We have seen big names like Messi, Ronaldo, Rihanna, and Kohli in the social media marketing arena promoting brands and services. Influencer marketing has become a popular strategy for businesses looking to expand their reach and connect with their target audience.
While larger influencers with massive followings have traditionally been the go-to for brands, a new type of influencer, popularly known as the nano-influencer, has been taking over the marketing industry recently. Nano-influencers have a smaller number of followers and are becoming popular due to their ability to connect on a personal level with their audiences and provide a relatable approach to promoting brands.
In this blog, we’ll explore the rise of nano-influencers in marketing, their benefits, and how businesses can effectively work with them to achieve different marketing goals.
What are nano-influencers?
Nano-influencers are those who have a following of around 1,000 to 10,000 on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook. Unlike celebrities who endorse products from diverse fields, this group of influencers focus on a specific niche field.
Nano-influencers establish a good connection with their followers and are considered more authentic than influencers with a much larger following. They are more approachable to social media audiences and have a reputation for being less commercially driven and result oriented in their promotions.
A report in Business Matters stated how a recent survey by Digital Information World revealed that 52% of Generation Z trust nano-influencers and more than 60% engage with the brands promoted by these digital influencers.
The rise of nano-influencers
2020 was the year that redefined how people engaged with social media platforms. The pandemic promoted a stay-at-home culture which resulted in the rise of social media usage among people of all age groups. Suddenly, social media became a medium for entertainment, socialising, and shopping.
The urge to feel connected with like-minded people pushed social media users to follow content creators who posted relatable content. This digital behaviour continued despite lockdown restrictions getting eased and gave rise to nano-influencers.
Big and small businesses found nano-influencers to be a cost-effective way to reach their target audience. With the growth of social media continuing to rise each year, brands started approaching nano-influencers to make full use of their high engagement rates. Today, this group of digital influencers are marked as one of the most prominent groups on social media with higher conversion rates.
According to Statista, the global influencer market value was estimated to be around $16.4 billion in 2022.
What are the benefits of working with nano-influencers?
Working with nano-influencers benefits brands in different ways. Here are some of them:
- Close-knit and highly engaged followers
Nano-influencers have a smaller audience to establish a personal connection with. Because their audience is smaller, nano-influencers have more time to respond to comments, messages, and questions from their followers. This personal touch creates a sense of trust and loyalty that is difficult to replicate with larger influencers.
Working with nano-influencers is also very cost-effective. Since they have smaller followings, nano influencers are generally less expensive to work with than larger influencers. This makes them a great option for small businesses or start-ups with limited marketing budgets. Nano-influencers also accept free products instead of payments in an attempt to expand their reach.
Nano-influencers specialise in a particular field and will have a following that is highly interested in this area. If you find an influencer who aligns with your brand ideas, they are most likely to have a following of your target audience. This way, you can run campaigns that easily reach your target customers.
The availability and authenticity of nano-influencers also make them a better alternative to mega-influencers.
How to find and work with nano-influencers?
The first step to entering the world of nano-influencer marketing is finding the right choice for you. You can scout various social media platforms using data metrics to find a pool of nano-influencers who deal with areas aligning with your brand ideas.
It’s all about quality over quantity. Choose a person who produces highly engaging content that inspires people to take action. You can go through various posts and comments on the page to discover how interesting a person is.
You can pick nano-influencers with a track record of promoting high-quality products or someone who is at the beginning of their influencer journey. Selecting a beginner allows you to train and mentor them and mould them to your method of marketing. Aim for long-term partnerships with beginners as you can also benefit from their growth.
Also, beware of influencers with fake followers or bots and ensure transparency in all brand deals.
If you wish to stay ahead of the curve in this constantly evolving world of marketing, enrol in a Bachelor’s dual study programme in Digital Media and Marketing or a Master’s degree in Marketing Management at the University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE), Germany.
These programmes help you learn various tools and techniques in social media and digital marketing, ranging from the production of digital content for various platforms to analysing market demands. The practice-oriented approach to learning which includes case studies, internships, and projects gives you a holistic experience that marks you as an asset to any business organisation.
Enrol in a marketing programme today.