The creator marketplace can be segmented into megainfluencers (millions), macroinfluencers (100,000–1,000,000), microinfluencers (10,000–100,000), and nanoinfluencers (under 10,000). Brands have shifted focus from top-tier megainfluencers toward macro and micro creators, prioritizing engagement rates over sheer follower counts. Smaller creators often act as niche experts and can directly influence followers' buying habits, sometimes prompting personal purchases. Community specificity enables brands to partner with creators whose vibe naturally fits the brand instead of forcing campaigns onto larger creators. A cross-platform study by Alter Agents commissioned by Whalar found relatability, not large followings, as the primary reason consumers follow creators.
Whereas brands used to almost exclusively focus on that top tier (think MrBeast and Charli D'Amelio), brands are now expressing more interest in macro and microinfluencers, meaning paydays for those creators. This shift has happened as brands have started to prioritize high engagement rates over large followings. Many of these smaller creators are seen as experts in their own niche communities and, as such, can more directly influence the buying habits of their followers.
Community specificity also allows brands to partner with creators who solidly fit the overall vibe of their brand rather than trying to force a campaign onto a bigger creator. Then there's the allure of getting in on the ground floor. Who doesn't want to partner with the next Addison Rae or Nick DiGiovanni? The numbers back this up. Only one in four consumers said that a creator having a large following or being followed by one of their friends swayed them to follow that creator,
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