The influencer marketing industry is evolving by the day, meaning influencer strategies must be flexible if brands want to keep up. Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all influencer approach, and each follower tier comes with its own set of pros and cons which must be considered in relation to your brief or project objectives. Let’s explore some of the benefits and drawbacks of each tier, and how you can use them in your marketing.
Nano Influencers: Nano influencers have a small but highly engaged audience and can be great partners for brands looking to reach niche or specialised audiences.
- 1K- 10K followers
- Real people with an engaged audience
- Recommendations are seen as “authentic” and received like a friend’s
- Relatable and approachable
- Their life is attainable and mirrors the everyday consumer
- High engagement rate
- Usually generate content for product or a nominal fee
- Tend to be easy to recruit and work with
- Brands can reach diverse audiences by partnering with many nanos
- They are often more open to the kind of content they post as they build up their profile
Ideal tier for: attending launches or new openings, new product promotion to niche markets, press days and reaching specialised audiences.e.g. https://www.instagram.com/breakfastatellies/
Micro Influencers: Like nano influencers, micro influencers have a small but active audience, often with strong specialised interests.
- 10K- 50K followers
- A strong voice online
- Often specialise in a particular area
- Increased trust. Consumers are more likely to follow recommendations from micro influencers because of their relatable nature
- Micro influencers have a higher engagement rate on their content
- Lower cost – but you may have to partner with a few to gain higher reach
- Studies show that micro influencers can garner 60% higher engagement in posts and are 6.7 times more cost-effective for brands, than working with macro-influencers
Ideal tier for: content generation, attending launches, new product promotion, press days, targeting specialist audiences, always-on marketing and long-term relationships.e.g. https://www.instagram.com/annabarnettcooks/
Mid-Tier Influencers: Mid-tier influencers have a larger following and are often “career influencers” who operate like social media celebrities.
- 50K- 250K followers
- Usually professional social media personalities
- Experienced and professional standard
- Often have a loyal fanbase
- Allow us to tap into a large portion of a target audience
- Strategic content creation
- They expect to be pitched to like a media partner
Ideal tier for: content generation, mid-high reach, generating awareness of a new product, attending launches (with fee), always-on marketing and building long term relationships/advocacy.e.g. https://www.instagram.com/carlyrowena/
Macro Influencers: Macro influencers are professionals who’ve successfully monetised their activities and may also bridge the gap between digital and mainstream celebrity.
- 250K-1M followers
- Professional bloggers, well established
- High reach and perfect for brand awareness pieces
- Those at the higher end of the tier are often regarded as online celebrities
- Charge a lot for collaborations
- Global trendsetters – products promoted by them often sell out
- Larger audiences mean a less targeted approach
- Often work with agents, which can slow down the process and negotiations
Ideal tier for: mass reach/awareness, product promotion on feed, attending launches (for substantial fee).e.g. https://www.instagram.com/inthefrow/
Mega Influencers: Mega influencers are the giants of the online world. Celebrities in their own right, they have huge reach and influence, but diminishing trust.
- 1M+ followers
- Expensive to work with
- Celebrity status
- Slow sign-off process with protective agents
- Very high reach and influence over their audience
- Consumers are becoming to trust them less
Ideal tier for: large scale campaigns with large budgets. Ideal for spreading mass awareness and potential for virality.e.g. https://www.instagram.com/tanfrance/
By considering the needs of your campaign and your desired outcomes, we can mobilise our extensive network to connect with the appropriate influencers for you. We devise a tailored strategy which is unique to your brand, ensuring effectiveness with our influencer marketing campaigns. Contact us to find out more about how eight&four can help your brand leverage the power of influencers to achieve your marketing goals.
