With so many influencer types and creators to suit every industry niche, it can be challenging to choose the right one for your marketing campaign. We’re sure you’ve heard the ROI hype, and it is definitely something to get excited about: influencer marketing is rated among the top forms of digital marketing, so finding the perfect partner is even more important.
This post looks at 7 types of influencers, explores ways in which they can be a good fit for your brand, and will help you understand the types of campaigns each influencer is best suited to.
If you’d like to dive a little deeper, we’ve created an ebook to help you further understand the unique benefits of each influencer category from micro-influencers and your own customers, to KOLs, rising influencers, celebrities, and everything in between.
Understanding influencer types:
Nano influencers
WHO ARE THEY?
- 1,000 – 5,000 followersÂ
- Most active on Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin.
WHY WORK WITH THEM?
- High engagement rates
- Genuine affinity with your brandÂ
- Cost-effective partnerships
PERFECT FIT FOR:
- Local and national brand awareness
- Event promotionÂ
- Promoting seasonal product lines
Micro-influencers
WHO ARE THEY?
- 5,000 – 15,000 followers
- Most active on Instagram
WHY WORK WITH THEM?
- High engagement ratesÂ
- Highly targeted, niche audiencesÂ
- Genuine affinity with your brandÂ
- Cost-effective partnershipsÂ
PERFECT FIT FOR:
- Brand awarenessÂ
- Product reviewsÂ
- Product how-tosÂ
- Niche product launch
Check out this post on how micro-influencers can transform your business.Â
Organic influencers
WHO ARE THEY?
- They’re individuals who are already part of your brand community, such as customers, subscribers, or followers
WHY WORK WITH THEM?
- Reach your target customer demographicÂ
- Genuine affinity with your brandÂ
- Authentic content creationÂ
- Cost-effective partnerships
PERFECT FIT FORÂ
- Brand awarenessÂ
- Product reviewsÂ
- Product how-tosÂ
- Referral marketing
Check out this post on the best way to discover organic influencers.Â
KOL (Key Opinion Leaders)
WHO ARE THEY?
- 5K – 500K followersÂ
- Most active on Linkedin, Twitter, and blogs.
WHY WORK WITH THEM?
- Raise brand awareness
- Boost brand credibility
- Specialist knowledge makes impactful content
PERFECT FIT FORÂ
- Thought leadershipÂ
- B2B partnershipsÂ
- Brand awarenessÂ
- Event promotion
Rising Star Influencers
WHO ARE THEY?
- 100K – 500K followers
- Most active on Instagram, YouTube & TikTok
WHY WORK WITH THEM?
- Raise brand awarenessÂ
- Boost salesÂ
- Reach new audiencesÂ
- Build your brand’s social presence
PERFECT FIT FORÂ
- National/Regional awarenessÂ
- Driving web trafficÂ
- Product launch
Mega Influencers
WHO ARE THEY?
- 500K+ followersÂ
- Most active on Instagram, YouTube & TikTok
WHY WORK WITH THEM?
- Raise brand awareness
- Mass-market promotionÂ
- Reach a mainstream, broad audienceÂ
- Build your brand’s social presence
PERFECT FIT FORÂ
- Brand awarenessÂ
- Driving web trafficÂ
- Product launchÂ
- Affiliate campaigns
Celebrity Influencers
WHO ARE THEY?
- 1M+ followersÂ
- Most active on Instagram and Twitter.
WHY WORK WITH THEM?
- Global brand awareness
- Mass-market product promotionÂ
- Build brand image & reputationÂ
- Celebrity endorsement boosts sales
PERFECT FIT FORÂ
- Large-scale ad campaignsÂ
- Brand ambassadorÂ
- Sponsored contentÂ
- Event host or patron
Check out this post on working with macro-influencers and celebrities.
As you can see, there are types of influencers to suit every brand and campaign. Once your goals are defined you’ll be in a position to choose the best type of influencers to work with.
If your brand is in a niche industry then nano or micro-influencers are a great choice given their tight-knit communities created around specific topics.
If your brand is aiming to develop industry leadership and brand awareness then reaching out to key opinion leaders (KOL) is a good way to achieve this using channels such as industry media, podcasts, and journals.
If you have a sizeable community of customers or subscribers then consider the advantages of leveraging them as brand advocates. Their genuine experience of your products or services makes them the perfect fit for promoting your brand to others!
Prepare for your influencer search with the guide below. It’s full of helpful tips for choosing the best influencer types for your campaign and practical strategies to kick-start your search!
Don’t forget, influencer selection can be time-intensive if done manually, so it’s a good idea to carry out large-scale searches using multiple search criteria on a dedicated platform such as Upfluence. Use 20+ filters to search according to location, gender, follower size, keywords, and performance metrics!
