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In the ever-evolving realm of influencer marketing, brands often find themselves stuck in a common misconception: the belief that they can only hitch their wagon to a single type of influencer. But hold on to your hashtags because here's a truth bomb: brands can actually mix and match macro, micro, and nano-influencers for a single campaign or even shake things up with different influencers for multiple campaigns that share the same objective. It's all about breaking free from the cookie-cutter approach and tapping into the power of variety.
The key also lies in aligning these choices with the brand's overarching objectives. By understanding distinct strengths and advantages of each influencer tier, brands can create tailored and impactful strategies that maximize their reach, engagement, and conversions. Let’s take a look at when to use macro, micro and nano-influencers.
Choosing macro-influencers
Macro-influencers are typically known to have more than 30,000 followers on social media. With their vast reach and massive following, macro influencers can be a game-changer for generating excitement for brands establishing their presence.
Pros:
- They can build hype to introduce new products for brands due to their influential statuses.
- They are often full-time influencers with abundance experience working with big brands and may even have a full production helping them to create high quality content.
- They can boost a brand's visibility and awareness in a quick turnaround time.
- They are an excellent choice as brand ambassadors (but only for brands with a sizeable budget to offer and retain them with benefits like monetary or contract-based) to reach a broad audience and their endorsements are trusted by their followers.
Cons:
- They generally have a lower engagement rate due to their large follower count, making it challenging to respond to or get to know their audience on a personal level.
- They are ideally not for brands looking to foster a community as their focus is reaching out to a large group but not necessarily creating a sense of intimacy or authenticity.
While macro-influencers offer significant reach and can generate initial buzz, it's essential to consider their levels of engagement and community-building aspects. Brands seeking to establish deeper connections, encourage active participation, and nurture a loyal community may not reap the benefits of macro-influencers.
Choosing micro-influencers
Micro-influencers are social media influencers with followers typically ranging from 5000 to 30,000 followers. Their content tends to focus on specific topics or interests, and they are known for their ability to engage and interact with their audience on a deeper level. They are also often considered more relatable and trustworthy by their followers, making them effective brand ambassadors for targeted campaigns and community-building efforts.
Pros:
- They have a niche following that trusts their recommendations which brands can tap into highly targeted communities and create genuine connections with ideal customers.
- Their content can be better quality because they hustle to become full-time influencers, so they put in the effort.
- They have strong personal branding due to their specific niche in certain industries like fitness, food and fashion, giving them a trustworthy status in their domain.
- They are often more affordable than their macro counterparts, making them a cost-effective option for brands with tighter budgets, and brands can work with many of them simultaneously.
Cons:
- Working with multiple micro-influencers means brands lose the opportunity to forge long-term relationships.
- Likely, they will eventually progress to larger followers, gradually or rapidly, meaning brands need to search again or pay up to retain them.
- Due to how niche some micro-influencers can be, brands may take more time sourcing them.
While micro-influencers may have a limited reach compared to macro-influencers and are unique to specific niches, brands can benefit by working with them for their quality content and highly targeted communities. They are also considered a cheaper option and often work under a short-term or one-time contract.
Choosing nano influencers
Nano-influencers have a relatively small but highly engaged social media following. Unlike macro or micro-influencers, nanos typically have a smaller audience size, ranging from 200 to below 5,000 followers. What sets nano-influencers apart is their ability to establish authentic connections with their audience due to their genuine interactions and personal relationships. They are also considered everyday people from all walks of life.
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Pros:
- Brands can activate many individuals at scale by mobilising hundreds of people within their dedicated communities to share content, resulting in a wider reach and increased brand visibility.
- They have a distinct group of followers, creating a diverse audience when brands work with multiple nano-influencers either in a one-off or long-term campaign.
- Their followers are more likely to trust their recommendations since they perceive them as relatable peers, creating an opportunity for genuine content creation and authentic word-of-mouth marketing, which can have a ripple effect as they influence their friends and families. This is part of the amplification process that brands can leverage on.
Cons:
- They might have a slightly lower photo and caption quality when compared to their macro and micro counterparts.
- Each influencer typically has a more limited reach compared to influencers in higher-tier ranks.
Summarising It: How to Work with Macro, Micro and Nano-Influencers At the Same Time
When it comes to working with macro, micro, and nano-influencers, it ultimately depends on the brand's specific objectives.
A strategic approach can be taken, for example, when launching a new product. Begin by collaborating with macro-influencers to create a significant buzz and generate hype around the product. As the momentum builds, transition to working with micro-influencers who can provide more personalised and authentic content to engage their dedicated followers. Finally, leverage the power of nano-influencers to amplify the message and reach a wider network of friends and family.
By combining the strengths of each influencer tier, brands can effectively maximise their reach and create a comprehensive buzz around their new product. Depending on how and when you use these influencers can provide many benefits for your campaign. Hence, it's best you understand exactly how they work and what they can offer your brand.