Micro-influencers are becoming essential to modern marketing strategies, and Kirsten Baumberger’s minisocial is leading the charge. 

This platform is turning the traditional influencer model on its head, proving that sometimes smaller audiences pack the biggest punch. 

But how does this startup navigate the delicate balance between brand control and creator authenticity? And what does its success reveal about the relationship between consumers, creators, and the brands vying for their attention? 

Kirsten dives into the world of curated content creation, where every post has the potential to spark a marketing revolution.

Meeting Brands’ Content Needs in a Remote World

Launched in 2018, minisocial is the product of co-founder Kirsten’s experience running a marketing agency that served direct-to-consumer brands.

“We started sending out products to micro-influencers, and then slowly, that became just a big part of what the agency offered,” Kirsten explained. This approach addressed a growing need for high-quality, channel-specific content that brands needed help to produce in-house.

minisocial’s key focus is user-generated content (UGC).

 “For us, it wasn’t launching with a focus on the influencer side of things as much as it was on the content side of things,” Kirsten says. 

The company prioritizes partnering brands with creators for their creative output rather than solely for reach.

The platform experienced growth during the COVID-19 pandemic as brands sought alternative content creation methods. 

“A lot of brands were stuck at home, so they weren’t in office, they couldn’t create content, so they were looking for other resources,” Kirsten notes.

Minisocial’s primary challenge has been scaling to meet demand while maintaining a pool of capable creators. 

Kirsten highlights the importance of connecting brands with authentic brand advocates: “We love being able to make that connection [between creators and] brands that are already resonating with them and their audience.”

Curated Content Creation at Scale

minisocial’s services provide brands with micro-influencer reach and a substantial library of UGC.

“We can do 25 to 100 creators, getting them that micro-influencer reach scale and a library of content they can utilize for their projects,” Kirsten explains.

What makes minisocial stand out is its hands-on approach to creator selection. 

“Our team handpicks creators from our database for each brand,” Kirsten elaborates, adding that, unlike many other platforms, brands are not being paired up by software or AI. 

The platform manages all aspects of the campaign. “It gives brands all the control without any busy work,” Kirsten notes.

For creators, minisocial offers a simplified process for connecting with relevant brands. After joining the platform and passing quality standards, creators receive invitations to campaigns that align with their content and audience. 

“Creators are free to join any campaigns they get invited to, and they can pick and choose based on what brands resonate with them and which they feel will resonate with their audience,” Kirsten tells us.

The Effectiveness of Micro-Influencers

minisocial champions using micro-influencers for brand collaborations, citing budget-friendliness and audience engagement as key advantages.

“Working with macro influencers is very costly, especially now, and most brands can’t afford to work with a handful of macro influencers often,” Kirsten explains. “Turning to micro-influencers can be a better budget-friendly option for many smaller brands.”

“The company’s strategy focuses on leveraging the targeted appeal of micro-influencers,” Kirsten notes. “Micro-influencers seem to have a more engaged audience, especially within their niche.”

minisocial employs a structured approach to ensure brand alignment. 

“Brands will put together a brief through our brief builder; they’ll tell us the details about who they are as a brand,” Kirsten says. 

The process includes key messaging points and content guidelines. Brands can also review and approve creators and content, maintaining control over their messaging.

minisocial’s campaign with Spotlight Oral Care showcases the effectiveness of this approach.

Kirsten shares, “We did three, 50 creator campaigns over three months around an already viral video.” 

By having creators stitch and respond to existing viral content, the campaign generated significant engagement, with one piece of content garnering over 6 million views.

Kirsten points out the strategic difference between macro and micro-influencers: “With the macro-influencer side of things, it’s almost like a celebrity endorsement versus micro-influencers.” 

“You can be more specific about the product and why they like it,” Kirsten explains. “It feels more personal.”

Localizing Influence, Maximizing UGC

Kirsten advocates for a shift in brand perceptions within the industry.

 “Brands can often be very skeptical, almost too skeptical of creators,” she observes. 

The entrepreneur argues that this wariness, often stemming from isolated incidents, overlooks the dedication of the vast majority of content creators.

minisocial is actively working to enhance its platform and expand its services. 

“We have an exciting new launch next month or so. We’ll launch an updated brief builder and dashboard,” Kirsten reveals. The improvements aim to give brands greater visibility and resources for their campaigns.

The company is also forging partnerships with other UGC companies to help brands maximize the impact of creator content. 

“We want to help educate brands on how to use UGC and where and when to use that amazing content that does convert so well,” Kirsten tells us.

The company has also been emphasizing  localized campaigns. 

Kirsten notes, “We’re doing many more localized campaigns. So, we’re partnering brands with creators just out of New York City, LA, and Texas. Especially when it comes to retail launches or service-based businesses