what Instagram influencer marketing looks like in 2020:

Micro-Influencers are Taking the Front Seat

Turns out that less is more even on the influencer marketing front.

To many, the word “influencer” refers to big-name social media personalities and celebrities. However, due to their declining engagement rates and ever-increasing costs, marketers have started turning to micro-influencers.

These influencers have smaller followings, more focused passions, and more meaningful relationships with their followers.

Moreover, partnering with them is also exceptionally cost-effective, making influencer marketing a viable option for small businesses and startups too.

The biggest mistake one can make while searching for influencers is to go by just their follower counts.

Your influencer vetting process should largely depend on your goals. For instance, if lead generation is on your agenda, micro-influencers would be a great pick. On the other hand, if you want to publicize a newly launched product, macro-influencers would be apter.

Content Quality Reigns Over Content Quantity

There were around 500 million daily active users on Instagram in 2018. And this number continues to grow further with time.

In an era where users are being bombarded with online content, marketers should focus on creating good quality content, instead of increasing the number of posts per day.

One good post that impresses users is more valuable than five posts that do not even align with their interests.

So, you should partner with influencers who know their audience well and regularly create good-quality content and visuals that engage their followers.

Instagram Stories are a Hit

Instagram Stories are indeed a fun way to promote your brand. Some of the reasons why Stories are a gold mine for influencers include:

• Stories allow you to use creative filters, different fonts, stickers, emojis, music, and more to create engaging content.
• One can reach out to a wider audience using hashtags.
• You can generate leads using its “Swipe Up” feature.
• One can put out a whole lot of content on Stories without subjecting users to content fatigue.
• Although Stories disappear in 24 hours, they can be stored in the Highlights section.

Your brand can benefit significantly by taking advantage of Instagram influencer marketing in 2020. If you’re on the lookout for more details, check out the infographic below which has been created by Fourstarzz Media.

My name is Dennis Doerfl, a former Groupon and Accenture executive, and the Co-Founder and CEO of Fourstarzz Media – a Lincoln, NE based Influencer Marketing Company. I am also a member of the Forbes Agency Council and a Forbes.com contributor.