A COM P L E T E G U I D E :
Understanding
Influencer Types.
NANO INFLUENCERS
Nano influencer profile - 5
MICRO INFLUENCERS
Micro influencer profile - 8
ORGANIC INFLUENCERS
Organic influencer profile - 11
KEY OPINION LEADERS
Key Opinion Leader profile - 14
R I S I N G S TA R S
Rising Star profile - 17
W E LCO M E Index
Index
MEGA INFLUENCERS
Mega influencer profile - 20
CELEBRIT Y INFLUENCERS
Celebrity influencer profile - 23
K E Y TA K E W AY S
- 25
RESOURCES
- 26
W E LCO M E Index
INTRO-
DUCTION.
As the popularity of influencer marketing
has grown, influencer types have
proliferated. There are many different
categories of influencers, with creators to
suit every industry niche! But with so much
choice it can be difficult to know where
to start.
Upfluence’s guide to understanding You’ll get insight into their audience size,
influencer types explains each category preferred social media channels and the
of influencer. unique advantages to working with them.
INTRODUCTION 2 Images have been sourced from the Upfluence software.
NANO
I N F LU E N C E R S
Nano WHO ARE THEY?
_1,000 - 5,000 followers
Influencers _Most active on Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin.
Nano influencer is the influencer category with the smallest
number of followers. These influencers aren’t professional
creators, but will promote brands (and causes) they genuinely
love, usually in exchange for free products or samples instead
of monetary compensation. Common nano influencers include
a brand’s customers or employees.
WH Y WO R K WI T H T H E M?
_High engagement rates
_Genuine affinity with your brand
_Cost-effective partnerships
PERFECT FIT FOR
_Local, national brand awareness.
TOP TIP
_Event promotion
_Promoting seasonal product lines Try Upfluence’s Influencer Matching Tool to identify
nano influencers in your customer database.
N A N O I N F LU E N C E R S 4 Understanding influencer types
NANO INFLUENCER PROFILE
_45% Average engagement rate
_98% Real engaged audience
_108% post effectiveness
_3.5K followers
@T I P S BYS U E
Sue is a nano influencer on Instagram
sharing skincare, travel and lifestyle product
recommendations with her followers. She’s
previously worked with vitamin brand Goli
Nutrition and skin care brand The Inkey List.
MICRO
I N F LU E N C E R S
Micro WHO ARE THEY?
_5,000 - 15,000 followers
Influencers _Most active on Instagram
Micro influencers have a relatively small following. They usually
share content around a specific niche, helping to build an
engaged audience around a shared interest. Micro influencers
look to work with brands that align with their niche in order to
create highly relevant, authentic content for their audience.
WH Y WO R K WI T H T H E M?
_High engagement rates
_Highly targeted, niche audiences
_Genuine affinity with your brand
PERFECT FIT FOR _Cost-effective partnerships
_Brand awareness
_Product reviews
_Product how-tos RECOMMENDED READING
_Niche product launch How Micro-influencers can transform your business
M I C R O I N F LU E N C E R S 7 Understanding influencer types
MICRO INFLUENCER PROFILE
_99% Average engagement rate
_74% Real engaged audience
_A+ rating based on number of
Instagram comments
_11K followers
@ M A R K YAT X
Mark is a micro influencer based in Austin, Texas. He’s a
food and lifestyle influencer, mostly active on Instagram
with 11K followers. He likes to work with local brands that
match his values, such as the Texas based female-owned
vodka brand Doers.
ORGANIC
I N F LU E N C E R S
Organic WHO ARE THEY?
Influencers
The definition of organic influencers goes beyond their
number of followers. They’re individuals who are already
part of your brand community, such as customers,
subscribers or followers. They use their valuable social
reach to promote your brand, usually in exchange for
products or exclusive brand benefits. Their organic affinity
with brands helps them to create truly authentic content.
WH Y WO R K WI T H T H E M?
_Reach your target customer demographic
_Genuine affinity with your brand
_Authentic content creation
PERFECT FIT FOR _Cost-effective partnerships
_Brand awareness
_Product reviews
_Product how-tos RECOMMENDED READING
_Referral marketing
Organic influencers: they’re much closer than you think
O R G A N I C I N F LU E N C E R S 10 Understanding influencer types
O RGA N I C I N F LU E N C E R P RO F I L E
_6.3K average likes
_92% engaged audience in the US
_105% post effectiveness
_1.2M followers
@ TA R G E T D O E S I TA G A I N
This Instagram account is run by two mommy bloggers who bonded
over their love of finding Target deals. They started the Instagram
account @targetdoesitagain 8 years ago to share their deals and
must-buys with other moms. Even with 1.2M followers, they keep an
organic approach to sharing posts about items they’ve bought. The
fact that they’re regular Target shoppers makes them expert deal-
finders and genuinely excited about promoting the brand!
KEY OPINION
LEADERS
Key Opinion WHO ARE THEY?
_5K - 500K followers
Leaders (KOLs) _Most active on Linkedin, Twitter and blogs.
KOLs are influential individuals with specialist knowledge
on particular topics. They are seen as a trusted source
of information by those in their industry and can boost
brand credibility through partnerships. Examples of KOLs
include authors, academics, politicians and entrepreneurs.
They’ll be actively creating content on blogs, Linkedin,
podcasts or other industry media outlets.
WH Y WO R K WI T H T H E M?
_Raise brand awareness
_Boost brand credibility
_Specialist knowledge makes impactful
PERFECT FIT FOR content
_Thought leadership
TOP TIP
_B2B partnerships
_Brand awareness Work with KOLs on industry related news articles and
_Event promotion opinion pieces for maximum exposure.
KEY OPINION LEADERS 13 Understanding influencer types
KEY OPINION LEADER PROFILE
_2.6K average likes
_115% post effectiveness
_148K followers
_80% female audience
@JAC K_MO N RO E
Jack Monroe is an author, campaigner and chef who
champions eating well on a budget, and writes about tackling
food poverty. Jack often partners with food brands like Del
Monte canned goods, as well as writing articles and making
TV appearances.
R I S I N G S TA R
I N F LU E N C E R S
Rising Star WHO ARE THEY?
_100K - 500K followers
Influencers _Most active on Instagram, YouTube & TikTok.
Rising star influencers have a large following, showing their
mass appeal. They have a well established influencer status,
collaborating with brands to reach a wide audience with
broad interests. They choose to work with brands from a
variety of industries.
WH Y WO R K WI T H T H E M?
_Raise brand awareness
_Boost sales
_Reach new audiences
_Build your brand’s social presence
PERFECT FIT FOR
TOP TIP
_National/Regional awareness
Get the most from your partnerships with rising star
_Driving web traffic
influencers and try launching a campaign on TikTok, a
_Product launch
channel known for its high engagement rates.
R I S I N G S TA R I N F LU E N C E R S 16 Understanding influencer types
R I S I N G S TA R P R O F I L E
_260K followers
_15K average likes
_A+ rating for engagement
_99% real engaged audience
@EYEOFSHE
Bree is a rising star influencer that has built a large community
of Instagram fans who follow her travels. Her stunning
landscape and nature photography appeal to a wide online
audience. She most often collaborates with outdoor and
adventure brands.
MEGA
I N F LU E N C E R S
Mega WHO ARE THEY?
_500K+ followers
Influencers _Most active on Instagram, YouTube & TikTok.
Mega influencers can help brands to scale their campaigns
and reach large audiences. They are professional social media
influencers looking to provide value for their audiences, so
will choose brand partnerships strategically. They are expert
content creators and some have launched their own brands
and merchandise.
WH Y WO R K WI T H T H E M?
_Raise brand awareness
_Mass-market promotion
_Reach a mainstream, broad audience
_Build your brand’s social presence
TOP TIP
PERFECT FIT FOR
Ensure your value proposition is appealing to mega
_Brand awareness
influencers who might not have heard of your brand.
_Driving web traffic
Revenue sharing campaigns are appealing to mega
_Product launch
influencers who’ll have the chance to earn more than a
_Affiliate campaigns
one-off fee.
M E G A I N F LU E N C E R S 19 Understanding influencer types
M EGA I N F LU E N C E R P RO F I L E
_504K followers
_25K average likes
_109% post effectives
_A rating for engagement
@ N Y M ATA N G
Nyma is a well-known beauty influencer with an active
Instagram account and a YouTube channel with 1M+
subscribers. She collaborates with popular beauty brands
including Mac cosmetics, teaming up with them to create a
lipstick designed for women of color.
CELEBRITY
I N F LU E N C E R S
Celebrity WHO ARE THEY?
Influencers
_1M+ followers
_Most active on Instagram and Twitter.
Celebrities are a unique influencer tier as they have a
global reach and are well-known beyond their social media
presence. They are very aware of their public image and will
chose brand partnerships and causes to support in line with
their own values.
WH Y WO R K WI T H T H E M?
_Global brand awareness
_Mass-market product promotion
_Build brand image & reputation
_Celebrity endorsement boosts sales
TOP TIP
PERFECT FIT FOR
Celebrities are likely to be highly solicited and are
_Large scale ad campaigns
often busy traveling and promoting their own activities.
_Brand ambassador
They will be more likely to accept partnerships from
_Sponsored content
well-known brands, or brands/causes they have a
_Event host or patron
personal connection to.
C E L E B R I T Y I N F LU E N C E R S 22 Understanding influencer types
CELEBRITY INFLUENCER PROFILE
_212M followers
_4.3M average likes
_A+ rating for engagement
_26% US audience
@S E L E NAG OM E Z
Selena Gomez rose to fame as an actress on the Disney channel
before launching her singing career. She’s a fully-fledged global
celebrity with a huge social media audience to match. She has
partnered with brands like Coca Cola and leather accessories
brand Coach.
Key A F F I L I AT E
M A R KE T I N G
Takeaways P ROMO
RO I
P RO D U C T
CO D E S SA M P L I N G
There are influencers to suit every type of brand campaign.
Once your goals are defined you’ll be in a position to
choose the best type of influencers to work with.
Once you’ve identified the influencer category you need
If your brand is in a niche industry then nano or micro your search can begin! Influencer selection can be time-
influencers are a great choice given their tight-knit intensive if done manually, so it’s a good idea to carry
communities created around specific topics. out large scale searches using multiple search criteria on
a dedicated platform such as Upfluence. Use 20+ filters
If your brand is aiming to develop industry leadership and to search according to location, gender, follower size,
brand awareness then reaching out to key opinion leaders keywords and performance metrics.
is a good way to achieve this using channels such as
industry media, podcasts and journals.
WA N T T O G E T S TA R T E D ?
If you have a sizeable community of customers or
subscribers then consider the advantages of leveraging Book a call with an influencer marketing strategy expert
them as brand advocates. Their genuine experience of to plan your next campaign.
your products or services makes them the perfect fit for
Book a demo
promoting your brand to others!
K E Y TA K E AWAY S 24 Want to get started?
Resources
WEBINAR CASE STUDIES
Successful Influencer Marketing
Campaigns: From Conception
to Implementation
Watch now
EBOOK
Influencer Marketing Success
for D2C Brands
Read now
RESOURCES 25 Want to get started?
J O I N OV E R 160 0 + H A P P Y C USTOM E R S
Build authentic influencer partnerships by activating your network with
Upfluence software. Streamline outreach, campaign management and
reporting with a host of integrations. Deliver the highest ROI with a
unique software offering tailored to eCommerce success.
www.upfluence.com [email protected]
