Nano-influencers are social media users with a small yet dedicated following of between 1,000 and 10,000 followers. They may be everyday people who just so happen to have cultivated a decent social media following, or they may be individuals who are just starting out in their content creation careers. These users are generally seen as more relatable and far more authentic than typical influencers who may have hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers across their social media channels.
In terms of content, nano-influencers tend to fall into a particular interest or niche, or might even bear expertise in a specific field, and their audiences are often actively engaged with the content they put out. Conversely, where traditional influencers excel is in their ability to offer brands high reach figures, or in other words, getting their content seen by a much larger audience. Therefore, while nano-influencers are more limited in their ability to reach a wide number of people, they offer far higher engagement rates which makes them effective at driving conversions and pushing brand awareness among a targeted consumer group.
On top of all this, nano-influencers offer the highly-valuable benefit of being much more affordable to work with than typical influencers due to not having the same amount of paid collaboration offers, as well as their willingness to negotiate fees. One should never forget, however, that the effectiveness of their participation in an influencer campaign should not be based solely on the size of an influencer’s following, but on aforementioned engagement rates and the influencer’s relevance to the brand as well.
What are some of the pros of working with nano-influencers?
Partnering up with nano-influencers brings about a range of potential benefits for brands in a variety of niches. The five most important benefits include:
Higher engagement rates: Thanks to their highly engaged and loyal audiences, nano-influencers can influence higher conversion rates and better overall campaign effectiveness. In 2022, nano-influencers exhibited engagement rates that more than doubled other influencer tiers, not to mention the lowest level of influencer fraud, making them desirable candidates for collaborations.
Percentage of influencers impacted by fraud, broken down by influencer type
Average Engagement Rates, broken down by influencer type
More authentic and relatable: Nano-influencers are considered to be more authentic and relatable in their content in comparison to traditional influencers, which can aid in the building of trust and credibility with their follower base.
Niche expertise: Certain brands and products need to be marketed to a very particular audience, so nano-influencers’ tendency to fall into niche categories is very effective for this purpose.
Cost-effective: Nano-influencers are great for brands and businesses operating on a tighter budget, as they tend to demand lower fees than most traditional influencers.
Targeted reach: A smaller following doesn’t always have to be a bad thing – and thanks to nano-influencers often having this more tight-knit audience, they can be more effective for specific targeting and driving conversions.
What are some of the cons of working with nano-influencers?
Of course, not everything can come without drawbacks, and nano-influencers are no exception. Some of the primary cons of nano influencers are:
Lack of experience: Given that many nano-influencers are newbies in the influencer marketing scene, they may not hold the same level of understanding as the bigger tiers. As a result, they may require more control and guidance to net you the outcomes you’re looking for.
More influencers needed: Due to their accounts being smaller with less followers, you may need to recruit a larger number of nano-influencers in order to achieve desirable levels of reach for your campaign.
More manual work: Due to the previous two points, the laborious and time-consuming nature of influencer marketing management can go up. In order to negate this, you’ll need to make use of special influencer marketing tools to reduce manual work. For example, HypeAuditor offers a Campaign Management tool to review and track influencer posts and activity, as well as influencer management tools such as My Network which keep all influencer communications, contracts, and payments in one easy-to-manage space.
How does one find and partner up with nano-influencers?
Thankfully, finding the right nano-influencer for your collaborations doesn’t have to be an arduous process – there are a whole host of opportunities to meet and recruit smaller creators that suit your brand and niche.
Social media platforms are the logical first step to finding nano-influencers – by taking the time to search for relevant hashtags on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, you could potentially discover promising nano-influencers to partner up with.
If you’re still stumped with where to look, a talent agency might be a good avenue; these agencies represent a roster of influencers from a variety of industries and niches and can help you find relevant creators for your campaigns. They also often offer additional services such as contract negotiation or social media account management, if you need an extra helping hand.
Networking is a prized method in the business space, and it still proves highly relevant during your influencer search. Whether it be colleagues, friends, or industry connections, people you know can be a great resource for finding influencers, with the added benefit of these personal recommendations likely being more trustworthy. Specialized tools can also assist with the influencer search; for example, one of HypeAuditor’s recruiting tools, Influential Customers, allows you to connect your Shopify or import email lists to find potential influencers among your customer base.
Industry events and conferences offer the perfect opportunity to meet and connect with nano-influencers in person, as well as give you the chance to learn more about what they do and assess whether or not they’d be a solid fit for your brand. Events such as VidCon for video content creators or TwitchCon for streamers are great examples of tailored events where you can seek out influencers for potential collaboration.
Once you've identified potential nano-influencers to partner with, it's vital to clearly communicate your goals and expectations for any campaigns you’d like to work together on. Be sure to clearly outline the terms of the partnership, including any compensation or incentives you intend to provide in exchange. It's also a good idea to go over clear guidelines for the content that will be created and shared so as to accurately set up expectations in advance.
The verdict: Is partnering with nano-influencers right for your business?
Opting to work with nano-influencers for your next influencer marketing campaign can be a highly effective way for brands to boost their brand awareness and drive conversions. With their engaged and loyal following, their ability to promote products or services to a targeted group of consumers is one that can’t be rivaled by larger, more mainstream influencers. When looking for those influencers considered most relatable and trustworthy, nano-influencers are the first people you should turn to.
That being said, it’s still important to consider whether partnering with nano-influencers is the right strategy for your specific business needs. While they may be more affordable than traditional influencers, they often don’t have the same level of reach. A relevant audience and good brand fit are still key priorities no matter which influencer you work with, so it’s crucial to determine that before going forward with any form of collaboration.
Ultimately though, if you’re looking to target a specific niche or drive conversions among a very targeted group of consumers, nano-influencers might just be the trick you’re looking for to add value to your campaigns and ensure a successful influencer marketing strategy.
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