If you’ve spent any time on Instagram in the past year, you know all about influencers. Influencers are your best shot at native advertising – in essence, it’s a paid endorsement that’s designed to look like a natural recommendation. When done correctly, you’ll get a lot of new eyeballs on your product, and those familiar with your brand will see you in a more favorable light. When influencing goes wrong, though, both the business and the influencer come out looking worse.
There are two main types of influencers. Macro influencers are the biggest names with the biggest social media followings, while micro influencers are less well-known, but are standouts in their fields. Which one should you use? Take this quiz to find out.
Question 1: What’s your budget?
a) We barely have enough money to hire an influencer, and we don’t get what the big deal is with influencers anyway.
b) We have enough money for the right influencer.
c) We’re in Kardashian territory.
If you answered C, then a macro influencer is right for you. You want to raise your profile, regardless of price, and an A-list celebrity can do that for you.
If you answered B, you’re probably more geared towards a micro influencer, since micro influencers are all about the right fit and not necessarily the biggest name.
If you picked A, you should probably wait until you have a clear influencer strategy – and you should also learn some of the benefits of influencer marketing.
Question 2: What are your goals?
a) We want to reach the biggest number of people possible.
b) We heard that influencer marketing is a big deal and we want to get in on this before our competitors do.
c) We have a very specific message we’d like to send, and we want to work with an influencer who reflects that same mentality.
A macro influencer is best for those who answered A or B. A macro influencer is great for getting the word out, and it’s the ideal option for the business that simply wants to get into the influencer game and doesn’t really care about the message.
For someone who’s using an influencer as a carefully curated campaign to increase the reputation of their business (option C), a micro influencer is your best bet.
Question 3: What metrics are you using to measure success?
a) Likes
b) New followers
c) Purchases
d) New paying customers
If you answered A or B, you’ll be best served with a macro influencer. However, it’s important to note that the rate of engagement on an influencer post goes down as the number of followers increases. In other words, just because you got 1,000 extra likes from an influencer with 100,000 followers doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to receive 10,000 likes if you partner with a million-follower influencer.
On the other hand, those that answered C and D will see the best results with a micro influencer. These individuals might not be as famous, but they’re respected people within a niche industry. And since people interested in a niche are usually closer to a purchase than the general population, a ringing endorsement from a reputable source is more likely to encourage purchases than a famous name with no ties to your company’s niche.
When it comes to influencers, there are no large-scale rights or wrongs. It all depends on what works for your business and your particular situation. However, it’s crucial that you make the right choice. Opting for the wrong influencer can not only cost your company serious money, but it can sour you on a very lucrative marketing medium.
To learn how you can maximize your investment in influencer marketing, drop us a line and let us take a look at your scenario.
