Are you wondering how many followers you need to be an Instagram influencer? Let me get you enthusiastic by saying that you can be an Instagram influencer even with 1,000 followers! Have I missed a zero? Well, no! Welcome to the group of nano-influencers.
The rising demand for nano-influencers by marketers is giving a chance to people with even 1,000 followers to become an influencer. If you have recently seen your popular yet not-so-popular friend suddenly promoting a brand on Instagram, that’s exactly the nano-influencer I’m talking about.
48% of marketers feel that “audience relationship” is the most important factor determining an influencer’s success. And, this is the main factor behind the growth of nano-influencers.
Source: Influencer Marketing Hub
Who are Nano-Influencers?
Any person with 1,000 – 5,000 followers on their social media account can be called a nano-influencer. Their followers are their friends and people who share similar interests with them and not people who idolize them.
Source: Instagram @heidiekholmtalas
This is what separates nano-influencers from mega-influencers who are idolized and celebrated by their fans and followers. Nano-influencers are those people we meet every day and who are popular amongst their friends and families.
Why are Brands Interested in Hiring Nano-Influencers?
As mentioned in the New York Times:
“Their lack of fame is one of the qualities that make them approachable. When they recommend a shampoo or a lotion or a furniture brand on Instagram, their word seems as genuine as advice from a friend.
Brands enjoy working with them partly because they are easy to deal with. In exchange for free products or a small commission, nanos typically say whatever companies tell them to.”
Other than these, some reasons that make hiring nano-influencers worthwhile are:
They have genuine followers and engagement:
In a world of fake Instagram followers, it’s hard to know how real an influencer is unless you use tools like HypeAuditor. The good part about nano-influencers is that they are not trying to grow fake follower numbers. They have real followers who engage with them on an everyday basis.
They are easier to contact and collaborate with:
60% of marketers feel that the biggest challenge of influencer marketing is finding and managing an influencer. The best part of hiring nano-influencers is that they happily agree to promote your product for a nominal fee or a free product.
Given the ease of becoming and hiring a nano influencer, here’s how you can be a social media influencer.
How many followers make you an Instagram influencer?
Quantity and quality of followers both matter to make you an Instagram influencer. Here’s a categorization of the influencer type and the number of followers:
Depending on the number of followers, you can determine which type of social media influencer you are. However, the number of followers is not the only thing that makes you an Instagram influencer. It’s very important to understand how engaged their audiences are.
Before starting a new partnership, brands also check for follower authenticity. A creator may have a huge follower base, but it doesn’t necessarily make them a good Instagram influencer. If there are many fake followers among their audience, or their subscribers don’t engage with the influence’s content much, brands are not likely to benefit from this partnership.
How many followers do you need to be a micro-influencer?
What is a micro-influencer? The definition depends on the country. In most cases, micro-influencer has between 5,000 and 20,000 Instagram followers. For the US the most common is between 5K and 100K followers.
Micro-influencers are regular people as well, but they have more descent following, compared to nano-influencers. They are genuine and trustworthy, and their audiences are usually highly engaged. They can effectively spread the brand’s message among their loyal audiences, and provide instant promotion of products or services with good conversion rates.
In a nutshell, those who have more than 5,000 followers can be considered a micro-influencer. They are not celebrities, but usually have high levels of interaction with their audiences, which makes collaborations with micro-influencers very attractive to brands.
Final Words
I hope I have helped you understand how many followers can make you an Instagram influencer. While you’re growing your followers to become an influencer, make sure to go through this article on The State of Influencer Marketing in 2021 for a better understanding.
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