Introduction to Micro-Influence for Creative Professionals

Take your social media skills to the next level by learning the secrets to creating digital social capital on social media from successful Australian micro-influencers. Increasing your digital social capital will provide you with the opportunity for micro-influence. This course is an introduction to micro-influencer theory and provides a foundation for an understanding of the skills, knowledge and capabilities current micro-influences used to create and sustain micro-influence.

Getting the most from this micro-credential

The suite of six micro-credentials will give you all the knowledge and confidence you need to use a variety of digital tools, from the planning phase right through to analysing and reporting on a digital campaign.

Through participation in this course you will be able to:

- Write and implement a social media strategy to support your creative practice aims and objectives.

- Understand the fundamentals of micro-influencer theory.

- Use key communication tools to network effectively.

- Develop and maintain networks using social media.

- Establish and maintain relationships using social media.

- Evaluate which online networking sites are appropriate for you.

- Promote a crisp, clear digital representation of creative practice so others want to get to know you.

This micro-course provides a practical set of learning experiences developed to support your professional development as a creative practitioner and assist your career advancement.

This first micro-course will take through a set of worksheets that when compiled will be the beginning of a professional communication strategy for your creative practice. Having a clear, concise approach using the techniques taught in this micro-course will provide you with the skills to enhance your social capital and lead to opportunities for micro-influence. Your motivation and goals to become a micro-influencer will drive the direction of your strategy, for instance, a pottery may want to increase sales of their pottery, or a journalist may want to create a media hub on a particular niche and sell editorial/advertising space via their networks. Whatever your motivation, the opportunities are almost endless. It just takes a bit of planning.

Coursework

In session one we will ask you to set up a micro-influence portfolio. Your micro-influence portfolio is a compilation of materials that exemplifies your beliefs, skills, networks, content, endorsements and experiences. It will provide an insight into your professional social media personality and how others may perceive you on digital channels.

The following sessions will build upon and develop your skills, knowledge and capabilities through worksheets that will take you through the steps of creating your micro-influence strategy. To complete the micro-course we will ask you to provide your micro-influencer portfolio, along with a summary and critical evaluation in the provided gallery where you can discuss your coursework with peers.

The emphasis is very much on helping you to use the knowledge and techniques to create real and tangible benefits that meet your aims and objectives.

With that in mind, the six micro-courses are based on:

Global best practice–incorporating concepts from a range of micro-influencers, commentators and leading practitioners, illustrated with examples.

Practical application–giving practical insights into developing and executing plans and campaigns which can be applied in your creative practice to improve your social media activity.

• Introduction to Micro-influence
• This course introduces you to micro-influence and provides a foundational framework for the understanding of what makes a successful micro-influencer and is a model for how to develop your own successful micro-influencer presence. A nuance concept established integrating professional communication fundamentals, combined with the complex structure of social media platforms (SMP), and digital citizens’ capability to increase influence through sharing, publishing, and networking have contributed to the emergence of the micro social media influencer (micro-influencer) (Senft, 2013). Micro-influence is a phenomenon that is a multidimensional concept comprising conscious and subconscious behaviours, personality attributes, personal motivations, and outside forces. This course uses a theoretical model of micro-influence that introduces five interrelated fundamental dimensions of micro-SMI: personal attributes, content attributes, outcomes generated, strategy, and network characteristics. Based on the theoretical model and examples of micro-influence you will gain skills, knowledge and capabilities to create an initial foundation and strategy for social media influence which matches your interests and skill levels.
• Strategies Of Micro-influencers
• With limited formal education available, research found that micro-influencers use a combination of innate and/or acquired skills gained from curiosity, experience and experimentation. For example Mark admitted that he does not have a strategy. In contrast, Mel, Katrina, Matthew, and Sam are motivated by business or branding objectives and were analytical and structured when managing their SMP identity. Two subdimensions of the strategy dimension are engagement and commercial strategy. It is interesting to note that not all participants were financially motivated.
• Generating Opportunities For Micro-influence
• This dimension considers the value a micro-SMI has within their digital networks as they increase their social capital. Usually classified using quantifiable data models such as number of followers, click- through rates, etc., this model considers network sentiment for added rigour . Micro-SMI who are focused on commercial gain and incentives use data to contribute to business proposals for marketers. Three sub-dimensions of the outcomes generated dimension include: inspire action, generate public debate, and endorsements as a form of social capital.
• Micro-influencer networks
• Welcome to session two of Micro-Influence in Creative Industries. This dimension focuses on the network (followers and who the individual is following) of a micro-influencer. The size of a network cannot be solely relied on as a datapoint to identify micro-influence, rather the quality and structure of those in the network also need to be considered. Three sub-dimensions of the network characteristics dimension include: network size, quality and structure. Photo Credit: StockSnap
• Content That Influences
• Individuals have become 'produsers' a term introduced by Bruns (2008) to describe social media users who share and co-create user-generated content therefore increasing visibility on their chosen topic. This dimension highlights substantial large communication changes for in the way information and knowledge is disseminated, and contains three sub-dimensions: visibility, topic, and relevance. Photo Credit StockSnap
• Personal Attributes Of The Micro-influencer
• This dimension conceptualises the skills, knowledge, and abilities of individuals beyond niche content knowledge and gained from experience. These characteristics make the micro-SMI a unique individual and are defined in five sub-dimensions: perception, identity, reciprocity, entrepreneurship, and motivation. Quantification of personal attributes is precarious as we try to articulate how a micro-SMI perceives themselves and how others perceive them. It is also important to consider the ambiguity of social cues on SMP compared to interacting in person. Additionally, Duffy (2016) identifies problematic constructs of gender and class subjectivities, as traditional stereotypes of celebrity endure. Farrugia (2018, p. 511) also argues that micro-SMI contribute to the formation of valorised and de-valorised youth subjectivities in relation to the new economy’s ‘immaterial economies’, as the commercialisation of youthfulness promotes heteronormative standards. The dimension considers other questions such as what motivates the micro-SMI to invest large amounts of time in self-education and labour to build and maintain their influence. The interview data also supported the fact that Micro-SMI are also aware of the need to implement strategies for ensuring personal well-being and to protect their mental health.