THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INFLUENCERS AND HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOUR BRAND

In recent years, influencer marketing has become an increasingly popular method of brand promotion.

With the rise of social media platforms, it’s become a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes to reach a large audience and promote their products and services.

However, not all influencers are the same, and it's important to understand each type, and how to approach them.

In this article, we'll cover the main types of influencers, discuss the pros and cons of running a campaign with one of them, and highlight some of the key considerations of each.

THE MEGA-INFLUENCER

A mega-influencer is essentially a celebrity and has millions of social media followers.

They are often famous actors, singers, or athletes.

Due to their large followings, they have great reach and can help brands spread wide awareness.

However, they are also the single most expensive type of influencer to work with.

When approaching a mega-influencer, it's important to have a clear, compelling message that resonates with their audience.

Additionally, brands need to be willing to invest a significant amount of budget, as they often charge a premium fee for their notoriety and services.

Pros

These mega-influencers will likely have millions of followers, making them a great choice for brands looking to reach a large audience quickly.

If they garner strong audience trust, that can result in a significant impact on their followers' purchasing decisions, and that endorsement can be a game-changer for a brand.

Cons

A mega-influencer can often be expensive to work with, and their message may not be as authentic as that of smaller influencers.

Additionally, because they have such a large following, it can be difficult to measure the actual impact of their endorsement on a brand's sales.

Key Considerations

Working with a mega influencer requires a significant amount of internal resources and bandwidth.

These influencers often have a large following, which means that the scope of the campaign needs to be much bigger.

Brands need to invest in creating high-quality content, designing a comprehensive influencer strategy, and allocating a substantial budget for the campaign.

In addition, the brand team needs to have strong communication skills, as mega-influencers are often represented by large talent agencies.

THE MACRO-INFLUENCER

A macro-influencer is a social media personality, not a celebrity, with hundreds of thousands to millions of followers.

They are often niche experts in a particular field or topic, and their audience is highly engaged with their content.

They are typically more affordable than mega-influencers but still have a significant reach.

When working with a macro-influencer, it's important to choose someone whose vertical aligns with or is adjacent to your brand, and whose audience is relevant to your target demographic.

Pros

Macro influencers have follower counts similar to that of celebrities, making them a great choice for brands looking to reach a large audience without breaking the bank.

They are often niche experts in a particular field or topic, and their audience is highly engaged with their content.

Cons

While macro-influencers may be more affordable than mega-influencers, they can still be expensive to work with.

Additionally, their message also might not be as authentic, and it can be difficult to measure their sales impact as well.

Key Considerations:

Working with macro influencers requires fewer internal resources and bandwidth than with mega-influencers.

These personalities typically have a smaller following than mega influencers, which means that the scope of the campaign is smaller.

Brands still need to invest in creating high-quality content and designing a comprehensive influencer strategy.

However, the budget required for a campaign with macro influencers may be less and doesn’t require as many moving parts.

THE MICRO-INFLUENCER

Micro-influencers are social media figures with a smaller following, typically between 1,000 and 100,000 followers.

They often have a highly engaged audience that trusts their opinion and recommendations.

Micro-influencers are more affordable than macro or mega-influencers, and their audience is often even more niche than that of macro influencers.

When working with micro-influencers, you should choose someone whose niche more narrowly aligns with their product, service, or messaging.

Additionally, you need to ensure that their audience largely matches your target demographic.

Micro-influencers sometimes work on a barter or product exchange basis, so ensure that you have a compelling offer that will be of value to them.

Pros

Micro-influencers have a smaller following, typically between 1,000 and 100,000 followers.

However, their audience is often highly engaged, and they have a great influence on their followers' purchasing decisions.

They are also more affordable than macro or mega influencers, making them a great choice for small businesses with a limited budget.

Cons

While micro-influencers may be more affordable, their reach may not be as wide as that of macro or mega-influencers.

Additionally, because they have a smaller following, it may take longer to see the impact of their endorsement on sales.

Key Considerations

Working with micro-influencers requires less internal resources and bandwidth than working with macro and mega-influencers on an individual basis.

Micro-influencers have a smaller following than macro-influencers, which means that the scope of the campaign is even smaller.

However, brands still need to invest in creating high-quality content and designing a comprehensive influencer strategy.

The budget required for a campaign with micro-influencers will likely be even less and will require a simpler execution strategy.

THE NANO INFLUENCER

Nano influencers have very small followings, typically between 100 and 1,000 followers.

They are usually highly niche and are typically experts in one particular field or topic.

Although their reach is small, they often have a more connected audience that thoroughly trusts their opinion and recommendations.

When working with nano influencers, it's important to choose someone who has a highly engaged audience within target demographics.

Engagement rate and relevancy will be more important than their follower count.

Pros

Nano influencers have a very small following, typically between 100 and 1,000 followers.

However, they often have a highly engaged audience that trusts their opinion and recommendations.

They are also far more affordable than any other influencer category, making them a great choice for small businesses with a very limited budget.

Cons

While nano influencers may be the most affordable, their reach is very limited, and it may take a long time to see the impact of their endorsement on a brand's sales.

Additionally, because they have such a small following, it may be difficult to find the right influencer for a specific niche.

Key Considerations

Working with nano influencers requires the least amount of internal resources and bandwidth.

These influencers have a very small following, which means that the scope of the campaign can be very small.

As with other types of influencers, brands still need to invest in creating high-quality content and designing a comprehensive influencer strategy.

However, the budget required for a campaign with nano influencers is typically much less than with other influencer types, and often times be limited to product or service exchanges.

Brand teams tend to work through these campaigns with ease and minimal coordination.

So what types of influencers are right for you?

Now that you understand the different types of influencers and how each one requires a different approach, we hope you have a better idea of what might be right for you.

In our experience, the most important first step when choosing an influencer to work with is to first define your goals.

After that, consider their influencer's niche, audience, engagement rate, budget, and the volume of influencers you'd need to reach your goal.

By understanding the different types of influencers and how to approach them, you can maximize the effectiveness of your influencer marketing campaigns and reach your target audience in the most effective way possible.

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