4 Reasons Why Your Brand Should Be Working with Nano-Influencers

Since forever it’s been widely accepted that ‘bigger is better’ when it comes to Instagram followers - bigger audience means bigger influence means bigger sales, right? Wrong. Say goodbye to the ‘one-size-fits-all’ mega influencer marketing message and say hello to a more personalised and niche ‘friendly suggestion’ from your favourite nano-influencer.

What is a nano-influencer?

Simply put, a nano-influencer is typically categorised as having 1,000 - 10,000 followers. This type of influencer focuses on niche interests and has a steadfastly loyal fanbase. They normally do social media alongside regular jobs and have real passion for their content.

Why choose nano-influencers over influencers with a larger following?

In recent years, influencer marketing has been nothing short of a gold rush for brands. Utilising a complete social commerce strategy (selling entirely on social media) has all but taken over from traditional retail avenues. Writing for Forbes, Jeff Fromm explains that, ‘the global social commerce market was nearly £400 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach £2.7 trillion by 2028.’ It seems that more and more brands are turning to social media to garner sales and one of the best ways to do this is by utilising nano-influencers.

Nano-influencers have generally higher rates of engagement, are more trustworthy, have a tighter relationship with their audience and can be more cost effective for your marketing campaign. So, the real question is, why aren’t you working with them already?

1. Engagement rate

In an article by Mavin, nano-influencers have an engagement rate of up to 8.7%, whereas well-known celebrities only engage around 1.7%. Engagement rate takes into account shares, likes, video views and comments, which is then measured up to follower count. You can calculate any influencer engagement rate with tools like GRIN Google Chrome Extension.

In fact, in the past year celebrity endorsements have suffered, with MarketingDive reporting that 78% of the younger generation are simply not influenced by them. One of the reasons that nano-influencers experience higher engagement rates than celebrities is because they are adept at creating a strong sense of friendly intimacy and building a community of like-minded people who will continue to return to their content.

2. Trust

Social media is a place where nano-influencers simply love to be. It is probably not their main source of income, they do it because they have a passion for it.

In an interview for Forbes, billion-dollar wellness company CEO Ryan Napierski, explains that he has seen a ‘rise of inauthenticity in traditional influencer marketing’, which is why he has decided to work with nano-influencers who have a ‘direct, authentic connection with Gen Z’, a demographic that is key to growing your brand.
If a successful influencer is someone that the consumer ‘trusts and respects’, then the nano-influencer is ticking all the right boxes. 

3. Audience relationship

In an interview with NextAdvisor, audience growth specialist Monica Monfre Scantlebury, assures that ‘you don’t need to have a huge audience to make money on Instagram’, as she reveals she ‘made $25,000 in revenue in less than 10 days with an audience of less than 10,000 followers.’ She attributes this feat to her close relationship with her followers, and her ability to hone into a specialised subject.

Nano-influencers are regularly seen as ‘niche players’ with an ‘authentic market’. They put time and effort into their passions and glean a small amount of followers who share these passions. Also, nano-influencers are more likely to interact with their followers and - in turn - followers interact with them and anything they may be promoting. They create a ‘friend–next-door’ vibe, sharing authentic recommendations that you can trust.

4. Cost effective

It has never been easier to monetise influence and if you want to spend your marketing budget the right way, nano-influencers may be the way forward.

As they have a small following, nano-influencers tend not to demand high AD fees, and will sometimes be willing to receive free products for a promotion (IF your product is something they truly love).

Whereas only big brands can afford to work with the likes of Kim Kardashian, nano-influencers are accessible to even the smallest of brands. Using incentives such as affiliate links, where the influencer receives a small commission on any item purchased through their link, you are truly getting what you pay for.

Nano-influencers serve as a symbol of advertising transparency. Their audience knows they aren’t being paid in the thousands and therefore see what they promote as actual recommendation, rather than a pay-day opportunity.

So instead of seeking out the influencer with a six-digit follower count for your next promotional push, consider digging deeper and seeking out your perfect niche nano-influencer, it might just be your smartest move yet.

Looking for more help with your brand’s influencer marketing strategy? Drop us an enquiry via our Contact Us page and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours!