What is a micro-influencer? We dig into everything you need to know about micro-influencers including follower counts, engagement rates and tools to find creators!
A micro-influencer is a social media content creator with a follower count ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 followers. Micro-influencers are known for their authenticity, higher engagement rates and ability to reach niche audiences.
These qualities make micro-influencers valuable for brands looking to create meaningful collaborations and increase their reach with potential customers.
Micro-influencers typically have between 10,000 and 100,000 followers.
While the "official" follower count for micro-influencers is debatable, this range is generally accepted. Some marketers get more granular categorizing types of influencers based on follower counts, though.
For example, micro-influencers can be broken down further into categories such as nano-influencers (1,000 to 10,000 followers). The same goes for macro-influencers and power-middle influencers (50,000 to 200,000 followers).
Here's a simplified table making the distinction between nano, micro and macro-influencers:
While the definition of micro-influencer follower counts may vary, the idea is the same: these types of influencers and their content resemble everyday consumers, not celebrities.
We use these follower benchmarks to define micro-influencers at Statusphere. However, most consumer brands are moving away from obsessing over follower counts to define the value of an influencer. They're prioritizing authenticity, engagement and content repurposability instead.
Despite being "smaller," micro-influencers offer distinct advantages over macro-influencers for branded collabs. Let’s dive into why micro-influencers are better for brands.
Micro-influencers are known for having higher engagement rates than larger creators.
In our analysis of nearly 1,000 campaigns, we found that our micro-influencers' short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram Reels earned an average engagement rate of 11.9%.
Recent studies show that Instagram creators with fewer than 10,000 followers actually earn the most engagement. Meanwhile, view counts on TikTok drop relative to follower count once accounts reach over 200,000 followers.
Although celebrities and macro-influencers may have millions of followers, their engagement often drops as their audience grows. That's because larger accounts tend to accumulate fake and random followers over time, diluting the quality of their audience and views.
Unfortunately, this is beyond a macro-influencers' control.
On the flip side, micro-influencers typically have more active and engaged followers, leading to more interactions like comments, shares, and likes. Micros' focused communities are genuinely interested in their niche content, resulting in more reach and engagement.
Authenticity is key when influencing purchasing decisions.
And this is where micro-influencers really excel.
Unlike larger influencers who often promote a wide range of "general" products, micro-influencers focus on niche topics and products that resonate with their specific audiences.
For example, a skincare influencer specializing in eczema treatment will attract followers dealing with similar issues, making their recommendations more meaningful.
Micro-influencers are typically more willing to get "real" and vulnerable with their audiences. Because they share the same struggles and challenges as their audiences, micro-influencers build legitimate trust, leading to greater credibility for the brands they work with. Not to mention higher performance for influencer and paid promotions.
Micro-influencers offer brands more flexibility and opportunities to scale. This is crucial for brands concerned about ROI and maximizing their influencer campaign budget.
While macro-influencers or celebrities might offer quick, one-off promotions, micro-influencers can be the basis of an always-on strategy.
By building long-term relationships with micro-influencers, brands can continuously generate new content, create social proof and maintain visibility in social algorithms.
This ongoing approach provides a steady stream of authentic content that can be repurposed for ads or social media posts, increasing the overall effectiveness of a campaign.
In our experience, micro-influencers can promote just about anything thanks to their creativity.
Let's look at some micro-influencer marketing examples across industries to highlight how.
Word of mouth is make-or-break for beauty brands. Given how fierce the competition in the beauty space is, brands need all the social proof they can get.
Micro-influencers in the beauty industry excel at sharing honest product reviews and demonstrating how to use makeup, skincare and haircare products in relatable ways. These types of videos make it easier for potential customers to see how beauty products work.
Fashion brands are another industry that benefits massively from micro-influencers. Shoppers want to know what products look like on real people versus models. These creators offer styling tips and outfit ideas that are accessible to their followers, showcasing how to wear trending pieces in real life.
Their consistent engagement with followers fosters trust, which leads to higher conversion rates for brands partnering with them on product launches and promotions just like in the example above.
This is yet another industry where micro-influencer marketing is super effective. Health and wellness creators can seamlessly show off products while providing lifestyle advice.
Their authenticity helps them create a deeper bond with their audience, making them effective at promoting products like supplements, fitness gear and wellness programs.
Because their content feels genuine, brands partnering with health and wellness micro-influencers often see increased engagement and trust from potential customers.
Conveying what something tastes like via social media is easier said than done. Creator content on behalf of food and beverage brands lets satisfied customers do the talking instead.
These creators share personal experiences with recipes, food hacks and their favorite products. Their content encourages followers to try these products themselves, resulting in back-and-forth with followers and further engagement.
These micro-influencers provide practical examples of how everything from home decor to kitchen gadgets fit into day-to-day lives. Their hands-on, relatable content helps followers visualize how products could fit into their own homes.
Note: This is just a snapshot of what micro-influencer campaign content can look like for brands. For more inspiration, check out our post sharing examples of TikTok micro-influencers and creative ways they’re promoting products on the app.
The process of finding micro-influencers can be complicated.
That's because their follower counts represent a relatively wide range and these creators are less "in your face" about being influencers than bigger creators.
That said, there's no shortage of awesome micro-influencer talent out there. Granted you know where to look. Below are some ways to find micro-influencers for your brand.
Start your influencer search by reviewing your current customers and user-generated content.
Creators who already use your products and post about them are natural candidates for micro-influencers. Even for creators who don't label themselves "influencers," their positive ratings and reviews can serve as powerful social proof for your brand.
Another way to find micro-influencers is by searching relevant hashtags and keywords on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This can require some digging as you have to browse profiles one by one.
That said, hashtags like #ad, #gifted or industry-specific terms ("best way to clean carpet") can help you discover creators in your niche.
Narrowing down search terms can help you identify influencers who align with your brand’s values and target audience faster. For example, instead of searching "fitness influencer" try a more targeted phrase like "vegan protein powder reviews" to find micro-influencers promoted products in your niche.
Dedicated influencer search tools and platforms can streamline the process of finding creators.
Most tools are influencer search engines and databases that allow brands to filter creators by follower count, engagement rate and other factors. Then, brands are responsible for vetting and reaching out to creators to negotiate collabs.
Meanwhile, micro-influencer platforms like Statusphere automatically match brands with vetted micro-influencers via pre-negotiated collabs.
Below is a quick breakdown of some popular micro-influencer platforms and search tools.
Our automated platform simplifies micro-influencer collabs and is specifically designed to be hands-off for brands. With a unique algorithm powered by 250+ first-party data points, our software matches brands with influencers based on audience engagement and industry fit.
This automated approach eliminates the work required to find relevant creators. Meanwhile, your creator matches optimize over time as the platform learns more about your brand, audience and products.
Our platform allows brands to collab with creators from our vetted micro-influencer network while also uploading their existing creator lists. Unlike the other tools on our list, Statusphere is not an influencer database that requires manual searching or outreach.
GRIN's discovery suite promotes a database of "190 million creators" which brands can search manually. Using filters like follower count, engagement rate and audience demographics, brands can uncover creators to reach out to. GRIN also offers curated influencer lists which are created by the company's internal team.
Upfluence is another database featuring "millions of influencers" that allows brands to find micro-influencers through 20+ filters to find micro-influencers. Beyond basic demographic information, brands can also determine if a creator has an email or blog. This can help speed up the process of conducting influencer outreach.
According to the company itself, Klear boasts the "largest influencer marketing database in the industry." Klear represents yet another tool where brands can search and filter creators based on demographics and follower count. The platform uses a combination of first and third-party data to help brands find creators.
Rolling out a micro-influencer strategy involves a lot of moving pieces. Not to mention that working with smaller creators at scale is apples and oranges compared to one-off collabs.
To work with micro-influencers, brands should start by clearly defining their campaign goals. Whether you're aiming to increase brand awareness or repurpose influencer content for ads, having clear objectives ensures your campaign stays on track.
Below is a snapshot of the most common micro-influencer campaign goals from brands from our 2025 benchmark report:
Product gifting campaigns are an effective way to kickstart collaborations with micro-influencers, offering them free products in exchange for content. This approach not only feels natural but also builds authentic connections between influencers and your brand.
The key is sending relevant products to creators based on their specific audiences and preferences. In our experience, micro-influencers are 3x more likely to accept a collab when it's tailored to their target audience compared to a one-size-fits-all influencer box.
It’s essential to give micro-influencers enough creative freedom to showcase your products in a way that resonates with their audience.
After all, authenticity is key to their success. By allowing them enough creative freedom the content will come across as genuine and trustworthy, which is what their followers expect.
Keep this in mind when creating influencer briefs and giving instructions to creators. While you can offer suggestions and recommendations, excessive requirements typically result in rejected collabs and less authentic content.
Managing multiple micro-influencer partnerships is an uphill battle without the right tools.
From contacts and compensation to tracking influencer content, there's a lot of ground to cover if you're trying to do it all in a spreadsheet or without a dedicated platform.
Using a micro-influencer platform to consolidate communication, track performance and manage content is crucial for scaling campaigns and maintaining positive relationships with influencers. Not to mention reducing your day-to-day marketing chaos!
Despite their “smaller” follower counts, micro-influencers are invaluable to brands today.
Because their authenticity and creativity are truly one-of-a-kind.
As consumers continue to flock to social media to research and buy products, having an army of creators posting on your behalf is crucial. Crowded competition means that word of mouth is more important than ever.
However, managing a high volume of creator partnerships can quickly eat up your bandwidth.
Especially when you're juggling other marketing efforts.
And that's exactly why we built Statusphere!
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Our micro-influencer platform matches brands with creators from our vetted influencer network using 250+ unique, first-party data points. Unlike other platforms, Statusphere provides brands with guaranteed posts from relevant influencers to support scalability.
We’ve already generated 75,000+ pieces of authentic content on behalf of 400+ brands.
Want to learn more about how our software works? Contact one of our experts to see how we can get hundreds of micro-influencers posting about your brand.
This article was first published in October 2016. It was last updated on October 25, 2024.
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