The 5 Types of Influencers You Need to Know

Mega-Influencers 

With more than a million followers, mega-influencers are highly visible on social media due to their celebrity status. They’re very active on social platforms where their audience spends time, and they generate a ton of engagement. This is what makes them attractive to brands that want to leverage influencer marketing—and what makes them incredibly expensive.

Points to consider: While mega-influencers offer incredible reach, studies have found that the rate of engagement decreases as the influencer’s total follower count rises. For Instagram influencers with more than 10 million followers, the engagement rate is only 1.6 percent.

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Macro-Influencers

With a slightly smaller audience size between 500,000 and 1 million followers, macro-influencers may be celebrities, TV personalities, athletes, or thought leaders. Since they can leverage their reputation to gain followers on social media, brands can expect a high price tag—though not as hefty as mega-influencers. Brands still get a large reach with this type of influencer but may not get the engagement rate they want. This is due to the follower to engagement ratio mentioned earlier.

Points to consider: Macro-influencer content is typically more professional-looking than what brands find with micro- or nano-influencers. Some brands may find this to be a better fit for their audience and goals.

Mid-Tier Influencers

Mid-tier influencers may not be celebrity status, yet they remain a powerful group of content creators trusted by their followers. With audiences between 50K and 500K, this type of influencer offers brands a wide reach and slightly more engagement than macro- or mega-influencers. Content is polished but not out-of-touch, lending authenticity and familiarity to each post. 

Points to consider: Rather than leveraging fame for a quick rise to the top, mid-tier influencers likely spent years climbing the ranks from nano-influencer to mid-tier influencer. They are very experienced in terms of creating content and are more connected to their audience. 

Micro-Influencers 

While micro-influencers have a much smaller following in comparison with mega-influencers, brands generally consider this group to be much more effective in terms of engagement and trust. That’s because micro-influencers have an intimate connection with their followers and tend to be more niche-focused. Eighty-two percent of consumers are more likely to buy a product recommended by a micro-influencer. 

Points to consider: Content from micro-influencers is less polished but may feel more authentic than content from macro- or mega-influencers. This may influence the amount of success a brand experiences with influencer marketing, depending on business goals.

Nano-Influencers

With the smallest follower count, nano-influencers offer brands a modest reach and probably a narrower one, too. However, what brands lose in reach they gain in engagement rates. Nano-influencers have the highest engagement rate of any influencer type, at 8.8 percent. Content is hyper-authentic and personalized for the audience, so brands working with this type of influencer can expect a different experience in this way. 

Points to consider: Nano-influencers are much more cost-effective than their higher-ups, so brands with limited resources may want to start at this level of influencer marketing. Some nano-influencers don’t even charge brands, as they are building their following and partnerships with brands.

Learn More About Influencer Marketing

If you really want to get into the details about choosing which types of influencers will fit with your digital marketing strategy, check out the science behind influencer marketing. Or, check out the Advanced Social Media Marketing Training Course, where you’ll learn advanced strategies for influencer marketing, content marketing, analytics, and much more.