Many brands would like to do more influencer marketing but get tripped up at one of the earliest stages of an influencer campaign: Finding influencers.
This is where fear creeps in. How do you know which influencers are best? What if you choose the wrong influencers and your campaign fails?
These fears are understandable. There’s a huge number of influencers out there and it’s important to know the differences between them. Below, we’ll break down influencer types by audience size, platform, type of partnership, and archetype so you can figure out which types are best for your brand.
Influencer types by audience size
Nano: Under 10k followers
Nano influencers are the unsung heroes of influencer marketing. They have small audiences, so brands may underestimate them. Yet these small audiences are more valuable than they seem.
Pros: These are the most affordable influencers, perfect if you’re on a budget or are trying influencer marketing for the first time. Also, nano influencers tend to communicate frequently with their audience, creating a close bond and earning trust. This is an absolute must for influencer campaigns.
Cons: Since nano influencer audiences are so small, your brand won’t get huge exposure from working with them. You’d have to work with a bunch of nano influencers to get the same reach as you would with just one micro or mega influencer. Also, nano influencers may be inexperienced with brands, so it might be a bit harder to work with them and communicate effectively.
Micro: 10k – 99k
If you feel that nano influencers are just too small for you, micro influencers are the answer. Micro influencers have been gaining popularity with brands over the past few years, and it’s not hard to see why.
Pros: Micro influencers are relatively affordable compared to bigger influencers, and they still have a decent reach and engaged audiences. They usually have a niche audience focused on a specific topic, and a solid history of creating content about that topic. So if your brand fits that niche, you could do well with that audience.
Cons: There aren’t many cons to working with micro influencers. But if you’re really in need of a much larger reach, they may not be the best choice. Micro influencers are great, but they don’t come with the kind of “star power” and reputation bigger influencers have.
Mega: 1 million – 4 million
If you’re a well-established brand with a large influencer budget, collabing with a mega influencer could be your next move. Mega influencers are well-known inside and outside their niche. They also have connections with other highly influential people. It’s worth it to have a mega influencer on your side.
Pros: With mega influencers, your brand doesn’t just get reach; it gets credibility. There’s a serious amount of credibility that comes with being endorsed by a mega influencer. This is helpful if your brand is looking for much higher name recognition or you’re trying to appeal to a new demo or subculture.
Cons: Working with a mega influencer is pricey, so just make sure it’s realistic for your budget. Also, influencers with this many followers may have a lower engagement rate, especially if they gained much of their following years ago and those old followers aren’t as active now. Pay attention to engagement rate, not just follower count.
Giga/Celebrity: 5 million+
For brands that like to go big or go home, there are giga influencers, also known as celebrity influencers. These are the type of influencers many brands dream of working with.
Pros: With a giga influencer’s endorsement, your brand is guaranteed to get attention. There’s something about being endorsed by a well-known figure that makes people view your brand in a different light. People automatically assume your brand is “legit” if a celebrity promotes it. Collabing with a giga influencer is a fantastic way to stand out from other brands in your niche.
Cons: The price to work with a giga influencer isn’t affordable for most brands. So if that’s you, it’s okay. You can still have success with influencer marketing without working with influencers with millions of followers! Another con with giga influencers is that they can be very picky about the brands they work with, so it might be hard to get a deal with them.
Influencer types by platform
TikTok
TikTok is known for short-form videos, even though it’s possible to post static images and longer videos on it. It’s a fast-moving platform where videos are fast-paced to keep the audience’s attention. If you don’t hook the viewer within the first few seconds, they’re on to the next video.
Another key element of TikTok is its focus on trends. Whether it’s sounds, dances, fashion styles, or jokes, things tend to trend on TikTok before anywhere else. Content based on a trend can go viral fast, but you have to be quick at it because it won’t be long before the trend is overused.
TikTok influencers are good for your product if they can show off quick hacks they can do with the product (especially if they can do so while catching onto a trend). If your product needs a long, drawn-out explanation, it may not be the best for TikTok. Also, TikTok is great for promoting urgent things like flash sales.
Like TikTok, Instagram contains plenty of short-form videos. But on Instagram, there are more photos, single graphics, and carousels. Instagram is a place that rewards creativity, artistic expression, and emotional connection.
Instagram is a good place for brands that want to have influencer content but aren’t sure which platform to use. You can’t go wrong with IG. It’s versatile enough to promote all kinds of products, compared to TikTok which is more fast-paced and trendy, and YouTube, which is more in-depth and niche.
YouTube
YouTube may have YouTube Shorts, but it’s still best known for long-form videos. People who watch YouTube videos are willing to look at something for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, even 30 minutes or more. As a result, YouTube videos attract niche audiences that are devoted to a particular topic.
Another reason to work with YouTube influencers is that YouTube videos continue to get views for months and years after they’re created. This is rarely true for Instagram and TikTok content, which largely goes unnoticed after a few days.
Consider YouTube influencers if your product or service needs some time to be explained to the audience. But even if it doesn’t need much explanation, YouTube is still worth considering just because videos get viewed so long after they’re posted. YouTube isn’t the best place to promote short-term things, but it’s perfect for promoting anything you want views on for a long time to come.
Influencer types by partnership
Gifting creators
Brands with a low budget can use a gifting strategy (also known as product seeding) for influencer campaigns. Instead of paying influencers, you’d send them a free product in exchange for content creation about the product.
Many influencers don’t do gifted collabs, so this strategy will limit the types of influencers you can work with. You’ll have to stick to small influencers. But it’s still worth a try because if you’re new to influencer marketing, gifted collabs can get your feet wet without dealing with the complications of managing payments.
Affiliates
An affiliate is someone who has a unique link or discount code for another brand’s product that they promote to their audience. They get a commission when people use their link/code to buy the product.
Affiliates may or may not work closely with a brand to collab on content. Some brands are hands-off about affiliate content, which saves time for the brand because there’s little to no back-and-forth communication with the affiliate. In those cases, the brand may send assets like photos and logos and it’s up to the affiliate to come up with a way to use them to promote the brand.
Some brands that run affiliate programs are pretty open about who can become an affiliate – affiliates may not be required to have a big audience. This makes being an affiliate accessible to a large number of people. The result: One brand can have many, many affiliates, which is great for the brand.
Brand ambassadors
A brand ambassador is an influencer who works with you repeatedly and is proud to show their love for your brand. Having long-term relationships with brand ambassadors benefits them and you. The brand ambassador is happy to have consistent income, while you have a reliable partner promoting your brand over and over.
Another advantage of brand ambassadors is that their repeated promotions of your brand warm up their audience to the idea of buying. When the audience sees your brand multiple times, your brand will feel more familiar and comfortable to them.
Paid creators
A paid creator gets paid to create a post promoting a brand. This way, the brand will be exposed to the creator’s audience. Larger creators often get paid per post, but some smaller ones do too.
Just one post from a large creator can bring your brand a significant amount of exposure. After that, you can choose to continue the relationship and pay them for more posts on an ongoing basis. But even one post can make an impact.
Event influencers
Influencers aren’t just for the internet! They can make magic in in-person experiential marketing, too. Event influencers are willing to promote brands at in-person events.
Event influencers are outgoing and well-spoken, easily having conversations with people and getting your brand message across. Making in-person connections gives your brand a powerful advantage over brands that only do things online.
Influencer types by partnership
When you’re considering all the influencer types, keep in mind that different influencers have different personalities and content styles.
Just because you find an influencer with a high follower count and engagement and great content doesn’t mean they’re right for you. There may be something about their content style and overall vibe that doesn’t quite match your brand.
To avoid this, it’s helpful to think of influencers as having different archetypes. Check out these examples of influencer archetypes and think about which ones would fit your brand.
The Educator
“As an expert, I can explain all the facts about this product.”
@aamnaadel ad the derm-approved skincare trend that actually works..✨ @CeraVe @La Roche-Posay #slugging #cicaplast #panthenol ♬ original sound – Dr Adel | Dermatologist
The Educator is good at explaining facts, science, and technical details. They may have a degree or certification, or just years of knowledge and experience. Their audience trusts their expertise, which gives credibility to any brand endorsed by them.
In this sponsored video, Dr. Adel, a dermatologist, recommends two skincare products. She explains why these products can have positive effects on your skin. It’s easy to take her seriously, because her words have more weight than if a non-dermatologist were saying the same thing.
The Advocate
“Do you believe in this cause? I do too and that’s why I use this brand.”
The Advocate sincerely cares about a cause that makes the world better. Socially and environmentally conscious brands fit well with these influencers, and charities too. A charity that’s struggling to get exposure can work with an Advocate influencer who will help them raise awareness.
Krystalynn Gier’s content is all about eco-friendly living. You can tell how much she genuinely cares about helping people reduce waste and be gentle on the planet. Krystalynn proudly promotes brands like Natracare that are dedicated to sustainability.
The Lifestyle Influencer
“People like me with this lifestyle use this product.”
The Lifestyle Influencer makes viewers jealous with their luxurious or fascinating lifestyle. Their content is aspirational, meaning their audience wants to be like them. That’s what makes these influencers have such a powerful effect on their audience.
Alexis Eldredge is a performing artist in NYC, and often creates YouTube vlogs about her NYC lifestyle. In this video, she vlogs about her holiday party in her apartment. The video is sponsored by Nuts.com, which provided some food for the party. This was a smart way for Nuts.com to show off their product.
Alexis also has an Amazon storefront she links to under all of her videos so viewers can buy the things she uses in her everyday life, such as items that furnish her apartment. This is an example of affiliate marketing.
The Reviewer
“I always give honest reviews, and I can honestly say this product is good.”
The Reviewer creates unboxing and review content, and they care about being reliable and trustworthy. They use their content to recommend products, but they also warn their audience of products to stay away from. Their audience trusts their judgment and may make buying decisions based on their word.
Adam @ASBYT creates tech review videos. This video is a paid review of a Samsung TV, and Adam spends nearly nine minutes explaining and demonstrating the TV’s features. After seeing such a thorough demonstration of the TV, viewers may lean toward buying that TV over another.
The Explorer
“Visit this place and you’ll have an unforgettable experience like I did.”
@lilmsawkward This was a hosted trip with Coloardo Tourism last year! FULL ITINERARY: Day 1: • Arrive at Denver airport (DEN) • Check into the artsy The Maven Hotel • Walk around the Dairy Block—an awesome micro-district • Grab lunch at the Denver Milk Market • Check out the incredibly moving Cowboys Exhibit at MCA Denver • Dinner and drinks near Union Station (Tavernetta is incredible) Day 2: • Head to Boulder • Do a morning hike at Chautauqua Park to see the gorgeous Flatirons • Post-hike lunch at Chautauqua Dining Hall—a historic bistro serving up lunch since 1898 • Check into the gorgeous St. Julien Hotel & Spa • Walk around Boulder and grab dinner at Stella’s Cucina (get the scallops!) Day 3: • Brunch at Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse—a gorgeous tea house gifted to Boulder by their sister city in Tajikistan • Head to the lovely mountain town of Estes Park • Go snowshoeing with Kirk’s Flyshop at Rocky Mountain National Park (I swear it’s so much fun and beginner-friendly) • Check into the newly opened Trailborn Rocky Mountains • Head to dinner at Bird & Jim • Grab a Ghost Tour and Drinks at the Historic Stanley Hotel Tours Day 4: • Walk around Elkhorn Avenue (and do some cute boutique shopping) and grab coffee at Inkwell & Brew • Go ice skating at YMCA of the Rockies (they also have cool activities like dogsledding and archery) • Have brunch at Brunch & Co. Estes • Head back to Denver for your flight! #blacktravel #coloradotravel #longweekend ♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic – Kenji Ueda
The Explorer is all about traveling, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, events, and experiences. They may promote physical products, but they go beyond that to also promote places to go and things to see. Their content is visually appealing and captivating.
Alexa Moore @lilmsawkward is a travel influencer, and in this video, she takes a trip to Colorado, hosted by the Colorado Tourism Board. There are plenty of cities, parks, beaches, hotels, and attractions all over the world that are beautiful but underrated. These hidden gems don’t have to stay hidden forever, because working with an Explorer influencer can put them on the map.
The Entertainer
“This brand is fun and cool!”
The Entertainer creates content with humor, games, pranks, or crazy stunts. The goal is to make their audience smile or go “Whoa, that’s cool!” A brand promoted by this influencer is associating itself with the idea of fun and games. Brands that take themselves too seriously need not apply.
How Ridiculous is a channel full of stunts that are… ridiculous. The crazy experiments in their videos involve plenty of throwing, shooting, smashing, and breaking things. Flex Seal collabed with How Ridiculous to use the brand’s Flex Tape in a stunt. Brands that collab with an Entertainer may have their products used in unusual ways, but that just might be the thing that inspires people to buy.
The Hobbyist
“If you love this hobby, you have to try this tool.”
The Hobbyist creates niche content around a creative hobby. It can be anything from crocheting to cooking to guitar playing to gardening. What makes the Hobbyist so helpful to brands is their devoted audience that’s really into the hobby. Hobbyist influencers can get so much love from brands that their hobby turns into a full-time business!
This campaign by Furls Crochet is a giveaway, and Furls partnered with Caroline Langford @thehappyhomecollective to help spread the word. Giveaways are an effective way for brands to quickly grow their audience, and when an influencer helps promote it, audience growth happens even faster. Furls and Caroline Langford share a passion for crocheting, making this collab a perfect match.
Key takeaway: There isn’t one “best” type of influencer, so it’s smart to work with multiple types.
If you’re wondering which type of influencer and content platform are best for your brand, the answer is… there isn’t one clear answer. Different influencer types and platforms have their own pros and cons.
But the fact that there isn’t one clear answer is a good thing. It means influencer marketing brings a wide range of possibilities to make your brand successful.
Need help finding influencers? Give GRIN’s influencer discovery tools a try. With five tools that save you time and effort, it’s easier than ever to find the influencers who are right for your brand.
