Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is one of the top forms of digital marketing in terms of ROI? For every $1 spent on influencer marketing, brands earn up to $5.78 in return. That's why 91% of marketers believe that influencer marketing is an effective form of marketing (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2020). One of the biggest challenges brands face with influencer marketing is how to choose the right influencers for their marketing campaigns.

4 Types of Influencers by Follower Count

Influencers are popping up all over the place. It makes sense considering influencer marketing ROI is one of the highest among traditional digital marketing channels.
• Nano influencers (1K–10K followers)
• Micro influencers (10K–100K followers)
• Macro influencers (100K–1M followers)
• Mega or celebrity influencers (1M+ followers)

Nano Influencers (1K–10K followers)

Nano influencers have from 1K–10K followers on their social media channels. They typically have a very engaged social media following and great engagement rates. Nano influencers are typically very vocal advocates of the brands and products they love and their followers appreciate their authentic recommendations and commentary. They have a very close relationship with their followers and take the time to engage with their followers to cultivate those relationships.

When to Use Nano Influencers
If you're a small- to mid-size business with a limited marketing budget, nano influencers are a cost-effective option for getting started with influencer marketing. Nano influencers are also a great option if you want to test a product launch or test your products and services with a new niche.

Where to Find Nano Influencers
Instagram is a great place to find nano influencers. You can easily find them using social media listening tools that will let you know about brand tags and mentions.

Fake Influencers: How to Identify and Steer Clear of Them

Fake influencers are everywhere. These are accounts that pay for more followers and engagement so they look like they're influential. While some of them are easy to spot, others take a bit more discernment. When you're looking for the right influencers for your brand, there are a few metrics you can look at to make sure that an account is actually as good as they seem:
• Engagement rate
• Comments (look for quality comments)
• How the account reacts to comments
• Who's following them
• Who they're following
As influencer marketing becomes more lucrative, it's no surprise that fake influencers are popping up more and more.

Finding Influencers for Your Brand

When everyone can be an influencer, it can get complicated to find the right influencers to represent your brand. Here are some factors other than influencer rates to think about during your influencer search.

Audience Match
Once you find an influencer with the follower count you're looking for, take a look at who those followers are. Do they match your target audience? If they don't, the influencer will probably have a harder time sharing your brand message. If they do, great! Before you go signing them up, though, check out the engagement and read some of the comments and responses to make sure that the engagement is what you'd like to see for your brand.

Authenticity, Passion, and Knowledge
Does the influencer you're considering speak knowledgeably about your industry? Does their audience engage with their content—even their sponsored content? Does the influencer create their own content in their promotional messages? The right influencer for your brand is one that comes across as a relatable person sharing information about their favorite products instead of a salesperson. It helps immensely if they also have a passion for the niche.

Goal Match
Your goal has a lot to do with the type of influencer you'll want to choose. For example, if you're looking to increase your brand awareness, macro influencers with larger fan bases are probably going to be the most beneficial to you. If you want to increase conversions, however, nano or micro influencers might be your best bet thanks to their typically high engagement rates.

Platform
The platform an influencer uses is important, too. If your audience loves stunning imagery, you'll probably want to find an Instagram influencer. If your audience goes crazy for video content, a YouTube influencer might be a better option. If you're a B2B business targeting other businesses, find a LinkedIn influencer to partner with.