Micro Versus Macro Influencer Marketing – Which One Is Best in 2023?

The image shows a smartphone lying on a textured green surface. The phone's screen displays the words "Instagram Influencer" in bold, black text on a white background. The text on the screen is centralized and fills most of the display, indicating that the concept of an Instagram Influencer is the main focus of the image.

Perhaps you might be curious about micro influencers and what they can do for your business. The following post will cover the following:

  • The difference between micro influencers and macro influencers
  • Where to find micro influencers for your company
  • The benefits of micro influencers

Before we address the above points, what is a micro influencer?

Someone who has between 10,000 and 1,000,000 followers is considered a micro influencer. Essentially, their followers are slightly larger than a typical social media user, but smaller than a celebrity. These influencers are considered experts in their chosen niche.

Therefore, people follow them because they share mutual interests such as movies, food, sports, books – perhaps something else. Brands can leverage digital advertising, as well as traditional with influencers in this category.

With the number of followers, the influencer will have a personal connection. As a result, meeting the needs of followers will typically be easier. And the connection will enable them to achieve more creatively with minimal limits.

Business-wise micro influencers have a higher engagement rate than macro influencers. Their engagement rate is between 7% – 20%, according to trend.io. Surprisingly, macro influencers’ engagement rate is typically around 5%. Personal connection with users gives micro influencers the edge with engagement.

Here are additional reasons micro influencers outshine macro influencers:

Originality. Micro influencers must connect with customers to stay relevant. Meanwhile, macro influencers rely on their celebrity status, resources, and money to connect with customers.

Seek to connect. They take the time to answer questions or reply to comments. Ultimately, they want to create a sense of community through connection.

Growth. By their nature, micro influencers want to increase their followers, build a brand, and show that they are experts. This drives them to put in the time to research products, ask questions, and understand customers.

Service fee. Micro influencers will not charge the same rates as macro influencers. They are trying to grow their brand, period. As a result, monies you save can be invested, leading to higher ROI which is good for the bottom line.

Below are charts which show engagement rates on Instagram and TikTok, based on different influencers.

The image is a table displaying Instagram engagement rates by influencer type in the United States across different product categories. The influencer types are categorized as NANO, MICRO, MID, MACRO, TOP, and VIP. The product categories listed are Fragrance, Hair Care, Makeup & Cosmetics, and Skin Care. Each category shows varying percentages of engagement rates, with the highest rate for Fragrance under NANO influencers at 6.22% and the lowest for Fragrance under VIP influencers at 1.4%. The background is purple, with the Instagram logo displayed on the top left, and the label "Engagement Rate US" with the US flag on the top right, indicating the geographic focus of the data.

The pursuit to grow their brand, connect with clients, and establish themselves are some reasons micro influencers the best macro influencers.

The image is a table showing TikTok engagement rates in the United States for different influencer tiers across various product categories. The influencer tiers are labeled as NANO, MICRO, MID, MACRO, TOP, and VIP. Categories include Fragrance, Hair Care, Makeup & Cosmetics, Nails, Retailer, and Skin Care. Each category has varying engagement rates, with the highest engagement rate in the Hair Care category for MICRO influencers at 9.82%, and the lowest engagement rate in the Nails category for VIP influencers at 0.75%. The background is purple with the TikTok logo on the top left, and the label "Engagement Rate US" accompanied by the US flag on the top right.

The image is a data table detailing YouTube engagement rates in the United States across different influencer sizes for various beauty-related categories. Influencer sizes are listed as NANO, MICRO, MID, MACRO, TOP, and VIP. The categories featured are Hair Care, Makeup & Cosmetics, and Skin Care. Engagement rates are given in percentages, with the highest rates seen in the NANO influencer category for Makeup & Cosmetics at 2.23% and the lowest in the VIP category for Skin Care at 0.35%. The YouTube logo is displayed at the top left, and the US flag at the top right, indicating that these statistics are specific to the United States. The table is set against a dark purple background.

Find Micro Influencers for Your Brand

So, you want to partner with an influencer to elevate your brand? Where do you find reputable, reliable, and proven influencers? Popular Pays is a fantastic website where you can find influencers and manage relationships.

There are more than 90,000 influencers on this platform. So, you will be able to find one who can promote content on any network your brand is on. Perhaps your brand is not on Snapchat, an influencer familiar with the platform will work with you.

Whether it is sneakers, perfumes, travel, there is an influencer for you on this platform. Take time to explore success stores or how brands are connecting with new audience. Grow your brand and increase your exposure with this platform.

Below are other ways to find influencers:

  • Find influencer databases
  • Do hashtag research
  • Search Google or any other search engine to find influencers
  • Use an influencer marketplace
  • Search on Upwork , upfluence

Benefits of Micro Influencers

Micro influencers

Micro influencers are unique by nature. They have not established themselves, at the same time, they have not reached macro status. This is an ideal place to be because the quest to build a reputable brand. And customers are curious about the person who promoting the niche.

Monetarily, the cost to partner or hire a micro influencer is less than macro. There is less to risk, more to gain during a campaign whether small or large. Additional benefits of micro influencers are they deliver engagement. All businesses, whether established or not, want to drive engagement. And micro influencers have been shown to generate respectable engagement numbers.

Another benefit of micro influencers is they drive social buzz. Influencers who are up and coming, innovative, and driving change in their respective niches are intriguing. Brands understand that is a win-win situation to work influencers because they add value to their company.

Influencers in this category have more than 100,000 followers and at least 3% engagement rate (per Trend.io). Sports icons, celebrities, actors/actresses from this category of influencers among other people. It is easier for macro influencers to build their own brand or promote a brand due to their large following.

Trends indicate macro influencers add followers consistently over time. Despite their large following, engagement is lower due to inability to connect personally with audience.

Macro Influencers

An influencer who has between 500,000 and 1,000,000 followers is a macro influencer. In most cases, macro influencers have grown their followers over time on their own.

Greater reach

TV personalities or celebrities already have a large following. This can be leveraged to generate more views, traffic, or sales on multiple platforms simultaneously. Naturally, people will gravitate towards macro influencers because they aspire to be in their position, or maybe they are simply likable. Per Mediakix, macro influencers reach 22x more social media users than micro influencers.

Professional

Since they built their own following from the ground up, they are polished. In other words, they know how to create quality content. Brands are comfortable approaching these influencers to create campaigns. Macro influencers also have a business team helping them negotiate terms with brands.

Not as risky

Influencers who have established their brand and deemed professional are less risky. Brands will still vet them on the internet or via other methods to do their due diligence. That said, macro influencers have established trust with followers.

Disadvantages of collaborating With Macro Influencers

There are certainly a lot of reasons to work with Macro Influencers. To be fair, we need to assess the disadvantages as well.

High Fees

Even though macro influencers are professional and have extensive experience in the market, they are pricey. Cost per post is calculated based on per post rate which begins at $100 for every 10,000 followers. So, if you have 700,000 followers you charge $7000 per post. Those with agents or representatives will charge higher rates.

Summary

Micro influencers and Macro influencers are good for business. Each group also has disadvantages as well. Micro influencers typically cost less, generate more engagement, and have a personal connection with customers. Meanwhile, Macro influencers have further reach than micro influencers. In fact, they reach 22x more users than micro users.

Despite that, engagement for macro influencers is typically less. Micro influencers on the other hand, don’t have the same reach. Businesses must assess their needs to determine the best fit based on advantages and disadvantages.

Resources

Macro Influences: When Are They Right for Your Strategy. IZEA. 25 May 2021.

Macro vs Micro – influencers: Who’s Best for Your Campaign? Trend.

Team Word. What are the different types of influencers. Whatstheworld. 30th November 2020.

The 2022 Engagement Rate Benchmark for Influencer Content. Traackr.

10 thoughts on “Micro Versus Macro Influencer Marketing – Which One Is Best in 2023?”

  1. Micro and macro influencers, who knew? I must say that this is a very informative article as I did not know there was a difference in the two types. 

    After reading your piece (and finding the difference between the two), I can see how it makes sense that the micro would need to be more connected to their audience. I can also see how they would have a higher engagement rate since they would be easier to connect with than a big celebrity. 

    I also like how you broke the data out by platform. I think that is key for anyone wanting to see what the best social sales platform might be. Great read and thanks for the info!

    Reply
    • Hey Chris – 

      Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Simply explaining the difference between micro and macro influencer engagement was not enough to me. Adding tables as visuals was necessary to emphasize my point.       

      Glad you found the article informative. 

      Reply
  2. I think I would prefer to use micro-influencers instead of macro influencers because, at the moment, I don’t have the funds yet to pay for the services of macro-influencers. On the other hand, I do think that macro influencers can give my business a huge boost, so that is something to consider., On which platform should I look for influencers in the crafting niche? thanks!

    Reply
    • Hi Lizzy-

      Budget conscious business owners typically use micro influencers, wise choice. There are a lot of micro influencers who can generate more buzz for your current or potential business.  Here are several platforms where you can find micro (or any influencer):

      Upwork Popular pays Get hyped media.

      Reply
  3. Hey Godwin, it’s Tripp! 

    I love this article as I have learned so much. Before reading, I didn’t realize that micro and macro influencers were even a thing. It really opened a new world for me and I really look forward to seeing what else you post! I have tried to become an influencer over the years and it didn’t work out for me! I should have read this back then.

    Reply
    • Tripp –   Happy to share the knowledge. Influencer marketing has grown significantly since 2009. Now they are commonplace on the internet, social media, and TV. 

      Reply
  4. Very informative article! I love it. I just learned something new and realize that it is true Micro-influencers, with their niche focus and authentic connections, bring a relatable and personal touch to their content. Their engagement may be smaller in scale, but it’s often more genuine and impactful. On the other hand, macro-influencers, with their larger followings, can reach a wider audience, but sometimes at the cost of the intimate connection micro-influencers offer.

    Very Good, great read!

    Reply
    • Appreciate the positive feedback. Micro and Macro influencers have their advantages and disadvantages. Each business has to decide the influencer that will suit their needs. 

      Reply
  5. Influencer marketing is a very technical form of marketing. Thank you for highlighting the difference between macro and micro influencers. Like you rightly outlined that macro influencers have higher outreach, while micro has a better engagement. I now know why my first attempt failed. I will go after micro influencers for higher and consistent engagement

    Reply

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