Voices
Spheres of Influence: Nano and Micro Influencers 
Move over Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylie Jenner, and Charli D’Amelio — there’s a new type of influencer in town that’s edging into marketing budgets everywhere. Meet the nano influencer and the micro influencer — content creators wielding fandoms of 1,000 to 10,000 and 10,000 to 100,000 respectively — proving that bigger isn’t always better.
OK, truth be told Ronaldo & crew are probably pretty darn effective, but they price out the mere mortals among us. Nano and micro influencers, however, are more affordable and can be extremely effective thanks to their closer relationship with loyal fans. Rates tend to be about $100 per 10,000 followers, but can vary.
The vast marketplace of niche creators give brands the ability to find someone who’s truly aligned with their taste and ethos, resulting in a greater feeling of authenticity.
“If a micro influencer is working with a brand it’s more likely that they really love that brand and they’re not just talking about something to get paid, “ says Lydia Larsen, Senior Marketing Manager in charge of influencer relationships at Rylee + Cru. Larsen says the company has worked with influencers of all sizes, from 10,000 to 15 million followers. “Working with influencers with a large following can definitely be beneficial, but we learned that those with a smaller following can also hold their own,” she says.
Marta Pérez, Brand Communications Executive at Bobo Choses notes that influencers who are aligned with their philosophies and values have been a big part of their strategy as well. “We believe that they give naturalness to the brand and are the perfect ambassadors, true fans, and friends.”
Working with these smaller size influencers can also be a great strategy for brands just starting out. Hueppi, a recently-launched rug company making cheerfully imaginative rugs, has turned toward micro influencers to introduce their brand to the market. “[Influencers] have a community who has faith in them and most likely similar tastes as their followers,” says Seda Isikyildiz, founder of the brand. She says that she’s sought out some of the influencers who’ve attended the Playtime show. She hopes that her colorful and sustainable rugs win their hearts and end up a lasting element in their children’s’ rooms, and, of course, their feeds.
There’s no doubt that influencing is a big business, and it’s poised to get much bigger. According to Allied Market Research, the influencer marketing space is expected to grow from $16.5 billion in 2022 to $199.6 billion by 2032. It stands to reason that every brand will have an array of perfectly matched influencers they’ll be able to choose from to spread the word.
Joni Kelly, the creator behind the handle @joniandthelads is a nano influencer, with 7,283 followers at the time of writing. Her feed that focuses on her fashionable sons is full of color, fun, and quirk. The creator, who says she loves making reels and is heavily influenced by Wes Anderson and David Lynch, shares that she didn’t start out with the aim to be an influencer. Her content seems to have struck a chord and handily grew her fanbase.
“For me it’s really about being creative with my kids. I don’t want to miss out on spending time with them and we can plan outfits, photos, and videos together.” Kelly prefers to work with brands that the kids already wear because, she says, “it’s true to who we are.”
The ability to see clothing on kids in fresh new ways is what it’s all about. “I think so many mothers on Instagram are so talented and what brands are reaping is huge. You get a stylist, models, promotion, art direction, and photography. I think that’s a pretty good deal.”
For brands that want to get started with their own influencer campaign, the key is finding the right voice for your brand. Some use agencies and others pluck them from their own following. Larsen from Rylee + Cru says that they find the influencers they work with by using Instagram and Tiktok as consumers, reaching out to new, brand-right creators. “Sometimes someone new will tag us in something and we’ll get excited because their content is cute and we haven’t worked with them so it’s a fresh face to share,” she says. “However, we have a lot of creators who are longtime friends of the brand. We love working with people who have naturally supported us because they would shop Rylee + Cru on their own.”
Bobo Choses’ Pérez says they use Influencity to search and analyze profiles and metrics to be able to gauge the effectiveness of a potential collaboration. She advises not to be guided by the influencer’s number of followers. She says it’s better to analyze the profile to ensure it fits with your philosophy and communicates your brand values. “If it’s a natural profile and close to your community, it’s certain to work well for you.”
Larsen adds it’s also important to be clear with your expectations. She likes to send previous content as inspo and notes that they’ve seen a lot of success using the “collaborative” feature on Instagram. “This allows us to co-share content with a creator and it extends the reach of the post to their following as well as ours,” she adds.
Bobo Choses’ Pérez says she tends to give the creators free reign when producing campaigns, noting “they’re the ones who know what their community likes the most.”
Post in collaboration by Bobo Choses and @marie_jasterWith high engagement, more accessible pricing, and a stronger perception of authenticity imbued in nano and micro influencers’ posts, it’s no wonder this strategy is on every marketing department’s to-do list. And the best part: it works. In fact, even the influencers themselves are not immune to influencer magic. “Personally, I am far more likely to buy things when I see them styled by real people and families,” Kelly shares. “Some other kids’ pages have honestly cost me a fortune by how influenced I’ve been.”
We feel ready to dive into nano and micro influencer marketing, and hope you do too! Thank you to Jennifer for this informative article. Special thanks to Lydia Larsen, Marta Pérez, Seda Isikyildiz, and Joni Kelly for sharing their insights as well!
