MKTG3506 · Digital Marketing & Social Media
Social Media and Influencers
Social strategy is not 'be everywhere' — it's positioning: pick channels by audience, objective and content fit. This chapter walks the platform landscape and a step-by-step social strategy, then separates real engagement from vanity metrics and covers social listening and share of voice. Its centrepiece is influencer marketing: the influencer pyramid (nano → micro → macro → mega), the reach↔engagement trade-off (smaller influencers reach fewer but engage harder), and the 3 Rs — Reach, Relevance and Resonance — for vetting a partner. The signature prompts ask you to choose between micro and macro influencers by objective, and to justify the choice with the 3 Rs.
What this chapter covers
- 018.1 The platform landscape — position, don't scatter
- 028.2 The social strategy, step by step
- 038.3 Engagement rate vs vanity metrics
- 048.4 Social listening and share of voice
- 058.5 The influencer tiers and the reach↔engagement trade-off
- 068.6 Micro vs macro — choosing by objective and vetting with the 3 Rs
Choosing an influencer tier — micro vs macro, by the 3 Rs
- +1Name the trade-off. Up the influencer pyramid, reach rises but engagement and trust fall — macro/mega reach many shallowly; nano/micro reach fewer but engage hard.
- +1Match to the objective. The goal is trusted conversions on a modest budget, so micro-influencers fit — high engagement, niche audiences, lower cost.
- +1Reach (the first R): enough audience size to matter, but the brand isn't chasing mass awareness — micro's reach is sufficient.
- +1Relevance (the second R): the influencer's niche and audience must match skincare — a beauty/skincare creator, not a generalist.
- +1Resonance (the third R): genuine engagement and trust — comments and saves, not just followers. Conclude: micro wins on relevance and resonance for this objective.
Key terms
- Influencer pyramid
- The tiering of influencers by audience size — nano → micro → macro → mega. Reach rises up the pyramid while engagement, trust and relevance to a niche typically fall, which drives the tier choice.
- The 3 Rs
- The vetting criteria for an influencer partnership: Reach (audience size), Relevance (fit between the influencer's niche and the brand), and Resonance (genuine engagement and trust). All three matter, not just reach.
- Engagement rate
- A measure of how actively an audience interacts with content — likes, comments, shares, saves relative to reach or followers. It signals real attention, unlike vanity metrics such as raw follower counts.
- Vanity metric
- A figure that looks impressive but doesn't tie to objectives — e.g. total followers or impressions with no engagement or conversion behind them. Strategy is judged on metrics that map to goals.
- Share of voice
- A brand's portion of the total conversation about a topic or category, relative to competitors. Tracked through social listening, it gauges relative visibility and momentum.
Social Media and Influencers FAQ
When should a brand choose micro over macro influencers?
When the objective is trusted conversion in a niche on a tighter budget. Micro-influencers reach fewer people but engage harder and feel more authentic; macro/mega influencers suit broad awareness pushes where reach outweighs intimacy. Match the tier to the objective.
What are the 3 Rs of influencer selection?
Reach (audience size), Relevance (fit with the brand's niche and audience) and Resonance (genuine engagement and trust). A complete justification scores a partner on all three, not on follower count alone.
Why is follower count a poor way to pick an influencer?
Because it's a vanity metric — it says nothing about whether the audience is relevant or actually engaged. Engagement rate, relevance and resonance predict results far better, which is the whole point of the 3 Rs.
Exam move
Internalise the reach↔engagement trade-off and the 3 Rs — the signature prompt asks you to pick an influencer tier for an objective and defend it. Practise leading with engagement over follower count, and matching the tier (nano/micro/macro/mega) to whether the goal is niche trust or mass awareness. Know that a sound social strategy positions on a few well-chosen platforms rather than chasing every one.
