Introduction
The world is brimming with social media influencers, each with their unique style, audience, and impact. Whether you want to promote your business with an influencer, collaborate with one, or become an influencer yourself, knowing the different types of influencers will help you find your niche. Modern-day influencers are classified in many ways based on their niche, type, and size. While a generalised one can bring in some traffic, a niched influencer is far more valuable for modern businesses. Let’s understand the influencer marketing types that can deliver business value.
12 Types of Influencers
Marketers should never underestimate the power of user-generated content for the brand. In fact, an influencer can bring in $5.78 worth of business for every $1 spent on them. The main types of online influencers are explained below.
#1 Nano Influencers
Any business can succeed if it targets the right market at the right time. Nano influencers have a small following, ranging from 1K to 10K followers. However, their engagement with their audience has the maximum impact on a brand. Their viewers love their content for authentic posts. You can use such influencers to test your products or services. They are inexpensive and are often eager to collaborate with brands. Instagram is the best place to find people to elevate your brand engagement.
#2 Micro-Influencers
When you need niche-specific influencers but your marketing budget is still limited, you should look for micro influencers with a following in the range of 10K to 100K. They also have reasonable engagement rates with the audience, making it viable for brands to offer specialised sponsorships. You can get more focused leads from these people, and their audience will already be primed to hear about new brands. You can easily find such influencers when you search on social media platforms using hashtags related to your brand.
#3 Macro Influencers
With a larger marketing budget, you can find macro-influencers with at least 100K to 1 million followers. They are social media celebrities, or they could be vloggers, bloggers, or podcasters. Even though they have a large audience, they have months of relationship with their target market. However, the engagement rate may not be very high due to the large following. Such digital marketers are ideal for boosting brand awareness. You can find such people on YouTube, Facebook or tiktok.
#4 Mega Influencers
Sensational celebrities with more than 1 million followers are called Mega influencers. Often, they team up only with well-known brands that already have many customers. You should have a large marketing budget to get such people to discuss your business. At the same time, the reward will also be high even though the engagement rate will be lower. It is not hard to find mega influencers on social media platforms. Explore their profile and audience and consider whether they fit your brand well.
#5 Gamers
Gamers are also among the top influencers, garnering millions of followers through gameplay. They also review games and products related to gaming. Many of these also offer tips and tricks for gamers. It is a common belief that the gaming community is only useful if you sell video games or gaming-related gadgets. Even products from the non-tech industry, like clothing, shows, snacks, or beverages, can get a wider reach with gamer partnerships.
#6 Sports and Fitness
Anyone with a noteworthy body transformation can quickly get a fan following and become a fitness influencer. Many new-age fitness gurus also offer short workout programs to encourage the audience to follow their fitness journey. The audience becomes inspired and invested in their programs, which help these people to make money. These influencers are useful for brands selling health foods, exercise gadgets, diet programs, and more.
#7 Fashion Influencers
One of the most popular niche influencer categories is fashion. They post content promoting clothing, shoes, jewellery, handbags, watches, and other accessories. A vast number of brands can collaborate with these people. They often combine different types of products from various brands to create killer looks to captivate their audience’s interest. Their haul videos are loved by their fan following. With a large following, such influencers can directly drive sales for your business.
#8 Beauty Influencers
Undoubtedly, one of the type of influencer who can quickly collaborate with major brands are the beauty influencers. They can easily increase their following with some makeup talent and beauty tips. Such people attract the attention of leading brands that test new products. You can find both men and women influencers in this category and sell beauty products targeted at both genders through them.
#9 Parenting Influencers
Viewers love authentic and cute content, which is why the number of parenting influencers is rising. Some offer tips and advice for new parents, while some simply post authentic content. Their personal stories and stories of kids growing up keep the audience interested in their life journey. They usually share successes and failures and are well known for being frank with the audience. Brands focusing on mother and baby wellness can partner with parenting influencers to market their products.
#10 Lifestyle Influencers
Content creators who prefer shopping, restaurants and other local destinations are lifestyle influencers. They share their exciting life and experiences through social media platforms. If you own a brand that enriches people’s lives, from home decor to health foods and supplements, you can collaborate with a famous lifestyle influencer.
#11 Travel Influencers
Travel vlogging is now increasingly becoming a top career choice for nomads. The social media platforms enable travellers to register their experiences and inspire the audience. Often, they explore offbeat destinations, encouraging the audience to take on travelling themselves. Travel itinerary companies and brands selling camping and tour gear can all benefit from such influencers. Often, mega influencers are sponsored by brands to go on a holiday and stay in their resort and share the first-hand experience with the audience.
#12 Bloggers and Vloggers
While influencers on social media platforms focus on short and best-looking content, bloggers and vloggers present raw content. The long-form content attracts an audience truly interested in the subject matter. Vloggers also have a close relationship with the audience as they take them through real-life footage. The followers usually trust bloggers and vloggers for their experience and expertise. Brands that look for engaged and informed audiences can benefit from such influencers.
Conclusion
The different types of influencers have the power to shape trends, inspire consumers, and drive sales. Countless people on social media platforms are working to become one of them. You can succeed in this highly competitive market and grow to become a mega influencer only if you find your niche. Creativity is a crucial requirement, but AI tools can assist you with that. Brands that partner with those with a loyal and engaged following will benefit from the collaboration and, thereby, help the content creators grow.
Interested in becoming an influencer? Explore Mindler blogs and expert guidance on carving your niche on social media.