Social media has allowed us to find individuals we relate to or who share common interests, and we’ve learned to put trust in these people we’ve never even met. Many of these individuals are called social media influencers.

Influencers create a connection with their followers by showing a glimpse of their real life and making their audience feel personally connected. Businesses have discovered how they can influence their audience to purchase certain products and services, and have made influencers a part of their marketing strategies.

There are two types of social media influencers: micro-influencers and macro-influencers. The main difference between the two is their following size. Some define micro-influencers as anyone who has 500 to 10,000 followers, and macro-influencers as someone with 10,000 to 1 million+ followers. Others define anyone with 1,000 to 100,000 as micro-influencers and 100,000+ as macro-influencers.

Here are a few other differences between the micro- and macro-influencers:

Engagement

Even though macro-influencers reach a larger audience, surprisingly, micro-influencers have a larger engagement rate than macro-influencers. This is because a micro-influencer builds stronger relationships with their audience, and it’s a much more niche market compared to macro-influencers.

The micro-influencers create a community within their platform and allow their audience to interact with each other which increases the engagement rate.

Cost

Cost is another major difference between the two. The more popular an influencer is, the more expensive it is to have them promote your product or service. When deciding which type of influencer to use, this is a big thing to consider. How much are you willing to spend?

Micro-influencers are typically better for smaller brands not only for the pricing but also for what you get with the influencer. Micro-influencers are making efforts to grow their following as well, so they tend to over-serve the brand they are collaborating with in their efforts to build a relationship with the brand for long-term consideration for campaigns.

Authenticity and influence

Taking someone’s word about a product or service that you don’t even know takes a lot of trust. This is why taking the influencer’s authenticity with their audience into consideration is important.

Once an influencer reaches a big enough following to be considered a macro-influencer, they are almost celebrities in the social media world. Many people associate those with a large following as “less authentic,” which isn’t always the case.

However, it is something to consider when deciding which type of influencer to work with. It’s easier to trust someone you feel a personal connection with, and this can be more difficult with someone with a large following.

Conclusion

Both micro and macro influencers can have a huge impact on your social media marketing campaigns. They are a great way to promote your product and service. Each business has different goals when it comes to its marketing campaigns, so choosing which type of influencer to use can change depending on these goals.

Here are some important things to remember when choosing which influencer to use:

• The goal you are trying to achieve with this marketing campaign.
• The engagement rate and reach of each influencer- this also goes back to your goals! Are you trying to increase brand awareness? Or, are you trying to sell more products?
• How much money you’re willing to spend.
• How much influence the influencer actually has on their audience.

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to influencers. It’s always most important to do what you think is best for your company! Whether it’s a micro-influencer or macro-influencer, as long as they help you reach your goals!