Types of Influencers
Small boutique fashion labels, globally recognized shoe brands, and fast food joints – what do they all have in common? They all use influencer marketing to connect with their target audience.?
But in most cases, they’re not likely to use the exact same types of influencers. From micro to mega, influencers come in all shapes and niches. The trick is finding the one or several that will be the best first for your brand.?
In 2021, the global influencer marketing market value climbed to just under $14 billion U.S. dollars.[1]?As influencer marketing continues to grow and outperform other marketing channels, the calendars of the popular influencers with extensive reach get booked up pretty quickly. This leaves the market wide open for smaller, niched influencers to take center stage.?
While they have a lower reach, smaller accounts often achieve deeper connections making them the perfect fit for a “quality over quantity” campaign. Depending on the objectives of your influencer strategy, you may need only one mega influencer or a mix of smaller accounts.?
Let’s dive into the different types of influencers.??
Table of Contents
What is an Influencer?
An influencer is someone with the power to affect the decisions of others due to their connection, authority, or expertise in any given area. In marketing terms, they’re subtle sales agents that are capable of compelling purchasing decisions through organic suggestions.?
More than just a marketing tool, social media influencers are more like connection assets. They connect you with your audience more authentically than any other marketing channel could.?
High Follower Count Doesn’t Necessarily Equal “Influencer”
How many followers a social media account has is often misconstrued as proof of influence.?However, this is categorically false. A lot of followers?could?mean extensive reach, but it has no bearing on engagement.?
An account with hundreds of thousands of followers could get little to no engagement and would be anything but an influencer. For example, most meme accounts have huge follower counts but few engagements.?
Along the same vein, some of the most popular accounts (think actors, athletes, and models) have multiple millions of followers. And yet, their engagement is abysmally low. They garner a lot of curious eyeballs, but this is a passing interest, not dedicated engagement.?
What is an Influencer Tier?
An influencer tier is a category that designates its follower count. Now, we just explained that follower count is not the primary metric to measure when looking at an account, but it is nonetheless how they’re categorized.?
These are the common influencer tier benchmarks based on the number of followers:
Why Use Different Tiers of Influencers?
Every tier will not be relevant for every strategy for a number of reasons, such as campaign objectives, fulfillment capacity, and target audience threshold. Using different tiers of influencers expands the scope of your campaign.?
For example, you may reach millions of people at the top of your sales funnel with a mega influencer, but they may not be ready to buy. However, you could reach a few thousand warm audience members with smaller account sizes who turn into conversions. Using a mix of influencers allows you to get the benefits of both types of influencers.
What are the Different Types of Influencers?
Let’s dig deeper into the various tiers and types of influencers.
Mega Influencers
Who is a Mega Influencer?
A mega influencer is someone who has more than 1 million followers on any one social media platform. These accounts often belong to celebrities or those who have since become celebrities and other global figures who are more famous and popular than actually influential.
Mega influencer accounts can be difficult to approach and would cost the most to hire. These types of influencers will not fit many conversion-driven campaigns.?
What Type of Influencer Marketing Campaign is Best for Mega Influencers?
Mega influencers get a lot of eyes on their profile, but due to their status and other ventures, they traditionally don’t offer much engagement.?
Influencers at the lower end of mega, with 1 million to 5 million followers, are often “internet famous,” and this is their livelihood. They will have creative teams, production teams, and account managers who make it all happen.?
Why Should You Work with a Mega Influencer?
Companies looking to launch a brand awareness and exposure campaign would be a good fit for a mega influencer. You can expect to expand your reach and boost perception around your brand but not necessarily get tons of conversions.?
Where Do You Find Mega Influencers?
Mega influencers are found on every social media platform, with Instagram consistently coming in as the top platform.
How Can You Work With a Mega Influencer?
A mega influencer will have a full team of creatives and account managers who will be handling the campaign. They are also often associated with an influencer marketing agency that can help make connections and facilitate negotiations and reporting.?
Macro Influencers
Who is a Macro Influencer?
There is a little fluctuation in these numbers, but a macro influencer is someone with more than 100k followers on one platform but less than 1 million.?
These influencers walk the line between social media fame and niche experts and may have secondary notoriety, such as TV appearances or top-tier collaborations. With numbers that high, the engagement will still be on the low end, but their reach will also be significant.?
What Type of Influencer Marketing Campaign is Best for Macro Influencers?
Similar to mega influencers, a macro influencer would be a great fit for a brand awareness campaign to get a strong reach and more eyeballs. These types of influencers will cost far less than a mega influencer, but their engagement rates will be similar.?
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Why Should You Work with a Macro Influencer?
Macro influencers can bring semi-niched content to a wide audience. Rather than simply being famous, they are more likely to have grown their account through their content and will be experienced collaborators who can elevate your brand perception.?
If you have a four-figure budget to pay for extensive reach but not quite the baller budget to pay for a mega influencer (five to six figures), then a macro influencer would be a good match for your campaign.?
Where Do You Find Macro Influencers?
Macro influencers can be found across all social media campaigns, but Instagram is still number one for?influencer marketing. ?TikTok would also be a strong macro influencer contender.?
How Can You Work With a Macro Influencer?
A macro influencer will have a lot going on behind the scenes but may not have a creative or management team. These influencers are most likely working with an influencer marketing agency.?
Mid-Tier Influencers
Who is a Mid Tier Influencer?
According to a Statista report, it was estimated that the second most popular category influencers on Instagram were mid-tier influencers with a follower count between 20k and 100k followers. These content creators accounted for 26.8% of all types of influencers.[3]?
What Type of Influencer Marketing Campaign is Best for Mid Tier Influencers?
If you’re looking to bolster your brand’s credibility and increase engagement, a mid-tier influencer may be the best fit.?
Why Should You Work with a Mid Tier Influencer?
With 20k to 100k followers, a mid-tier influencer can still offer a breadth of reach as well as a depth of connection. These creators are on the up and come, so they will have a mix of polished content and organic and are eager for that perfect-fit partnership.?
Where Do You Find Mid Tier Influencers?
Instagram remains the most popular influencer platform, but mid-tier content creators can be found on multiple platforms but will have a primary focus on only one.?
How Can You Work With a Mid Tier Influencer?
These are easy types of influencers to work with. They’re still growing their accounts and their brand and are eager to negotiate and work hard. They most likely will not have official management unless they work with an influencer marketing agency.?
Micro-Influencers
Who is a Micro-Influencer?
In a Statista survey, it was estimated that Instagram influencers in the Micro category with between 5,000 to 20,000 followers accounted for 47.3 percent of influencer accounts worldwide.[4]
What Type of Influencer Marketing Campaign is Best for Micro-Influencers?
These types of influencers are the best fit for a highly-niched campaign where you’re ready to drive sales, not just awareness.?
Why Should You Work with a Micro-Influencer?
A?micro-influencer ?will have some of the best engagement rates online, and its audience will likely have a strong sense of trust. These influencers are viewed as reliable experts and sources in their niche.
Where Do You Find Micro-Influencers?
Instagram and YouTube will be the best place to look for micro-influencers.?
How Can You Work With a Micro-Influencer?
A micro-influencer will be a solo operation, and most negotiations will be with them directly or via an?influencer marketing agency .?
Nano Influencers
Who is a NanoInfluencer?
A nano influencer has less than 5k followers but more than 1k. These types of influencers are everyday content creators, not professionals. They’re working to grow their following.?
What Type of Influencer Marketing Campaign is Best for Nano Influencers?
A nano influencer is a good fit for a small campaign that is looking to secure a high level of trust and credibility in its brand.
Why Should You Work with a Nano Influencer?
With nano accounts, the engagement will be the highest. These are influencers who are communicating directly with their followers on a regular basis and authentically sharing their lives.
Where Do You Find Nano Influencers?
Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook are the top spots for nano influencers.?
How Can You Work With a Nano Influencer?
This will be the least expensive type of campaign, and nano influencers will be eager to assist. Take care to interview closely and clearly communicate expectations as they will not be as experienced.?
The Types of Influencers You Work With Can Determine the Success of Your Campaign
The most important element of your influencer marketing campaign is to choose your influencer (or influencers) wisely. They are your ambassadors!