With the influencer marketing sector projected to expand to $24 billion by the end of 2024, social media influencers have become a powerful force shaping consumer behavior and driving sales. As new platforms emerge and algorithms evolve, the industry needs to stay agile to keep up with its rapid evolution and its evolving trends.
It’s often believed that the bigger the influencer, virtual or not, the more beneficial they are for a brand. However, it’s becoming evident that macro-influencers and celebrities can’t reach every audience, nor do they have the same engagement levels as smaller nano-influencers.
Heylist is an award-winning influencer marketing platform that connects major brands with nano-influencers (under 10k followers). It was built with a mission to democratize the industry, expanding access to opportunities that were once reserved for larger influencers. Many influencers with under 10k followers have yet to monetize their online presence. However, nano-influencers are now becoming the most sought-after marketing tools used by big brands. Heylist is disrupting the influencer marketing industry on a massive scale.
By offering nano-influencers education, support, and insights, Heylist helps them maximize their potential. An early adopter in tech, Heylist recently announced the closing of its first funding round, raising $1.6M thanks to an unequivocal proof of concept and a solid team. The startup was able to rally investors for an oversubscribed funding round in a still somewhat hesitant market.
It is a fact that people are now craving more authentic connections. While big influencers, real or virtual, can still be aspirational and beneficial for general brand awareness, consumers are increasingly turning to smaller, niche creators for purchase decisions. One reason for the rising impact of nano-influencers is that social media users have become more aware of how influencer marketing works and have lost trust in big influencers. They want recommendations from real human beings they can relate to, here comes the nano-influencers.
What Are Nano-Influencers?
Nano-influencers are a type of influencer with a social media following that typically ranges from 1,000 to 10,000 followers. Unlike their macro and mega counterparts, nano-influencers cater to a more focused audience, often centered around a specific niche or community.
Nano-influencers tend to have higher engagement rates compared to larger influencers because they have fewer followers and are thus better able to interact with everyday social media users. They can cultivate a loyal following by bonding with their audience over common interests. As a result, followers tend to trust their opinions and recommendations, and brands want to collaborate with them to reach niche markets and boost online engagement.
Why Are They Considered More Impactful Than Macro-Influencers?
Their smaller, more engaged follower base allows them to maintain a high level of personal interaction and authenticity, qualities that are highly prized in today’s digital marketing landscape. Studies show most consumers prefer authentic and credible influencers that they can relate to over celebrity influencers.
With the world going through economic uncertainty, people begin reevaluating many aspects of their lives, and being more conscious of what celebrities have to say. Brands can find a lot of advantages in working with nano-influencers since they are more cost-efficient and deemed more trustworthy by their followers.
How Can Brands Work with Nano-Influencers?
With their small but dedicated followings, ecommerce brands can partner with nano-influencers to build trust with a niche audience. Begin your partnership on the right foot with these suggestions:
1. Do your research: Research can be done on your own or via platforms that exist to expand access to the creator economy, more specifically to aggregate targeted nano-influencers.
2. Communicate your expectations clearly: Preferably, this is with a contract. Be transparent about your budget and ensure that you have familiarized yourself with the type of content they make and their audience demographic.
3. Leave room for creativity: Give influencers guidelines, such as how to incorporate key elements of your brand or show the product in the post, but allow them the creative freedom to produce authentic content. The partnership’s success relies on the audience accepting the sponsored content as a natural fit within the influencers’ typical posts.
