In today's influencer marketing landscape, brands have two main options: partner with micro-influencers or macro-influencers. But which one is right for you? In this article, we’ll explain the differences between micro and macro influencers and how to evaluate each group to see which fits your campaign best.

See this side-by-side comparison of a macro-influencer and a micro-influencer. Notice how the micro-influencer has a little less than 10,000 followers while the macro-influencer has over 200,000 thousand followers.

Defining micro and macro when it comes to influencers:

Micro-influencers: These are individuals with follower counts ranging from 10,000 to 100,000. They tend to have a niche audience and high engagement rates, often around 4%-5%. Because their audience is smaller, they can communicate and build a closer relationship with their followers compared to macro-influencers.
Macro-influencers: These are individuals with follower counts exceeding 100,000. They have a broader reach but often lower engagement rates, typically around 1%-3%. These influencers are used more for their reach than their engagement (but of course, looking at their engagement on each post is still necessary because you don’t want to collaborate with an influencer who has no engagement).

Which Is Right for Your Campaign?

The answer depends on your specific marketing goals and target audience. Here are some factors to consider:

Budget: Micro-influencers are typically more affordable than macro-influencers. Many influencers in this range are looking for more brand collaborations or more work in general, so it is easier to negotiate pricing with them.
Reach: Macro-influencers have a wider reach, which can be beneficial for brand awareness campaigns.
Engagement: Micro-influencers often have higher engagement rates, which can lead to more conversions because their followers are usually more invested in the content the influencer has to show.
Niche: Micro-influencers can be a good choice for targeting specific niches. For example, some influencers are only creating content for skin care or only creating food content. Every company likely falls into a select product or service category, such as fashion, beauty, tech, or food and beverage, so it is essential to involve influencers in content categories that align with your brand in a campaign.
Authenticity: Micro-influencers are often seen as more authentic than macro-influencers because they have less branded content and more ‘content space’ to share their personal lives, which can build trust with consumers.

Here are a few examples of how a brand’s marketing campaign would influence the type of influencers they’re looking for and how it would benefit their campaign based on the brand’s objectives.

Beauty:

Client: A new vegan makeup brand
Objective: Increase brand awareness and drive sales among millennials
Influencer choice: Micro-influencers with a focus on natural beauty and vegan products.
Rationale: Micro-influencers have a highly engaged audience of potential customers interested in vegan beauty products. Their content is often seen as more authentic and trustworthy than that of macro-influencers when it comes to the beauty space. Knowledge of vegan products and their formulations is also essential for the authenticity of the marketing messaging. This is another reason why micro-influencers who are well-versed in these details can add value to the campaign.

Food & Beverage:

Client: A local restaurant chain
Objective: Drive foot traffic and generate buzz around a new menu item
Influencer choice: Macro-influencers with a large local following and a strong food and beverage focus.
Rationale: Macro-influencers can generate significant buzz and reach a large audience of potential customers. Their endorsement can help to drive foot traffic to the restaurant. Many new restaurant openings invite these types of influencers to a pre-opening event, and they can create content that will generate excitement before the store opens. This strategy can be used for any seasonal or limited menus as well.

Real Estate:

Client: A luxury real estate developer
Objective: Generate leads and interest in a new high-end development
Influencer choice: Micro-influencers with a niche audience of affluent individuals interested in luxury real estate.
Rationale: Micro-influencers can provide targeted reach and engage with potential customers actively looking for luxury properties. Their content can give a more authentic and personalized view of the development. It is important to note that real estate content can look very out of place when placed into an influencer’s content, so make sure to really understand the style of each influencer and help them seamlessly blend the sponsored content into their videos or posts.

Additional Tips:

Do your research: Before partnering with any influencer, it's crucial to do your research and ensure they are a good fit for your brand.
Create clear guidelines: Be clear about your expectations for the influencer partnership, including the type of content they should create and the metrics you will use to measure success.
Track your results: Once you launch your campaign, track the results closely to see its effectiveness. Data will help you determine whether you're on track to achieve your goals. If the content of one influencer isn’t performing as well as you’d hoped, look at the content and results to see what could be improved. Maybe another influencer might have done a better job. Every campaign offers new learnings to refine your influencer marketing strategy.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to whether to use micro-influencers or macro-influencers. Often, it makes sense to involve both types of influencers, with some driving higher funnel awareness KPIs, and micro-influencers with a stronger connection to their audience driving trial and adoption. The best choice for your campaign will depend on your specific goals, target audience, and budget. By carefully considering these factors, you can decide which type of influencer will best help you achieve your marketing objectives.

Micro-Influencers vs. Macro-Influencers: Which Is Right for Your Campaign?

Defining micro and macro when it comes to influencers:

Which Is Right for Your Campaign?

Here are a few examples of how a brand’s marketing campaign would influence the type of influencers they’re looking for and how it would benefit their campaign based on the brand’s objectives.