" />Influencer marketing can be a minefield. Social media platforms and their algorithms change constantly. Creators on these platforms have also become savvier to the commercial benefits of working with brands. While definitions of nano, micro, macro, mega, and celebrity influencers can vary, a general consensus has emerged among marketers around categorising influencers based on their follower counts. This helps marketing managers segment influencers and decide which creator/s are best suited to their campaign.
Researching the right influencers to use in your PR and social media campaign can be a hefty task in itself. Their size, or follower count, is a good place to start. Based on your marketing budget, you can decide whether you want to engage one influencer with a big following or multiple influencers with a smaller following. Both have their own benefits.
Influencers exist in every sector imaginable. While health and fitness, and foodie influencers are commonplace, there are also social media influencers in the plumbing and heating installer industry.
Can you use influencers in B2B marketing campaigns?
In B2B marketing, influencers may be called key opinion leaders, but in reality, they are the same thing: people of influence. They can be used in the same way to share your brand, product or service messaging to their audience. We supported our client Polypipe Building Products with an influencer marketing campaign, which cemented it as the market leader and voice of authority around Part L. Our own research also found that social media was one of the best ways to reach an installer audience.
We also recently won gold for our influencer marketing campaign with Accoya, winning Best Use of Influencer Partnership(s) at the PRmoment Awards 2025. This activity saw us work with three leading architects to find out what inspired some of their recent projects. Working with these industry leaders allowed us to leverage their profile and audience on behalf of our client.
How to tier and segment social media influencers
In this blog, we will discuss the different tiers of influencers used by PR professionals and digital marketers to group creators. Each group has its own considerations and ways of working. Brands and marketers that want to work with creators with different levels of followers should take note of this before approaching influencers about a potential partnership.
Follower counts can vary between platforms for each influencer. Some social media strategists will also discount follower count over their engagement rates. However, we believe this is a good place to start and gives a scale of each influencer. While most creators are established across multiple platforms, some may only exist or have built a following on a single social media platform.
Nano influencers (1,000–10,000 followers)
Nano influencers are everyday individuals who have built a modest yet highly engaged following. Their audiences often consist of niche community members, leading to authentic interactions and high trust levels. Brands can benefit from their genuine endorsements and cost-effective collaboration opportunities. They may have just started out on their creator journey or talk about a specific topic that has a niche interest. A niche within a niche, if you will.
@our60srevamp has fewer than 10,000 followers but a highly engaged audience of garden, landscape, build, and house refurb followers. Designer Lucy Willcox has a partnership with flower retailer Crocus and offers 15% off to her followers through an exclusive voucher code.
Micro influencers (10,000–100,000 followers)
Micro influencers have a more substantial following and often specialise in specific niches, such as home, interiors, fitness, beauty, or technology. Their content resonates deeply with their audience, leading to higher engagement rates compared to larger influencers. Collaborating with micro influencers allows brands to tap into targeted communities with authentic messaging.
An example of this would include @_well_this_is_new_, who has close to 60,000 followers on Instagram and posts about new food and FMCG products on UK supermarket shelves. They often receive gifted packages from brands and free samples of products before they are launched.
Macro influencers (100,000–1,000,000 followers)
Macro influencers have achieved significant popularity. By reaching the six figure mark, they can offer brands extensive reach to their follower base. While their engagement rates may be lower than those of nano and micro influencers, their ability to amplify brand awareness on a larger scale is invaluable. They are suitable for campaigns aiming for widespread visibility.
@lifeinmanny is one of my personal favourites. Eloise, who runs the platform is a prolific visitor to the latest food, drink, and hospitality openings in Manchester, and manages to give us a first-look at the latest haunts in the city. As well as loaded fries and the latest matcha spot, she also spotlights cool co-working offices, exhibitions to visit, and the latest leisure venues in the city.
@lifeinmanchester GET BAKED HAS OFFICIALLY OPENED IN MANCHESTER 🍰🤯 and if you’re after huge slices of Bertha cake, the first 1,000 customers tomorrow from 12pm will get one! 🤌 #manchester #lifeinmanchester #getbaked #getbakedmanchester #manchesterfood #wheretoeatinmanchester #manchesterrestaurants #manchestercake #manchestercoffee #fyp #foryoupage #bestrestaurantsinmanchester #manchesterfoodplaces #ukcake #viralcake #manchesterweekend #weekendinmanchester #manchesterlife #manchesterlifestyle #uniofmanchester #manchesterstudent
Mega influencers (1,000,000+ followers)
Mega influencers, often celebrities or public figures, boast massive followings and can provide unparalleled exposure. However, collaborations with them require substantial budgets, and their endorsements may come across as less personal. Brands should consider mega influencers for large-scale campaigns where broad awareness is the primary goal.
A mega influencer’s reach can extend beyond social media and into the mainstream media too. For example, Molly Mae and her endorsement of various fashion brands such as PrettyLittleThing and Adanola, make news in the likes of the MailOnline and other women’s lifestyle magazines.
Mrs Hinch also started out as a home interiors and cleaning influencer – she now has close to 5 million social media followers on Instagram alone. Her popularity has soared in recent years, and this has seen her become an ambassador for P&G, and its cleaning brands: Bold, Lenor, Fairy, Flash, and Febreze. Her involvement extends from social media content to on-pack promotions and limited edition scents.
Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, also shot to fame on social media. His mission to get the nation moving propelled him from a health and fitness influencer to an all-around personality. He is currently the face of Sainsbury’s, following in the footsteps of Jamie Oliver, and appeals to families up and down the country. His role in the supermarket’s marketing extends to the silver screen, not just social media posts.
Selecting the right influencers for your campaign
Choosing the appropriate influencers involves more than just assessing follower counts. Consider the following factors before shortlisting talent:
- Audience alignment: Ensure the influencer’s audience matches your target demographic.
- Engagement rates: Higher engagement often indicates a more connected and responsive audience. This will drive people to act through a call to action, and beyond delivering just ‘brand awareness’.
- Content relevance: The influencer’s content should align with your brand’s values and messaging.
- Budget considerations: Balance the potential reach and engagement against your available resources. Ultimately, this is a commercial decision. Will the amount you pay them exceed the return on investment in working with the influencer?
It’s also beneficial to provide influencers with a clear brief outlining campaign objectives and key messages. However, allowing them creative freedom ensures the content remains authentic and resonates with their audience. This topic deserves its own blog post and deep dive.
Benefits of influencer collaborations
Engaging with influencers offers several advantages:
- Authenticity: Influencers can present your brand in a relatable manner, fostering trust. Among their audience, your target audience.
- Targeted reach: Especially with nano and micro influencers, brands can access specific niches effectively. These audiences may not all read a certain magazine, or watch a specific TV programme.
- Enhanced engagement: Influencer content often garners higher interaction rates compared to traditional advertising. Audiences can click to find out more or even make an instant purchase.
- Cost-effectiveness: Collaborations with smaller influencers can yield significant ROI without excessive costs.
In summary, while the tiering system is a good place to start, there are also exceptions to the rules. Mega influencers offer vast reach but may not result in the required return on investment. Smaller influencers often provide deeper engagement and authenticity, but the volume of followers may not be enough to meet your sales targets. By understanding the nuances of each influencer tier and aligning them with your campaign goals, you can craft impactful and resonant marketing strategies that reach your organisational and commercial goals.
If you want to find out more about working with nano, micro, macro, and mega influencers, we can help. Talk to our team today and enter the world of social media influencers with an expert by your side.
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