Nudging Healthy Behaviors: The Case for Micro-Influencers in Public Health

It’s true, we become the people that we’re around the most. We eat at the same restaurants, buy the same brands, and when it comes to our romantic partners — we even end up looking alike. Just take a look at Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall; it’s uncanny. Ultimately, our diets, habits, rituals, and tastes are influenced by the people closest to us — whether in real life or on social media — and, whether we like it or not, it impacts our health and decisions. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, public health is looking for creative ways to promote healthy behaviors — like mask-wearing.

On the social media platform, micro-influencers are people who are able to sway our votes, turn our heads, promote an agenda, or market a product are called influencers or micro-influencers if they have less than 10,000 followers, although the number varies. Micro-influencers create authentic ‘word of mouth’ content that generates a high level of engagement compared to larger influencers or brands. They’re your girls and guys next door and relate well to their followers. They are those likable people at the center of their tribes and networks. Interestingly enough, they’re also less expensive and more effective than larger influencers.