The rise of micro and nano-influencers has reshaped the influencer marketing landscape. These niche creators, with smaller but highly engaged followings, are delivering the best value for advertisers. “Attention is in new formats, new creators tapping into something completely brand new,” said Sophie Crowther, global talent partnerships director at Billion Dollar Boy.
TikTok’s algorithm has played a key role in this shift, fostering specialized creators like news sources, cultural critics, fashion designers, and home cooks. Advertisers are actively pursuing these hyper-specific influencers over general lifestyle creators. In 2023, an estimated 60% of Sway Group’s influencer marketing proposals called for niche influencers.
This figure climbed to 75% in 2024, according to Sway Group founder Danielle Wiley. Agencies are advising clients to target these creators. “We’re increasingly going after more hyper-specific creators just because there may well be white spaces,” Crowther said.
Micro-influencers gain marketing traction
The data supports this trend. HypeAuditor reports that nano-influencers have the highest engagement rates at 2.53%, compared to 0.92% for mega influencers with over a million followers.
“The spend is absolutely skewing towards the nano and micro influencers because of the genuine connection they have with their audiences,” said Gregory Curtis Jr., director of influencer strategy at Empower Media. A recent clothing brand client activation spent $100,000 across six mid-tier influencers and another $150,000 on 30 nano and micro influencers. Early results show promise in terms of engagement and click-through rates.
This trend is expected to continue into 2025, driven by marketers’ need to prove the efficacy of their ad spends. Influencers will likely lean into specialized content to stay relevant. However, general lifestyle influencers will still appeal to brands with broad appeal, such as consumer packaged goods.
“Whether you’re a lifestyle creator, fitness creator, or fashion creator, doing the same thing will make it tricky to sustain an audience, brand deals, and engagement,” Crowther added.
