Types of influencers: Pick the best for your brand & product

When you decide to recruit an influencer to promote your brand, you need to be sure that they are the right fit for your campaign, otherwise, you’re unlikely to see any substantial results. However, with so many types of influencers out there, it can be difficult to know what you should be looking for.

Should you pick an influencer according to the size of their following or according to their area of interest or expertise? What about celebrities, rising stars, and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs)? Are they a must or will you get more bang for your buck with someone with a smaller, more modest following?

In this article, we’ll look at the various types of influencers out there to help you pick the best promoter for your brand.

Influencers by audience size

Let’s start by exploring the different types of influencers according to audience size to help you find the right content creators for your brand. Remember, when it comes to influencer marketing, just because someone has a considerably sized audience doesn’t necessarily mean they will do the best job promoting your campaign.

Nano-influencers (1K–10K followers)

Of all the types of profiles, nano-influencers have the smallest audience. They usually have between 1K and 10K followers on social media channels. 

Because of their reduced following, nano-influencers are usually vocal advocates of the brands and products they like and promote. They often have a very engaged social media following and, because they don’t oversaturate their channels with obvious campaigns, their followers tend to value their authentic reviews, recommendations, and commentary. They are also able to maintain closer relationships with their followers as they take the time to respond to comments, engage with their audience, and nurture their relationships. 

Nano-influencers, and the next type, micro-influencers, are useful for any brand regardless of their company size and the use of one type or the other will depend on the strategy you want to focus on.

For example, if you are a big brand, nano- and micro-influencers are a very interesting option when used at scale, leveraging your budget to create campaigns with 100 or more influencers. On the other hand, if you are a smaller brand with a more limited marketing budget, these niche profiles can also be a good option, keeping costs low while achieving results at the same time.

Micro-influencers (10K–100K followers)

Micro-influencers have a larger audience than nano-influencers, usually between 10K and 100K followers. Although they have more followers to interact with, they usually manage to maintain a relatively high level of engagement. They are also more likely to have a targeted audience focused on a particular niche, such as  travel or baking, for example. This makes it easier to create specialized relevant sponsorships.

Because their audience is more specialized, these types of influencers are best suited to brands that are looking to generate more focused leads. This is mainly because their audience is already expecting to receive targeted marketing messages within their niche. For example, if you sell mixers, then a micro-influencer who specializes in baking could be a great option.

Macro-influencers (100K–1M followers)

Macro-influencers, as you have probably guessed, have an even larger audience than micro-influencers, usually between 100K and 1M followers. These types of influencers have a much broader appeal and often include social media stars, bloggers, vloggers, or podcasters. These influencers also have a much greater reach. Plus, as many are former micro-influencers who have grown in size, they are likely to have a well-developed audience made up of loyal followers. However, due to the sheer size of their audience, they are unlikely to have a high engagement rate.

Macro-influencers are best suited to brands that are looking to raise awareness of their products or services, as you get instant access to a much larger audience. Macro-influencers are almost exclusively used by big brands since smaller businesses can’t always afford the fees this type of influencers ask for.

Mega-influencers (1M+ followers)

At the top of the pyramid, we find mega-influencers. These are influencers with over 1M followers, and this category is usually made up of celebrities, rising stars, and KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders). For example, this category might include those specialized in TikTok influencer marketing. Because they have such a strong social status, their recommendations and opinions tend to be listened to. However, mega-influencers are not likely to be very engaged with their followers or specialized in a particular niche or industry. 

These types of influencers are best suited to brands with a considerable marketing budget, as getting a mega influencer to promote your brand is more than likely going to be very expensive.

Influencers by niche & content type

Another way to filter through the many types of influencers to pick the best person to promote your brand is by choosing an influencer who is focused on a specific niche or content type.

Here are a few examples of what we mean:

• Sports and fitness content creators can be a great choice if you are looking to promote sports brands or food and drink brands related to the health and wellness industry.
• Travel influencers usually offer travel tips, tricks, and hacks, as well as reviews on travel-related brands. This could be a great choice if you are looking to promote a holiday destination or food establishment.
• Beauty influencers usually share beauty tips and product reviews, so these types of influencers could be a great choice if you are looking to promote makeup or cosmetic products.