The Rise of Nano-Influencers: Why Smaller Can Be Better
When influencer marketing first blossomed, it was focused on celebrities and influencers with incredibly large followings collaborating with brands for new products or services. The thought of small influencers working with brands seemed highly unlikely. I mean, who would even see these collaborations? Turns out that influencers with a smaller follower count are the ones seeing the highest engagement for brand partnerships. Nano-influencers are defined as having between 1,000-10,000 followers and typically create niche content. Let’s dive into how these influencers are impacting campaigns, what to keep in mind when working with nano-influencers, and how you can find the right ones to work with.
The Impact of Nano-Influencers on Campaign Reach
Authenticity:
Many nano-influencers are product enthusiasts who share their thoughts and opinions on social media about various products that fit within their niche. Whether their interests are more aligned with cookware, supplements, etc., they rate and recommend their favorite products to their audience. Since their endorsements come from a place of passion and not a brand partnership, their promotions are authentic and connect better with their audiences.
Impressive Engagement Rates:
The strong connections that nano-influencers have with their audience appeal to brands because engagement is almost guaranteed for a product if they partner with the influencer. There is less of a chance that the promotion doesn’t reach a certain percentage of an audience because engagement rates for nano-influencers are high and consistent. Influencer Marketing Hub reports that nano-influencers have an average engagement rate of 3.69% which is over double that of a macro-influencer. Since their main goal isn’t monetary gain, they earn more credibility with their followers which results in higher engagement.
Easy to Contact:
Along with a high engagement rate, nano-influencers are easier to collaborate with as well. Due to their smaller following, it is easier to contact them because their DMs aren’t flooded from brands. They’ll typically respond fairly quickly since they take time to interact with their audience on each channel. Nano-influencers usually aren’t with an agency either so you can have direct contact with the influencer.
Cost-Effective:
Since nano-influencers have smaller followings, their rates are cheaper than working with a macro-influencer. According to Shopify, nano-influencers charge between $10-$100 per post. If you’re a smaller brand or are just apprehensive about high spending towards a new strategy, nano-influencers are a great way to try out influencer marketing. Many nano-influencers are also content with receiving free products as compensation, which is something to think about when creating an influencer marketing budget.
Things to Keep in Mind When Working with Nano-Influencers
Smaller Reach:
While nano-influencers have higher engagement rates, looking at the actual numbers can make the campaign seem unsuccessful. It’s important to keep in mind that nano-influencers don’t have a large reach. Even though their audience is engaging at high rates, there aren’t many audience members in the first place. This shouldn’t be discouraging because your campaign is still reaching your target audience effectively . Just don’t anticipate an overwhelming amount of impressions. If your team is concerned about a smaller reach, consider looking into micro-influencers because they have similar rates but with larger followings.
Quality of Content:
Along with a smaller reach, nano-influencers typically don’t have access to as many resources. This can result in the quality of the video being a bit lower, the editing not having a smooth pace, or maybe some color clashes, but remember this isn’t supposed to look like a paid advertisement. Anticipate an authentic endorsement from the people that use these products in their daily lives.
Past Posts:
Although posts through nano-influencers won’t reach mass audiences, they are still representing your brand which is why it is important to research the influencer before collaborating with them. Check out their previous posts for any indications that their values don’t align with the brand. See if they’ve collaborated with other brands in the past to get an idea of the type of content they’ll produce. Make sure that they're consistent with their posting and messaging so you can have a more accurate prediction of how the collaboration will go. This is important for health and wellness brands to see if they fall within the same sphere of values in terms of health and wellness.
How to Find Nano-Influencers to Collaborate With
Since nano-influencers don’t have a huge presence on social media, it can be hard to find the right ones to work with. One way as recommended by Afluencer, you can search hashtags on various platforms to see who is posting about your niche. If you’re a health and wellness brand, searching #healthylifestyle or #selfcare might bring up some great options for your campaign. During your organic search, make sure you’re checking on the last time they posted to ensure they’re active nano-influencers.
Another strategy that The Social Cat recommends is creating a casting call and posting it on the brand’s social media channels. Advertising that you’re looking for nano-influencers to collaborate with is a great way to speed up the searching process. You’ll also attract some micro influencers which can help you decide who you like working with more or if you want to incorporate both types into your influencer marketing strategy.
Partnering with agencies like CEG is one way of ensuring that you’ll find the best nano-influencers to collaborate with. At CEG, we prioritize authenticity so you won’t have to worry about a fake endorsement for your brand. We’ll take the pressure off of your team and take care of this step during your campaign preparation. If you want to learn more about how we can assist you during your campaign, check out our services page or send us an email!
