With all of us spending much more time on social media, Influencer Marketing is the new normal right now. Marketing experts are increasingly spending their budgets and resources on multi-channel influencer campaigns with 66% allocating more means to this solution. Indeed, marketing teams all over the world are starting to include Influencer Marketing as a strategic element in their media mix, however many marketers still struggle to define which type of influencers are best suited to deliver their objectives.
When we think about influencer marketing campaigns, the first thing that often comes to our mind is big star influencer activations with millions of followers. However, this does not reflect the entire reality of influencer marketing solutions. Not only big celebrities are relevant to boost your marketing strategy. In fact, at Territory Influence, we believe that everyone has the power to recommend a product or service. From a simple conversation with a friend to an online post, experience sharing can help consumers make the right choices at every level. Everyone is an influencer; we are born to influence.
At TERRITORY Influence, we like to activate the whole influencer pyramid. We group them into 4 categories: Nano, Micro, Macro and Stars. The higher in the pyramid, the greater volume of audiences.
In this article, we will give you an overview of the different categories of content creators and the benefits of working with each of them.
In a nutshell:
Scroll down to get a more detailed analysis of each category.
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Nano influencers
Starting from the bottom of the pyramid, the Nano influencer (up to 1,000 followers). We define them as consumers who like to experience products or services and share their opinions with friends and family not only online, but offline.
Benefits of working with them:
1. Cost-effective:
They are good advisers as they tend to be more authentic and honest because they are not paid to tell good about the brand. It makes them a cost-effective option for brands with limited marketing budgets.
2. Authenticity:
Because nano influencers have a smaller following, they often have a closer relationship with their followers and can provide a more authentic endorsement of a product or service. In that way, they have a strong engagement rate.
3. Niche audience:
Nano influencers often have a highly engaged niche audience with shared interests, making it easier for brands to target specific demographics.
4. Flexibility:
Because of their smaller followings, nano influencers are often more flexible with their content and messaging, allowing brands to be more creative and experimental with their campaigns.
Overall, while working with nano influencers can be a cost-effective way to reach a niche audience, it is important to carefully consider the potential weaknesses (less qualitative content, limited reach) and ensure that this type of collaboration aligns with your overall marketing strategy and goals. Discover the NUR DIE (period underwear) case with nano influencers.
Read one of our articles to find out more about why brands rely on collaboration with nano influencers.
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Micro influencers
Coming up we have the Micro Influencers (from 1,000 to 100K followers). They are passionate content creators who can generate organic or paid reach within their engaged community depending on expertise and audience. They tend to send their message in a more authentic way.
Benefits of working with them:
1. Targeted reach:
Micro influencers often have a specific niche or area of expertise (cooking, travel, pets, DYI…), which means that brands can more easily target their ideal audience and generate more meaningful engagement.
2. Authenticity:
Similar to nano influencers, micro influencers have a more engaged and loyal following than larger influencers or celebrities. This means that their recommendations are seen as more authentic and trustworthy.
3. Cost-effective:
While micro influencers charge compared to nano influencers, they are still generally more cost-effective than working with larger influencers or celebrities.
4. Higher engagement rates:
Micro influencers often have higher engagement rates than larger influencers, as their followers are more likely to trust and engage with their recommendations.
It can be tricky to manage a whole bunch of micro influencers during a campaign. That is why, at Territory Influence, we can handle the whole process of the partnership. From identifying, recruiting, and negotiating, to managing hundreds of micro influencers. To get an idea of what kind of campaign we can do with micro influencers, have a look at a vegan chocolate brand campaign in the dedicated section on our website.
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Macro Influencers
Then the Macro Influencers (more than 100K followers), professionals who have a strong audience on niche or lifestyle topics through quality published content. They often gained their renown through social media.
Benefits of working with them:
1. Wide reach:
Macro influencers have a large and diverse following, which means that brands can reach a wide audience and generate a high level of exposure.
2. Credibility:
Macro influencers have built up their following over time and have established themselves as credible and knowledgeable in their respective fields. Their recommendations are often seen as trustworthy and influential.
3. Stronger brand association:
When a brand partners with a macro influencer, they benefit from the influencer’s strong personal brand and reputation.
4. Professionalism:
Macro influencers are often more professional in their approach to working with brands, and they may have a team in place to help with the management of their social media accounts and campaigns.
A top priority for macro influencers is to maintain a strong bond with their community they took time to build. They will less likely to jeopardize that trust over a mismatched and irrelevant partnership. It’s important to note, however, that working with macro influencers can be more expensive and may not always result in the same level of authenticity and engagement as working with smaller influencers. It’s important for brands to carefully consider their goals and budget before deciding on which type of influencer to work with. Have a look at the Cupra (automotive brand) campaign for which we activated macro influencers.
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Star Influencers
At the top of the pyramid, we have the Star Influencers, celebrities (actors, singers, sports stars, models) who can associate their image & values with a brand. Depending on their career and social activity, they can have millions of followers.
Here are several benefits of collaborating with them:
1. Massive reach:
Star influencers have an enormous following, which means that they can generate a massive amount of exposure for brands.
2. Global appeal:
Many star influencers have a global following, which means that they can help brands to reach audiences in different parts of the world.
3. Celebrity status:
Star influencers are often celebrities, which means that they have a high level of visibility and influence. Their endorsement of a brand can help to enhance the brand’s image and credibility in the eyes of consumers.
4. High-quality content:
Star influencers often have access to better equipment, locations, and resources, which means that they can produce high-quality content that is visually appealing and engaging. They already have a large marketing potential you can tap into.
In having a vast audience, these star influencers provide brands with further potential for PR coverage. As a direct consequence, they are more suitable for top-of-the-funnel international campaigns to reach the masses. However, working with that category comes a very high cost. It is also important to take into account the fact that every move of the star is seen, and any misstep becomes immediately public and can impact your brand image. Any brand partnership needs to be thoughtfully considered and planned. Have a look at the Star activation we did for L’Or Barista in France.
Be sure to understand that popularity does not always means influence. To measure real influence, you need to look beyond the number of followers and start analysing things like engagement rate, the quality of content, and credibility but also the ROI, drive-to-store actions and sales impact influencers can have.
Sometimes for your marketing campaign to better work, it is interesting to not only focus on one influencer category but to create synergies. For example, the collaboration between paid and unpaid influencers gives you the right mix of authenticity (unpaid) and visibility (paid), or the perfect balance between highly credible (Nano & Micro) and premium content (Micro-Macro-Star) that brands can check and approve. By all means, the holistic approach and synergy between elements do not only refer to influencer categories. There are other collaborations that can lead to very successful outcomes: for example, the synergy between campaign missions and the synergy that is created between brands and selected influencers. Let’s explore them in future articles! Keep an eye on our social media (LinkedIn & Instagram) and on our news section on our website for more content like this.
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