Micro vs Macro Influencers: Deciding Which is Best for Your Brand Strategy

January 9, 2025

Whether you’re in the planning phase of your first influencer marketing campaign or brainstorming ways to grow and scale your brand’s affiliate marketing program, you’re likely considering the best types of influencer partnerships for your company. Sure, it’s tempting to go after the big fish: The mega-influencers with millions of followers who promote products and seem to rake in conversions. That said, sometimes it pays—literally—to expand your search and consider those with smaller follower counts but high engagement and conversion rates.

That’s where micro- and macro-influencers come in. These publishers have audiences ranging from a few thousand to one million followers, providing plenty of flexibility and access to potential buyers. And while the range of followers may seem extreme, there are ways to strategically use their influencer services for certain products, services, or elements of your campaign. In doing so, you can simultaneously grow your brand awareness, build trust with potential buyers, and achieve your marketing goals.

Read on to learn more about the differences between micro- and macro-influencers. You’ll also find insights into how to choose which type of influencer is best for your brand’s campaign.

What Are Micro- and Macro-Influencers?

Micro- and macro-influencers are categories describing influencers with varying follower counts. These affiliate publishing partners may be bloggers, content creators, deals or review sites, or even media outlets. However, the defining characteristic of micro- and macro-influencers is the size of their audiences.

Micro-influencers are generally publishers with a total audience of a few thousand to 100,000 followers. On the other hand, macro-influencers have an audience of 100,000 to 1,000,000 followers. You may also see terms like nano-influencers (those with 1,000 to 10,000 followers) and mega-influencers (those with audiences of 1,000,000 or more) when learning about affiliate types. For this guide, we’ll focus on micro- and macro-influencers.

Key Differences Between Micro- and Macro-Influencers

Take a look at some of the main differences between micro- and macro-influencers to help determine which type of influencer is right for your brand.

Reach and audience size: As mentioned, reach and audience size are the defining differences between these types of affiliates. Micro-influencers are primarily focused on cultivating close relationships with audiences of less than 100,000, while macro-influencers have built a platform with at least 100,000 followers across various digital touchpoints.
Engagement rates: If you’re less inclined to consider micro-influencers, think again. Micro-influencers generally have more engaged audiences, with engagement rates ranging from 7% to a whopping 20%. On the other hand, macro-influencers often average consistent engagement rates of about 5% despite more views and followers.
Audience trust: In many cases, micro-influencers may have a more personal—and, therefore, more trusting—relationship with their followers. As a result, a product or service recommendation from a micro-influencer might carry more weight than one from a macro-influencer. That said, macro-influencers have a broader reach and can get products or services in front of more potential buyers.

Benefits of Micro- and Macro-Influencers

Both micro- and macro-influencers offer numerous benefits for brands, along with different strengths, opportunities, and skill sets. But how do you know which type of affiliate partner is right for you?

Micro-Influencer Benefits

Micro-influencers may be newer to the market or part of a highly targeted, niche area of the digital world. Regardless, partnering with micro-influencers can have the following benefits:

Higher engagement rates: As mentioned above, micro-influencers often have higher engagement rates compared to macro-influencers. While macro-influencers may get content in front of more eyes, micro-influencers have audiences who are more likely to convert. That’s because micro-influencers are often considered “ordinary people” in the eyes of their followers, which can lead to greater trust in their recommendations.
Lower costs: In many cases, working with micro-influencers may require less of an investment in terms of commission or payments. What’s more, with micro-influencer engagement rates soaring as high as 20%, your brand could enjoy more conversions at a lower cost compared to working with macro-influencers.

More flexibility around campaigns: Micro-influencers may be more available and flexible when it comes to campaign work. Rather than playing hard to get, they’ll be upfront with their terms, goals and desired outcomes compared to macro-influencers, who have likely already established their reputations as converting affiliate partners.

Macro-Influencer Benefits

Considering a macro-influencer for your affiliate marketing program? Here are a few benefits you could enjoy:

Enhanced brand awareness and perceived expertise: Thanks to their wide reach, macro-influencers often have substantial brand awareness and credibility. While their engagement rates may not be as high as micro-influencers, followers generally trust macro-influencers to provide reputable recommendations based on their niche expertise.
Broad audience base: Macro-influencers can help share your products or services with a wide range of followers across various platforms, geographic regions and demographics.
High-quality content: Due to their brand maturity and resources, macro-influencers are generally able to produce professional-grade content to help promote your products or services.

Choosing When to Use Micro- vs. Macro-Influencers

Both micro- and macro-influencers can support a successful partnership marketing campaign. So, how do you choose the best type of influencer for your needs? Consider the following questions to help guide your decision:

Does the influencer align with your brand values and image? This is one of the most important considerations. Ensure you choose a partner whose brand, image, and content quality align with your own to maintain consistency across platforms and messaging.
What are your campaign goals? You may prefer to work with a micro-influencer if you hope to target niche audiences to build brand loyalty and drive conversions. On the other hand, partnering with a macro-influencer may get your products and services in front of a broader audience, boost brand awareness and impact trends within your ideal demographic.

What’s your budget? Macro-influencers may require a larger investment in the form of commission or upfront payment.

Trust Acceleration Partners with Integrated Influencer Marketing Strategies

At Acceleration Partners, our team understands the nuance involved in choosing the right affiliate partner and developing an affiliate marketing strategy. Fortunately, we bring decades of combined experience in influencer services, along with a vetted network of global publishers, to help drive conversions and build impactful influencer partnerships.

Contact us today to get started.