Macro vs. Micro Influencers: What’s Best for Your Business?

Macro vs. Micro Influencers:

• If you got it, flaunt it. Basically, if you have the resources to expend on a strong influencer marketing campaign, you can afford to vet out the biggest and best influencers whose audiences align with yours and who will provide you with great ROI.
• Time saver. If you find the right macro influencer(s) to partner with, you won’t have to spend time managing a large group of influencers because you’re already reaching your major target audience in a big way.
• Professionality. Typically these types of influencers have worked with several other brands/businesses and therefore know what they’re signing up for. You can usually expect a professional interaction that will leave you feeling confident about the partnership.  
• Measurement. ROI isn’t always the easiest to define in an influencer marketing campaign, but with macro influencers, it can be easier. For example, Social Media Today reminds us that brands often provide larger influencers with deals to give their followers, making it easier to track and attribute sales to a certain product or service.

• “Ouch, that one’s going to hurt.” If your business doesn’t have a decent sized budget, chances are you won’t be able to afford a mega influencer as they can cost in the thousands depending on status. The coverage could be great for your brand, but the financial resources it takes might not be worth the ROI. This is definitely something to keep in mind when weighing your options.
• Authenticity. When people know someone they follow is getting paid to promote a certain product or service, they may doubt the authenticity behind their post. If you’re going to pursue a campaign with a macro influencer, make sure their content comes off authentic and aligns well with the message you’re trying to get across to their followers. After all, their reach is typically large and having a large number of consumers doubt your brand’s sincerity isn’t a good look. 
   

• No breaking the bank. Most small influencers know that they won’t receive as much compensation as those with mega followings and will therefore not ask for as much in return. They are also working to build their brand, so having a partnership is still a win in their book.
• They may be small, but they are mighty. (Or something like that.) In most cases, micro influencers are better able to connect and engage with their followers because, said plainly, there aren’t as many. Therefore, their audience has a higher likelihood of believing their message and trusting their recommendations. So what does this mean for your business? Basically, better conversion rates as they can convert consumers for a lower cost at a much more efficient rate than other options.
• Spread the love. If your brand isn’t spending too many resources on one micro influencer, it has room to involve multiple micro influencers in its campaign. This allows for greater reach to new audiences separated by niche and geographic location, among others.

• Less professionality. If the influencer isn’t used to dealing with brand partnerships, they may or may not know how to act in a “business professional” manner. This isn’t always the case, but it’s something to think about when you’re choosing what influencers to work with.
• Less reach. Numbers aren’t everything until they are. Yes, engagement could be higher, but because there are overall fewer followers, not as many people are seeing the content you are working so hard to put out there. Consider what is more important to your business.

So who do you choose?

• What are you trying to achieve with this campaign? Are you promoting the launch of a new product? Are you trying to spread the word about new services you’re offering? Defining the goals for your campaign will be your first step to discovering who is best to partner with. If you are launching a new product, you may decide you want the largest audience possible to be exposed to it for a greater chance of driving sales. If you are spreading the word about adding services to your current roster, you may decide you want to save some time and resources by launching a campaign with micro influencers whose audience is interested and more invested in the specific changes happening within your business. Whatever you choose, make sure your goals have KPIs (key performance indicators) that make them measurable. This will be crucial when measuring the success of the campaign and adjusting future strategies and goals accordingly.

• Messaging will only work if it’s directed towards the right audience who cares about what is being said. Does your audience lie in the large lifestyle arena that could benefit from a large influencer marketing campaign, or does it lie in a niche community that would only work with a select few influencers? Make sure you confidently know the answer before delving into a campaign – trust us, knowing your audience is integral to your campaign’s success. 

• If you have the resources to plan and execute a large campaign with macro influencers (who are both credible and relevant to your niche and will help you reach your target audience in a major way) by all means go for it. However, if your budget is on the smaller side, working with micro influencers can still positively affect your business and might be your best bet. Set your budget early on and run a smart campaign accordingly. 
   

• Your brand is the face of your business. When you pair other faces with your business, you need to make sure their values match yours. Otherwise, your brand will be the one who looks inauthentic and/or unreliable. Don’t overlook this aspect.