Macro Influencer: Do You Have What It Takes To Be One?

What does it take to be a macro influencer these days? Is it enough to have hundreds of thousands of followers? Do you need to maintain a certain engagement rate? Let’s navigate the influencer marketing landscape to map out where you are in your journey.

What Is a Macro Influencer?

What is a macro influencer? In terms of numbers, you can claim the “macro” prefix as an influencer once you breach the 100 thousand mark in follower numbers. The minimum limit may vary depending on who you ask. But the consensus is between 100 and 150 thousand followers on a single social media platform.

An influencer at the macro level is considered a trusted authority in their chosen niche or industry. Given the size of their influence, the niche is typically large in scope and may cover several sub-niches within it. Or they may specialize in two or three related niches.

These influencers have a big enough following to significantly impact trends, preferences, and behaviors within their communities. They can generate adequate engagement with their content vis-a-vis their follower count. In terms of marketing strategy, they have great potential to generate exposure and build social proof for relatively smaller brands. Brands with a bigger following can also leverage the demographic reach of these influencers to drive sales or website traffic.

If you’re a brand looking to reach a wider audience for product/brand awareness, these influencers are the ideal choice. Their considerable fan base means they can still deliver new followers. At the same time, they’re able to sustain their affinity with their followers through their highly relatable and true-to-their-identity content.

Here are some of the top macro-tier influencers on TikTok today:

• Jennifercmessina, an LGBTQ+ influencer and mental health advocate with over 600K followers
• Andreaalayon, a fashion, lifestyle and tech vlogger with nearly 1M TikTok followers
• Laurengiraldo, a health and beauty influencer with close to 600K followers
• Watchingnewyork, with more than 900K followers, features photographer Johnny Cirillo’s candid shots of NYC street fashion.
• Therealgossmakeupartist, featuring beauty blogger, makeup artist, and entrepreneur Wayne Goss with 100K+ followers

Micro vs. Macro Influencers

What are micro vs. macro influencers? The main difference between the two is their follower numbers. Micro-influencers can have anywhere between 1,000 and 100,000 followers. Their specialization is often narrower; many are considered experts in their chosen niche or field.

The micro tier is the most conducive to strong and meaningful relationships compared to all other influencer tiers. With a more defined niche, they also have a more distinct, uniform, and engaged audience. Their community is tight-knit and connected by a stronger sense of identity or by their shared passion or values.

Despite their comparatively smaller niche audience and small-scale celebrity status, a micro-influencer’s potential is still worth tapping into. Brands can leverage their credibility and bank on their ability to drive high engagement.

Macro vs. Mega Influencer

A mega influencer occupies the highest influencer ladder rung—boasting over one million followers. Another notable macro vs. mega influencer difference is that the latter is typically more famous than influential.

Many mega influencers, such as athletes and fashion models, began as well-known celebrities or personalities. Celebrity influencers leverage their already-established popularity to drum up high engagement rates for their content on social media.

Lots of influencers also reach the one-million-follower milestone to become internet celebrities in their own right through sheer hard work. They climbed the ladder one rung at a time and built their influence with their commitment and skills. This type of mega influencer may have started from an obscure and specialized niche. They would have gradually expanded their focus as they grew their community.

With such a massive follower base, mega influencers have a more diverse audience. They can reach across different audience demographics and psychographics. However, their broad reach in terms of numbers and niches also means lower engagement. This is because they’re not as connected to their followers as other types of influencers.

The biggest advantage of a mega influencer is that they give brands the biggest exposure possible. They are the best equipped to work on major marketing campaigns but also the most expensive. These influencers are suitable for top-of-the-funnel campaigns that promote products to the general public.

Macro Influencer Follower Count: How To Get the Numbers

How do you get the macro influencer follower count you need? The key is to keep giving your audience what they enjoy so they’ll keep coming back for more. You can expect high audience engagement when you’re successful in generating enthusiastic interest in your content. With high engagement comes high visibility on more For You feeds. Here are some essential tips to help you expand your reach and gain more followers.

• Identity a TikTok SEO strategy that delivers your desired results. Use TikTok analytics to determine what works and what doesn’t. 
• Stay up-to-date on relevant trends. Use TikTok Creative Center to discover the latest trends in your industry. Be quick to hop on emerging trends to get maximum exposure. 
• Engage with your fans. Promptly reply to their comments and DMs. Acknowledging their engagement is an excellent way to show them your appreciation for their support. This will encourage them to give your future posts more likes and comments. High engagement will boost your content’s visibility and help you gain new followers. 
• Get input from your community. Start a poll to find out what topics your audience wants you to tackle next. Ask them for feedback and recommendations. Is there a challenge you should participate in? When you create content based on your audience’s request, you also guarantee their engagement. 
• Check out the competition. Learn from their strategy. Find out what makes their videos popular. Keeping an eye on what creators in your niche/industry are up to will also help you identify trends.

Begin Your Influencer Journey on the Right Path

Almost anybody can become a social media influencer these days. But it takes grit, skill, and algorithmic advantage to make a career out of influencer marketing. As the saying goes, if you’re going to do something, do it right the first time. Content creators on social media should take this advice to heart. Beginning your influencer journey on the right path is crucial to your success in your chosen TikTok niche.

On TikTok, you can guarantee algorithmic advantage simply by consistently delivering content optimized for your niche audience. Whatever niche you choose, there’s an audience for it on TikTok. Just put your determination and skill to work to produce quality and relevant content. TikTok’s recommendation algorithm will do what it does best — matching your account and content to interested viewers. Focus your efforts on creating content for your target audience to have a higher chance of converting viewers into fans.

The TikTok formula seems simple enough, but it might still take time for your growth to gain traction. You can enhance your audience-targeting precision with the help of High Social. Leverage High Social’s advanced, proprietary AI tool to deliver your TikToks to more potential followers. Make sure your videos are front and center on the For You feeds of genuinely interested users.

Do you have what it takes to become a successful macro influencer on TikTok? High Social can get you there faster. Start growing your TikTok today!

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