The term influencer has evolved dramatically over the past several years. Today the word holds notable value, signifying an individual capable of influencing others’ opinions through their own public behavior. In the world of marketing, these influencers are revolutionizing what effective marketing campaigns look like. If you’re considering utilizing social influencers to amp up your marketing efforts, it’s important to recognize the different types to best decide which is right for your brand. Here we’re explaining the three main types of influencers and how to best engage them.
As the name suggests, mega influencers are just that–”mega famous” people. Actors, musicians, athletes and social media personalities with at least 1 million followers are generally the ones who fit into this category. Driven by their celebrity appeal, mega influencers have the greatest reach in the sense that their posts will end up in front of the largest number of people on the influencer spectrum. If your goal is to simply get your product in front of the largest audience possible, mega influencers are the way to go. That being said, because celebrities are so often used as spokesmodels for products, they tend to be considered less trustworthy than more “self-made” influencers. And of course, they are the most expensive to work with.
- Benefits of mega influencers
- Massive audience: a post on a mega influencers profile is likely to be viewed by 1M+ people.
- Celebrity prestige: When a celebrity associates themselves with your brand, it can provide you with a certain level of clout.
- Potential sales increase: A study in the Journal of Advertising Research found brands partnering with celebrities saw a weekly increase in sales of around 4%.
- How to engage mega influencers
While most influencers in this category are working with an agent to manage their work, offering money is definitely your best bet in securing a partnership. Working with mega influencers should be handled as professionally as you would any marketing professional, with a thorough and agreeable deal. To save you time and efforts, use an influencer platform. For greatest impact, your influencer campaign should be naturally implemented in the influencers team, to avoid the clearly sponsored affect.
The macro influencer can be just about anyone, with the right amount of followers. Typically with somewhere between 10,000-1million followers, these influencers can be bloggers, journalists, executives and others with a passion for sharing their lives. This type of influencer has the highest topical relevance on the spectrum, as they tend to focus on a specific category, such as lifestyle, fashion, fitness or business.
Because many macro influencers use their influence as a primary source of income, they take great pride in producing authentic, and reliable content for their followers. This level of influencer therefore are considered extremely trustworthy and are often supported by a fiercely loyal fan base.
- Benefits of macro influencers
- Loyal following: Macro influencers’ audiences take their opinions very seriously, generating positive opinions towards your brand.
- Attainable: While still in relatively high demand, macro influences are much more accessible to the everyday brand than mega influencers.
- Optimal awareness: Macro influences are especially good at promoting products or services in a natural way, raising awareness on how your brand can benefit their follower’s lives.
- How to engage macro influencers
Macro influencers are being contacted by brands everyday via comments, emails, direct messages and more, so it’s important to treat them professionally and with an attractive offer to help yourself stick out. Being personal and upfront about what you want and what you’re offering is the best route for working with macro influencers. When crafting your campaign brief, remember these influencers know what they’re doing and what their audiences best respond to. Trust their judgement.
A fairly new type of influencer, micro influencers are everyday people who have between 500-10,000 followers. Because their fan base is on the smaller side, they have the best level of engagement and brand relevance on the spectrum of influencers. Because micro influencers only post about their genuine experiences, they have a high level of trust and are ideal for building lasting relationships with both companies and followers.
- Benefits of micro influencers
- Engagement: Micro influencers drive 25-50% engagement per post.
- Cost effective: Micro influencers are often motivated by experiences and VIP treatment.
- Great for local business: Micro influences are a great option for local businesses to get the benefits of influencer marketing in their target market.
- How to engage with micro influencers
Micro influencers can be contacted directly with a DM or comment. However, it’s always safer to contact them through influencer platforms like Ifluenz. These influencers are doing what they do because they enjoy it, so treating them to free samples when a new product launches or inviting them to events is all it takes to reap the benefits.
The goal of influencer marketing is to raise awareness about your brand in an authentic and relatable format. Finding the right influencer depends on your brands focus and the objective you’re hoping to achieve through an influencer campaign. Regardless of which level you choose to work with, we hope this breakdown helps guide your decision.
Author Bio: Maddie Davis is co-founder of Enlightened Digital is and tech-obsessed female from the Big Apple. She lives by running marathons and reading anything and everything on the NYT Best Sellers list.