On the surface they are regular social media users – sharing pictures, videos and posts like the rest of us. Just everyday people with something to say.
They probably have under 5000 followers, and they’re unlikely to even call themselves influencers. But when they talk, people listen.
Their audience is engaged, trusting, and willing to take advice. They have the power to sell your products. This is nano-influencer marketing.
These influencers are motivated by sharing everything they are passionate about – getting freebies or cash for working with brands is a bonus. They truly appreciate the offer to work together, and are less demanding when agreeing compensation.
Research by Altimeter Group found that only 32% of consumers follow big influencers, compared to 70% who say they are influenced by family members or friends online.
Nano-influencers have a smaller audience, allowing them to reply to any comments they receive and build deeper connections with their followers. Smaller influencers are found to have 60% higher engagement rates than larger influencers. Their followers feel appreciated, involved, and part of a community. Like friends.
Product recommendations look more genuine, and likes, comments, or shares are likely be higher.
Because nano-influencers are just normal people, they are more approachable. There is less drama, it’s an easier process, and sharing on social media is part of their life – they are not only in it for the money.
When your influencer marketing program works with larger influencers there is more need to collaborate to fit your message around their audience. You lose some control.
Smaller influencers are more like ambassadors. They are happy to spread your message in a positive way without too many changes. They like your brand and want to shout about it to their friends.
These ambassadors will often focus on more niche topics than mainstream names. They share things that reflect their personality and are likely to have followers with the same views. This allows you to work with people who have a real passion for a topic that fits perfectly with your brand.
Because they are cheaper, you are able to work with more ambassadors at a time. This improves your reach and also allows you to cover many audience segments with one campaign.
When you work with bigger names there is often more paperwork. And as you are spending large sums of money to work with them, you need to pick the perfect people. Once selected, contacting and agreeing on terms is a long process, and in the end, they may not even get your message out in the way you wanted.