Influencers have become an important part of success on social media. People and businesses are willing to invest more and more in influencer marketing due to the exposure it brings to their brand or company.
If you’re not already using influencer marketing, it’s likely time that you consider it, but first you need to understand what, exactly, you’re putting your money into. This starts with understanding that there are various kinds of influencers with different price points and kinds of exposure. There are different categories you can use to figure out the kind of influencer you need.
Category One: Followers
Under this category, there are four different kinds of influencers. They are:
- Mega-influencers – These are celebrities. They may not be experts in marketing, but if you decide to get some influencer marketing from these people be expected to pay huge amounts of money.
- Macro-influencers – These are influencers with followers between 100,000 and one million. These influencers often gained their fame through the internet originally and therefore know a thing or two more about it. They’ll also charge very high fees.
- Micro-influencers – These are people with 10 000 to 100 000 followers. These people often have much more authentic and relatable content and have much stronger relationships with their followers.
- Nano-influencers – These are people with 1000 or less followers and tend to be just average people. Because of this relatability and their more personal interactions with their followers they tend to have the highest levels of engagement.
Each kind of influencer has its positives and negatives, such as micro-influencers. These people don’t have as many followers that will see the product you pay them to promote, but the followers that do see it are much more likely to care about it.
“The key being engagement, micro-influencers often have a loyal and enthusiastic audience made up of family members, colleagues and other members of their community and first circle. They also hold a certain cachet within their niche and are a trusted go-to for advice and product recommendations.” – Like A Voss
Category Two: The Methods
There are three kinds of influencers that will gain you exposure using different methods. These influencers are:
- The Advocate – “They are people who speak about your brand positively, either through use of a product or service, and will jump into conversations around your brand to either promote or defend.” – Sense I Marketing
- The Referrer – This is someone that drives people to your website or other outside content and gives trusted recommendations of your products or services.
- The Loyalist – These are people that have grown with you or your company and have constantly supported you. They can sometimes be seen as the most important kind of influencer as they are your community in a way. They build you up and support you constantly.
Remember, influencers are going to fall into multiple of these categories. For example, often a micro-influencer will also be an advocate.
Category Three: Content Type
Different kinds of influencers are going to provide different kinds of content. It’s important to know what kind you want before you start researching who you want for your influencer marketing. There are many kinds out there, some of which are:
- Instagram influencers
- Bloggers
- Youtubers
- Podcasters
- Etc.
You want to decide where you want your product or service to be seen most and find influencers that do well on that platform. Sometimes, someone can have a decent following on both. If you want, you could have them share your product in multiple places or pick just one.
Category Four: The Industry
One of the most important things to consider when using influencer marketing is making sure the influencer makes content relevant to the industry that you’re a part of. It’s a waste of money if the influencer doesn’t have followers that are interested in the thing you are trying to promote. Some industries include:
- Fashion and makeup
- Food
- Travel
- Comedy
- Etc.
No matter how many followers someone has, if they’re known for their comedic content and you pay them to promote your hair care product, you’re going to get way less business then if you got an influencer known for their beauty routine posts even if they have half as many followers.
It’s very important that you’re aware of different kinds of influencers and the strategies they utilize if you’re thinking of investing in this increasingly popular mode of advertisement. Always do your research. It’s well worth the time it takes.
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