Micro-influencers Key in Disseminating Information During Crises

A new study shows that micro-influencers on Twitter (1,000-10,000 followers) play a significant role in disseminating information during crises, more so than influencers with larger followings.

The researchers behind the study, Shohil Kishore (University of Auckland Business School) and Dr. Amy Errman (AUT), analysed 3.9 million tweets related to three significant events: the murder of George Floyd, the Russo-Ukrainian War and the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The researchers found that micro-influencers' crisis-related tweets were more likely to be retweeted.

The study emphasizes the importance of encouraging micro-influencers to share factual information during crises.

The paper, Doing Big Things in a Small Way: A Social Media Analytics Approach to Information Diffusion During Crisis Events in Digital Influencer Networks, is published in the Australasian Journal of Information Systems.