Everything You Need to Know About Macro-Influencer Sponsorship

Before you dive in, if you are interested in influencer sponsorship, check out these titles in our “sponsorship for podcasters and influencers” series:

• Resource Page for Podcast and Influencer Sponsorship
• The Complete Guide to Podcast Sponsorship
• Maximizing Sponsorship Opportunities for Your Podcast
• 5 Things Podcast Sponsors Wish You Knew
• How Much Should You Charge for Podcast Sponsorship
• The Rise of Micro-Influencers: Redefining Sponsorship Strategy (With Templates, Examples, and Tips)

If you read my guide to micro-influencer sponsorship, the gears in your brain might have begun turning. You might have thought, why stop at influencers on a smaller scale when you can supersize them instead?

That brings me to this guide on macro-influencers. The polar opposite of micro-influencers, partnering with these mega names could lead to huge positive consequences for your organization or business. 

Join me as I help you gear up to enter the world of macro-influencer sponsorship!

What Is a Macro-Influencer?

So, I said a macro-influencer is the polar opposite of a micro-influencer, but what exactly does that mean, anyway?

Influencers attain different levels according to how many followers they obtain. For example, a micro-influencer only has 10,000 to 100,000 followers. Well, I say “only” like it’s easy to acquire that number.

But macro-influencers make it look easy. Their follower counts exceed 100,000 people. Perhaps they have 1 million subscribers. Maybe it’s 2 million followers. 

Besides their massive follower counts, macro-influencers also have an engagement rate of at least three percent, although it’s often higher. 

At this level, a macro-influencer is considered more of a celebrity, or at least an internet celebrity. For example, Selena Gomez, Dwayne Johnson, Chiara Ferragni, Kylie Jenner, and PewDiePie are all macro-influencers. They come from vastly different fields, with only their follower counts in common. 

What Companies Work with Macro-Influencers?

Um, just about any company under the sun. Macro-influencer partnerships can yield a lot of positives, so brands of all shapes and sizes want to team with these megawatt stars. 

Here are some that have:

• PlayStation
• Subaru
• Fiji Water
• Coca-Cola
• Chipotle
• Airbnb
• Haagen-Dazs
• HelloFresh
• Calvin Klein
• Dunkin’
• Gymshark 

Some of these brands have become more commonplace in part due to teaming with major stars in the world of influencing. 

How to Work with a Macro-Influencer in a Sponsorship Capacity: All You Need to Know

So, you want to team up with a macro-influencer, huh? You and everyone else. While it’s harder to secure a deal with an influencer on this level compared to a micro-influencer, it’s not impossible by any means.

You just have to follow the guidance I have for you here. 

Know Your Value 

What does your company or organization bring to the table that no one else does? That’s your value proposition.

I’m not talking about valuations quite yet, although you will have to do that at some point. I mean your unique elements. 

Lots of brands try to connect with macro-influencers just because they want clout. However, like any sponsorship relationship, a macro-influencer partnership requires both sides to benefit. You must have something to give back that the influencer wants. 

Dig down deep and consider what makes your company or organization so special. 

Use Audience Research 

Okay, so you’ve sharpened your value proposition. Next, it’s time to begin narrowing down your choices to find the right macro-influencer for your company or organization. 

I recommend using your audience data for that. If you haven’t surveyed your customers/attendees/donors in a minute, connect with them now. Ask what kinds of brands, products, and services have been on their radars. 

Then, based on what they tell you, use that information to select a few niches or industries you want to target. From there, it’s a matter of finding macro-influencers already associated in that niche or industry.

And yes, there must be some sort of connection. You can’t just work with a macro-influencer because they have a million followers. That doesn’t matter to your audience. 

They want to have a memorable experience with your company or organization at your next event, program, or opportunity. Follower count alone can’t achieve that.  

Know Where to Find ‘em

Okay, so you have a good idea of what kind of micro-influencers you might be interested in working with. However, you have no idea where to track them down.

Fortunately, there are plenty of platforms out there to discover influencers of all sizes, such as Klear, Influencity, Traackr, Inc., and Find Your Influence, Inc. 

You can use these and other platforms to find influencers based on criteria such as follower count, niche, and other specialized areas. 

Once you determine who you want to work with, I recommend following the same protocols as you would when seeking any sponsorship. That means you need to research the influencer and ensure there’s alignment between their brand and yours. 

I recommend building an extensive prospects list of influencers. Maybe it won’t be 50 people deep due to the specialization of macro-influencers, but you need five to 10 names on your list at least. 

Learn About Their Needs

Next, it’s time for a discovery session. You don’t have to call it that if you don’t want to because you’re concerned about confusing the influencer. The name of the meeting is not important. What matters is its content.

Let me rewind a moment first. You should have reached out to the macro-influencers on your list via email, DM, or even phone or text message if you have their number. Hopefully, you heard back and they’re willing to give you a few hours of their time. 

If not, you have to keep moving on, which is why I recommend having a decent-sized list of prospects.

During the meeting or call, try to learn about what the macro-influencer needs. They may be having an issue you can help with. The only way to know is to ask, so use this opportunity wisely. 

Discuss Activations and Assets 

Once you’ve discovered more valuable information about your prospective partner, it’s time to come up with tailored solutions that help them achieve results and/or solve problems. These are your activations and assets.

I can’t tell you what kind of sponsorship property you will end up building for a macro-influencer. That will depend a lot on their niche and the nature of your partnership. 

I can share with you a few pointers that will help. First, make everything custom. You went through all this hard work to find a macro-influencer to work with. Don’t let it all fall apart now because you use generic assets. 

Don’t be afraid to ask the macro-influencer what they’re looking for. As I always say, who knows better about their own problems and challenges than the sponsors themselves? They can point you in the right direction. 

Deliver What You Promised 

Entering a new world, such as is the case with macro-influencer sponsorship, requires you to make good on what you promised. 

I know that sounds easy, but you’d be surprised. Many new sponsorship seekers want to promise their sponsors the moon and stars because they think that’s the fastest way to retention. And yes, if you can indeed deliver the moon and stars, then this usually works out beautifully.

However, what if you only have the moon? Or what if you don’t quite have the moon or the stars? Promising what you can’t deliver will hurt your future macro-influencer sponsorship aspirations. 

It’s better to make a small promise and deliver than to promise something huge and only come through halfway (if even that). 

Consider Longer-Term Partnership 

However, if you can deliver what you promised, you should broach the topic of extending your working partnership with the macro-influencer. 

Many sponsors of all kinds are more than happy to work together longer if the relationship remains mutually beneficial. That means you have to be ready to prove your worth by producing a fulfillment report, also known as a post-event or wrap-up report.

This short but succinct document reviews the entirety of your working relationship with the macro-influencer. You should include metrics related to your partnership and a rundown of the assets you delivered. 

Deliver the report, then ask for some of the macro-influencer’s time to review it. From there, you can naturally segue into asking for an extension of your partnership.  

The Benefits of Macro-Influencer Sponsorship

While certainly a time investment, working with a macro-influencer sponsor pays back dividends if done right. Here are some of the advantages you can expect as you get underway.

Opens the Door to More Macro-Influencer Deals

Sponsorship is sort of like building a snowman. It can take a lot of time and effort to get that first snowball rolling, but once you gain momentum, you can keep it on your side.

In other words, once you secure your first sponsor, you’ll find in a lot of ways that getting your second one isn’t as difficult. 

Sometimes, it’s because you learned so much that you know better about what to do and what not to do. And in other cases, as certain partnerships of yours gain publicity, influencers might come to you rather than vice-versa. 

Exposes You to a Newer Audience That’s Ready to Buy 

Don’t we all want more audience exposure? The answer to that question, of course, is a resounding yes. And that’s why so many companies spend tens of thousands or millions of dollars on advertising and marketing. 

Macro-influencer sponsorship is another way to get your foot in the door. Your company or organization will find itself in front of new audiences you wouldn’t have otherwise reached. 

Better yet, the conversions will sort of come your way on their own as the macro-influencer talks you up. 

Promotes Brand Recognition and Loyalty 

You can take a lot of strides to put your brand on the map. As you continue to build stock in your name, a promotional sponsor like a macro-influencer could be just what you need. Their audience of tens of thousands or millions of people will be talking about you left and right.

Best of all, if your products or services deliver the kind of experience the macro-influencer’s audience wants, they’ll develop loyalty toward your brand. That can carry on a lot longer than even the relationship with the influencer. 

Elevates Sales and Conversions

Naturally, the consequences of increasing the number of people interested in your brand are more sales and conversions. Or, if you’re a nonprofit or charity, more donations. 

Either way, there’s more money in your pocket, which can allow you to put on higher-caliber events and continue working to please your ever-growing audience. 

Makes You More Trustworthy 

Since the macro-influencer has taken their time to acquire a passionate audience, that audience knows that when the influencer recommends a brand, they don’t do so lightly. There’s a lot of vetting that takes place first. 

This means the average audience member of that macro-influencer can trust you more right off the bat. Here’s a fellow consumer vouching for you, which is the highest form of social proof there is. 

Some audience members may wish to do their own due diligence, so ensure you support that through an active social media presence and a live website. 

FAQs

How much do macro-influencers charge?

The prices vary depending on the influencer’s follower count and their own perceived value. As a baseline, single social media posts on platforms like TikTok can cost between $1,260 and $2,500. Instagram posts may be priced at around $10,000, and YouTube videos $20,000. 

I reached out to an influencer and didn’t hear back. Now what? 

Don’t be afraid to follow up. You can reach out if you haven’t heard anything in several business days. Send another DM, email, or text. If that doesn’t work, follow up again a time or two more, but then know when to walk away.

If the influencer hasn’t responded by that point, they’re never going to. 

What is the average reach of a macro-influencer? 

Macro-influencers have a tremendous reach of around 61 percent per post. That means most people who see what these influencers post will pay attention. 

Wrapping Up 

Macro-influencer sponsorship can open doors left and right if you’re looking to supercharge your brand promotions. Of course, I must remind you that sponsorship is a two-way street. You must have something of value to offer a macro-influencer. 

If you’re ready to take your sponsorship aspirations to the next level and need the guidance of experts to get there, connect with the Sponsorship Collective today.