Micro vs. Macro Influencers: What’s the Difference?

Influencer marketing is one of the newest and most trendy types of digital marketing and business promotion. Influencing is a career path more and more people are joining, and brands are taking notice. Marketing through influencers is a sure way to expand audience reach through a trusted source.

There are some considerations when a brand wants to invest in influencer marketing. It’s essential to understand your options, such as micro vs. macro-influencers, and what’s the difference between the two.

Micro-Influencers

The definition of a micro-influencer is widely varied and also differs significantly from platform to platform. In most cases, a person is considered a micro-influencer if they have about 10,000 followers on a single platform or less. These are, for the most part, “normal” people—meaning they most likely have a regular job in addition to their social media presence.

Micro-influencers tend to have a notably smaller reach than macro-influencers. Micro-influencers also experience higher percentages of engagement on their posts, including likes, comments, and shares.

Micro-influencers are the right choice for high engagement levels and lower costs, although they will not provide as much reach.

Macro-Influencers

Macro-influencers are typically considered people with 10,000 or more followers on a single platform. This widely varies based on the platform and content type—but above 10,000 is the general rule. Macro-influencers are more likely to consider social media their jobs and not hold “regular” employment outside of sponsorships and content creation.

Macro-influencers bring a vast audience to your brand—but they also tend to have less engagement than micro-influencers. While a smaller percentage of their followers like and comment on posts, the posts reach significantly more people.

Macro-influencers are high cost and are often inaccessible for small brands without hefty marketing budgets. They are best for building brand awareness across a broad audience.

Comparing the Value of Micro vs. Macro-Influencers

There are upsides to working with micro and macro-influencers. Building a relationship with an already trusted source helps to lend that trust to your brand. Think of it like making friends in a new town. If you meet one member of a friend group and become close, you’ll be accepted much faster when they introduce you to the rest of the group than meeting the whole clique without a bridge introduction.

The cost of working with one macro-influencer could cover the costs of working with three to four micro-influencers. The difference is if you want engagement or if you won’t reach. It’s also essential to work with influencers that hold the right target audience for your brand. For example, if you sell a workout supplement, then a fitness influencer is a more practical choice than a classic car influencer.

To recap, the difference between micro vs. macro-influencers is cost, reach, engagement, and branding association. Some benefits and costs come with both levels of influencers. As such, when deciding to invest in influencer marketing, ensure your goals are central to your marketing plan.