By now, we're all familiar with the power of influencer marketing and what it could mean for your brand or business's growth. But despite having the general name "influencer," the market is much more nuanced than that. Today, we have brand ambassadors, nano influencers, micro influencers, macro influencers, and mega influencers. Ambassadors and influencers alike are trusted advisors who share the goal of promoting brands or products they love.

However, they have varying levels of influence and serve different purposes for the brands and businesses they work with. 

If you're new to influencer marketing or interested in working with them to grow your brand, begin by first understanding the largest group of them all: micro influencers. We're breaking down everything you need to know about micro influencers and what to consider when partnering with one. 

Who are Micro Influencers?

Micro influencers are social media content creators with 10k-100k followers. They're known for their expertise on specific topics or industries. Micro influencers typically have experience working with small to large brands. Not to be confused with nano influencers, these creators are more established among their followers and recognizable in their industry. 

For example, Karin Stortz, known as @joyinthemeantime on Instagram, is a mom and Whole 30 advocate based in Illinois. Her niche has given her the ability to reach over 43k followers on Instagram – establishing herself as a leader in wellness, family, and lifestyle content. Her content and partnerships have led her to cultivate a community of other well-known influencers in her space – making her an even stronger partner for brands looking to work with her to promote their product or campaigns. 

Why Work with Micro Influencers?

Now you might be thinking, "Why not work with the influencer with the most followers?" The answer isn't as straightforward as you think. You have to first identify your marketing objective. Are you working with an influencer to bring the greatest amount of awareness to your brand, or is your goal to boost sales towards a specific product? While an influencer with a larger following can help you reach more people by numbers, working with multiple micro influencers can allow you to drive more sales. So what makes micro influencers a better option for brands? 

Micro Influencers Have Closer Relationships with Their Followers 

Because micro influencers are known for their insight into niche topics in a particular space, their audience trusts their input and is more likely to shop a product they share than an influencer with no real link to a brand or product. Micro influencers also have more frequent communication with their audience through comments and direct messages, making them have more close and authentic relationships with their community. 

Micro Influencers Have Strong Success Metrics 

Most micro influencers work with brands regularly. For the most part, being a social media creator is their full-time job or a big part of what they do in addition to another job. Their consistent brand partnerships make them experts at promoting brands or products on their Instagram. They rely on their Instagram analytics to strategize and create high-performing branded content. Their strong engagement ensures they deliver on goals like driving traffic to a brand's website or increasing product sales. Deciding whether a certain micro influencer will increase sales or help you reach new audiences is as simple as asking for their brand partnership metrics. This ensures you're not going into a partnership blind. 

Micro Influencers Help Brands Reach Niche Audiences 

If you're a brand or business looking to reach a specific audience, identifying micro influencers in that industry helps you reach your exact target demographic. For instance, working with a Gen Z or younger millennial micro influencer can help you break into younger audiences. Gen Z creators are experts at cultivating and maintaining online communities due to their digital savviness. To ensure younger audiences align with your brand, they look to Gen Z influencers as their most trusted source for product recommendations, advice, etc. Deja Foxx and Winter BreAnne are two Gen Z influencers commanding attention by creating authentic and engaging content.

Nano Influencers vs Micro Influencers 

Wait, so what about nano influencers? The major differences between nano and micro influencers are their number of followers and their experience working with brands. Micro influencers are widely known across communities in different areas, but nano influencers find their following and popularity in more localized communities. 

Nano influencers can be anywhere from 1,000 followers to 10,000 followers. They've made a name for themselves in their city, and people look to them for cool places to go, shop, etc., in that area. An example of brands using nano influencers is Parade, an up-and-coming underwear brand. They tapped on people in different cities like Austin, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and so on with a substantial following and aligned with their brand. These nano influencers posted photos in Parade's product encouraging people in their area to try Parade's underwear out and learn more about the brand. Here's how to distinguish between the two: 

Nano Influencers

• 1k-10k followers 

• Strong relationships with a localized community 

• Interested in trading goods or services for brand partnerships 

• A lesser developed online community 

Micro Influencers

• 10k-100k

• Strong relationships with non-location specific communities

• Credible experience partnering with brands for monetary compensation 

• A well-developed community that trusts what they have to say and engages with them regularly

Related: Nano Influencers: Who They Are & How to Work With Them

We hope this breakdown of micro influencers helps distinguish them from the rest and shares with you the value of working with a follower with a smaller following to move the needle in reaching new audiences or increasing product sales.