Micro-influencers have small followings, but they have a great impact. They get the right eyes on your product—people who are actually interested and most likely to buy.
So obviously, more brands, big and small, are now leaning more towards working with micro and nano-influencers rather than big influencers and celebs.
According to the latest Digital Marketing Survey by Influencer Marketing Hub, 44% of brands plan on working with nano-influencers and 25.7% with micro-influencers. When only 17% and 14% plan on work with macro and mega-influencers.
More brands mean more opportunities.
In this article, I’ll list 5 big brands that regularly work with micro-influencers, and I’ll tell you what you can do to land awesome deals with micro-influencer brands.
Top 5 Brands That Work With Small Influencers
Micro-influencers aren’t just for small and medium businesses. Big brands also know the benefits of working with micro-influencers; some are already hot in the game.
Check out our list of 7 international brands tapping into micro-influencers for different reasons. From penetrating new markets and staying relevant with younger generations to reaching niche audiences, these brands are making the right micro-choices.
1. Gilette
Gillette partnered with micro-influencers from the Gen Z demographic to promote its Venus product line to remain relevant to a younger audience.
The influencers would share their honest and personal experiences and tips about the products with their audience, who trusted and valued their opinions. This strategy enhanced Gilette’s visibility among younger audiences by tapping into their preference for personal endorsements over traditional advertising.
@_alexthegreat enjoying the comfort of my own skin! thankyou @Gillette Venus 🤍✨#cfxgillettevenus #saypubic #giftedbygillettevenus #fyp #foryoupage #filipina #skincare #selfcare
2. Sephora
Sephora initiated the #SephoraSquad campaign that employed 73 micro-influencers to share genuine, honest reviews about their products.
The beauty brand genuinely connected with a broad audience as these influencers offered firsthand insights that felt more authentic than typical ads. The setup boosts trust in Sephora’s products and broadens the brand’s reach.
@cakedbybabyk so late posting this 🙃 cant believe my year on sephora squad has come to an end 🥲 #sephorahaul #sephorasquad #sephora #contentcreatorlife ♬ Bossa Nova / cafe / food comfortable with a guitar – MATSU
3. Glossier
Glossier, known for its minimalist skincare and makeup, often teams up with micro-influencers to spread awareness about their products as accessible and relatable.
One successful campaign was the #GlossierPink campaign, where micro-influencers share how the Glossier products add a subtle touch and easily fit into their daily minimalist beauty routines.
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4. Lululemon
Lululemon uses micro-influencers through its Ambassador and Collective programs to boost market reach and brand loyalty. These influencers show how Lululemon fits into their active lifestyles, making the brand feel accessible and relatable.
For example, the #TheSweatLife campaign had micro-influencers sharing personal fitness journeys and showcasing Lululemon products with genuine and relatable content.
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5. Honest Paws
In 2020, Honest Paws teamed up with 600 pet-focused micro-influencers, hooking them up with two free products each in return for some fresh content.
Over six months, the initiative generated over 900 posts, racking up over 400,000 engagements and hitting over 10 million views. This boosted brand visibility and showed how impactful genuine influencer shout-outs can be.
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Reasons Brands Collaborate with Micro-Influencers
So why are brands now gravitating towards working with micro-influencers?
We dug deep and found the top data-driven reasons for this trend:
1. Real people, real connections
You’ve probably heard that micro-influencers have high engagement rates. For instance, on TikTok, micro-influencers reach up to 17.96% engagement rates, outperforming larger influencers and celebrities.
Why so high?
Because, in addition to engaging with their followers on a more personal level, micro-influencers develop their audience (with time) by consistently creating content around a specific niche. Their relationship with their followers is built on mutual interest and passion for one topic.
This shared interest in a common topic automatically translates to more interaction and engagement.
Plus, having a smaller audience also makes it easier for them to respond and engage with their followers more often, further improving their engagement rates.
2. See better numbers across the board.
Micro-influencers have a targeted and niche follower base, which makes them more cost-effective than other influencers.
Major influencers and celebrities have a vast audience that is interested in different things. So, the content they produce mostly doesn’t resonate with their entire audience. This results in wasted marketing efforts.
But that’s not the case with micro-influencers.
In the other hand, micro-influencers have a targeted and engaged audience. Their content is specifically tailored to their audience’s interests. So, it obviously resonates more and leads to stronger marketing metrics, saving costs.
More importantly, micro-influencers charge much less than macro-influencers. You can hire multiple micro-influencers (with higher engagement rates) for the price of one macro-influencer. This way, you save costs and penetrate diverse targeted markets with less wasted effort.
Also Read: Micro-Influencers: How to Find Micro-Influencers in 6 Easy Steps
3. Generate genuine vibes
Micro-influencers are more relatable and less intimidating than macro-influencers and celebrities. Duh!
Their endorsements come off as friendly advice rather than sponsored content. Their followers feel like they’re getting advice from a friend rather than being sold to.
When brands leverage this social proof, it also allows them to connect authentically with their audience—on a more personal level.
4. Appeal to a younger crowd
Gen Z and Millennials are drawn to personal and peer-based influences like authentic personal reviews rather than paid endorsements. They value genuine opinions expressed with emotion and storytelling over highly polished, obviously sponsored content.
So, they resonate more with micro-influencer content, which is mostly subtle, raw-ish, and authentic.
Also, micro-influencers typically integrate products organically into their daily lives and share insights not just about what they love but also about what they hate about a product. This candid approach makes their content more relatable—to a younger audience.
How to get brands to work with you—as a micro influencer?
Land awesome brand influencer opportunities even with just a few thousand followers (provided they’re targeted and engaged). Here are some tips to help you find and secure deals from micro-influencer brands.
Finding brands to work with—as a micro influencer
Here’s how you do it:
1. Choose a brand you genuinely like.
Brands prefer collaborating with influencers who believe in their products and can share authentic endorsements, not just superficial ones.
So, instead of chasing after brands that may be trending on social media, go for those whose products you have personally used and loved. This will add substance to your pitch and also give you a competitive edge over other influencers.
Engage with these brands on social media by commenting on their posts to show your interest. This will put you on their radar so they’ll know you as a real fan when you reach out.
Another method is to search for relevant hashtags on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Select hashtags within your niche and explore the ‘latest posts’ section for brands creating content in those areas.
2. Understand their influencer engagement.
Before you start pitching,
- Find out if they’re currently working with influencers, especially those in your size range.
- Visit their social media pages or websites to check if they have any guidelines or an application process for micro influencer collaborations.
(Brands that usually work with influencers have dedicated web pages that explain collaboration procedures with other relevant info.)
- Review the influencers they’re working with to understand the style of content they produce and whether these are paid promotions.
- Connect with influencers who are already working with the brand. They can provide insights into the brand’s working style and expectations and advice on approaching your pitch
3. “Ensure” content and audience compatibility.
Partner with brands that share your values and brand image. For example, if you’re known to speak out for sustainability, it makes sense to collaborate with those who are also committed to sustainable practices.
Research potential brands by reviewing their website, social media pages, and content to understand their values and messaging.
Also, choosing brands aligns your audience with your followers. This will make your partnership mutually beneficial and appealing.
Once you identify the perfect brand — one whose content, audience, and values resonate with yours — you can begin your outreach efforts.
How to approach a brand—as a micro-influencer
1. Prepare a strong pitch.
By now, you’ve researched the brand and understand the kind of content they create with influencers. Now comes the pitch.
Tailor your message to mirror their voice with your unique brand identity.
For example, if you’re a fitness influencer and the brand promotes health and wellness, show how they can leverage your expertise in fitness challenges to drive engagement on their product line.
Jade Beason, a content creator specialist with over 200K subscribers on YT, suggests, “Clearly state your worth and what you can do for them.”
Here’s a checklist from Jade’s framework to help you through the pitch planning process.
- Show you’ve done your research by referring to recent posts and content.
- Add references to your content to show how well your content resonates with the brand’s messaging.
- Point out your strong suits, like your reach, engagement rates, and audience, with some statistics.
- Throw in some examples of past content similar to what you’d create for them.
- Be transparent about what you expect in return, whether product, payment, or exposure.
What NOT TO DO while pitching to brands as a micro-influencer.
Skip the cookie-cutter pitches—they’re the easiest way to be ignored.
Avoid sending:
- A one-size-fits-all template.
- A shallow message.
- An unclear offer.
- A copy-pasted mass message.
Also Read: Micro-Influencer Marketing: Benefits and How to Leverage Niche Audiences
2. Reach out to relevant people.
When you’re ready to make contact, directly request the contact details of relevant people, such as someone from the brand’s marketing or PR team. Do this by sending an email or a direct message on social media to find specific contact information.
This way, you ensure your pitch lands right in the right place. It also shows you’ve done your homework and are serious about making a connection.
Also, always remember to follow up (multiple times) if you don’t initially receive a response. People are busy, they might forget! Follow-up to increase your chances of getting noticed and show your commitment.
Start Collaborating with Micro Influencer Brands
Micro influencers may have smaller followings, but they make a big impact.
Leverage your dedicated audience to land great brand deals by working with brands you genuinely believe in. Learn their influencer strategies and create personalized pitches that highlight your strengths and the benefits they gain by partnering with you.
Need some help? Join Glewee and let us help you figure it all out!
Glewee is the platform for micro-influencers seeking micro-influencer-brand collaborations. Connect with brands that match your niche and start working.
Use Glewee tools to access daily opportunities, gain detailed insights, manage multiple campaigns, and get paid quickly.
Start working with Glewee today and get more influential.
