Do you read Tripadvisor reviews before choosing a restaurant? Or pick a film based on a Rotten Tomatoes rating? Congratulations, you’ve been influenced by someone else’s opinion.
An ‘influencer’ is someone who influences consumers, a not-so-new concept but with a stronger role in marketing.
Nowadays, social media moguls with many followers and authentic-looking posts hold considerable sway. They’re more effective than traditional marketing because younger generations trust them more.
However, not all influencers are the same, and finding the right influencer for your specific marketing needs is crucial. For example, what distinguishes macro from micro influencer marketing, and why aren’t celebrities always the most effective? In this article, we explore the various types of influencers and their pros and cons for your influencer marketing strategy.
A nano influencer is defined as having up to 5,000 followers, making them the smallest of all influencers. They take on a relatable ‘friend’ persona and tend to have a highly engaged following within a specific niche. Despite their smaller following, they can engage almost 9% of their audience, compared to larger influencers who achieve just 2%.
Nano influencers often haven’t worked with many brands, so their feeds aren’t overrun with sponsored posts, which fosters more trust among their followers. Due to their smaller size and higher trust factor, nano influencers can provide better ROI. If some of your customers are nano influencers, consider rewarding them for sharing your content to their networks to combine your influencer and content marketing campaigns
A micro influencer has 5,000 to 50,000 followers and is not yet a celebrity, but not quite a friend. They still have a “regular person” vibe, but are considered “thought leaders” in their niche. They generate uniform and engaged influence. They are “internet famous” but could live a normal life. They’ve gained their following through whatever made them “internet famous”. So, travel vloggers work best with travel brands and cat lovers can collaborate with cat fashion brands. Micro influencers typically “apply” to influencer websites or approach brands themselves
Macro influencers are influencers with over 50k followers. They are typically the ones approached by brands.
They are experts in using their influence as a business. They have a large and dedicated following, but are not yet considered celebrities. This type of influencer is a professional content creator with extensive brand partnership experience. Their content is tailored to reach a specific audience and their influence is their career, making them expect to be pitched like media partners.
However, macro influencers can be costly and have lower engagement rates with their followers compared to smaller influencers. Instead of investing in one macro influencer, it might be more effective to allocate the budget to several micro influencers or build a community for nano influencers.
Mega influencers are A-list celebrities, such as Beyonce, the Kardashians, or Martha Stewart, with follower bases that could fill a whole country. They charge from $2,000 to $1 million per post and any brand working with them will undoubtedly get massive reach.
However, statistics suggest that celebrity influence marketing may not be the best approach. According to research, 60% of consumers would trust recommendations from their favorite YouTubers more than from celebrities. Moreover, 78% of millennials are not influenced by celebrity endorsements.
Authenticity is key, and it’s hard to know if a celebrity genuinely believes in a product they promote, or if they are simply doing it for the money. Ultimately, consumers want recommendations from peers who are relatable and share similar lifestyles.
Consider your brand’s needs when selecting influencers. Data suggests that smaller, more relatable influencers with engaged followers work best. Nano and micro influencers are affordable, trustworthy, and have higher engagement.
To build loyalty, consider leveraging your customers as nano influencers by incentivizing them to share your content.
However, if you need a wider reach or want to partner with a more prominent influencer, macro influencers and celebrities are more experienced and professional. Keep in mind that authenticity may suffer with celebrity endorsements.
Ultimately, the success of your influencer marketing campaign depends on your goals.
Have you worked with influencers before? What challenges did you face?
