Charity guide to the different tiers of influencer

Influencer marketing is one of the fastest growing marketing strategies. Before the days of social media, influencer marketing simply meant celebrity endorsements. And for charities, particularly small- to medium-sized charities, securing a celebrity endorsement was no easy feat.

 

But now, thanks largely to social media, the definition of ‘celebrity’ has expanded.

 

Social media influencers are celebrities for the digital age. By partnering with an influencer, charities have the potential to connect with vast and loyal audiences.

 

Used in conjunction with traditional tried and tested marketing and PR tactics, supportive and enthusiastic social media influencers can increase reach and engagement with a fundraising campaign, particularly among younger generations or target audiences.

 

But before you can start planning ways to attract and work with influencers, it’s helpful to know about the different tiers of influencer, and the ways each of them can benefit your campaign.

 

 

Nano (less than 10k followers)

 

Best for: Small charities. Targeting specific audiences. Profile raising.

 

Nano influencers are influencers with small, niche, and loyal followings. Don’t be dissuaded by their relatively small size. An influencer’s ‘influence’ is not measured by how far they can push content, but their ability to pull their community towards an action.

 

Where they lack in followers, nano influencers excel in engagement. Most nano influencers know their followers well, if not personally. As a result, the charities they choose to partner with can come across as more genuine, personable, and trustworthy.

 

For these reasons, partnering with nano influencers may lead to higher campaign engagement and better return on investment. But if you’re looking to target a specific audience with as wide a net as possible, consider partnering with more than one nano influencer.

 

Read our guidance on how to leverage digital influencers for your next charity campaign.

 

 

Micro (10–100k followers)

 

Best for: Small- to medium-sized charities. Raising awareness. Collective call to action.

 

According to Hootsuite, influencers with 15,000 followers have some of the highest engagement rates across all social media platforms.

 

This, combined with their average follower count, means micro influencers tend to be known for awareness raising abilities. However, case studies show that utilising the collective power of a number of micro influencers can garner powerful results.

 

Micro-influencers are easier to contact, build a relationship with, and to work with than influencers with higher follower counts. When searching for a micro influencers to partner with, however, it’s important to consider their follower to engagement ratio.

 

Influencers can buy followers, likes, and comments through automation and bots. If a micro influencer’s follower count is high, but engagement is low, this may be cause for suspicion. You want the micro influencers you partner with to be genuine and law-adhering.