Did you know that around 46% of marketers believe that micro influencers - that is to say influencers with around 10k-100k followers are the most effective to team up with for brand collaborations? With this in mind over the past few years we've seen a rise in apps that allow influencers to bid for campaigns, even if you've got a smaller following. Today we want to put the spotlight on two; Tribe (which hosts campaigns from all over the world but is based in Australia and the UK) and Takumi (which is available in the UK, USA, Germany, Ireland and Iceland).
Tribe
We're fans of Tribe here at Glendon Studios, though it does have it's pitfalls. The concept is simple. Download the app, apply (you'll most likely get accepted if you have +3,000 on one of their supported platforms - they primarily run Instagram campaigns, but they support sponsored Twitter and Facebook content too) and when accepted you'll be able to scroll through all of their current campaigns (or filter by interest, or by campaigns you have favourited). Each campaign comes with an overview of the brand, where to buy the product, a brief, pre-loaded tags and a mood board. They're also clear about any do's and dont's creating content, and about any country and age restrictions. Content is easy to submit and track, and then to post once approved. You can also set your own fee, using the guide depending on your reach within the submission dashboard.
So, what are the positives? There are always loads of campaigns on the app. Unlike Takumi, there is always something you can join in on. However, on the negative side on Tribe you're not guaranteed payment. You can put the time into creating content (which usually involves a bit of financial outlay) only to have it rejected by the brand with only a one line explanation. Also, sometimes the brand doesn't get to your submission by the time the campaign ends, and your submission will get rejected for this reason.
Takumi
The application process to Takumi is quite similar. They're also an Instagram only app. Once you're accepted, campaigns will be fed out to you depending on your interests and the size of influencer a brand is looking to work with. Sometimes a campaign will only come along every six months, and you have a fixed fee determined by the app and the size of your following.
So what is the big plus using Takumi? Unless you don't meet the brief for the campaign, you're guaranteed payment once you accept the campaign. Also, they often send product to you so the only cost to creating a campaign is your time, and their influencer outreach team via email is super helpful and super friendly. The only real negative we can find submitting to campaigns through Takumi is they're gone, fast. You'll never get one if you don't turn on notifications, and even then you pretty much need to have the phone in your hand, speed read the brief and hit accept in order to secure your place as the opportunity may be gone within moments. The app is also really buggy; campaigns can easily be lost by the app logging you out or glitching when you're trying to secure one.
Both apps have their pros and cons, and there are plenty more smaller ones out there worth researching. To get the most out of your platforms when it comes to monetisation we recommend you apply to both, and run both alongside each other if you get accepted.
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