Want to work with influencers for your brand but have a small budget? Influencer marketing is still possible. You can find micro-influencers who can create content for your brand. 

Who are Micro-influencers? 

A micro-influencer is an influencer with 10K-100K followers. Based on their follower count, influencers are divided into four main types: nano-influencers, micro-influencers, macro-influencers, and mega or celebrity influencers.

For example, Michele Thompson is a micro-influencer based in Chicago.She creates content about the local restaurants in Chicago and has 49.1K followers. 

Why Should You Work with Micro-Influencers? 

Here's why you should do micro-influencer marketing for your business: 

1. Cost-Effective

Micro-influencers charge lower rates. If you were to work with an influencer with a higher following, you'd have to pay a lot more. If you have a limited budget, you can work with micro-influencers. 

Factors like the reach and engagement of the influencer, agency fees, the number of posts you need, and the channel they use affect influencer rates. As per Influencer Marketing Hub, these are the rates micro-influencers charge - 

• Facebook: $250–$1,250 per post

• Instagram: $100–$500 per post

• TikTok: $25–$125 per video

• YouTube: $200–$1,000 per video

2. Higher Engagement 

Micro-influencers often have a higher engagement rate than influencers with a more significant following. They have a smaller, more engaged audience that pays attention to and acts on the influencers' advice.

As per research by Emplifi, micro-influencers generate up to 60% more engagement than macro-influencers.

A higher engagement rate means a better return on your investment. 

While picking micro-influencers, you should look for influencers who post content that gets many likes, shares, and comments from their followers. 

3. Targeted Audience 

Micro-influencers create content that appeals to a niche audience. So, using micro- influencers marketing is a great way to reach a niche target audience. 

For example, Jonathan Patrick France, a baseball player and athlete, is one of the top American micro-influencers, with 15.2K followers and an engagement rate of 4.75%. He often posts content about bowhunting, baseball, and his family life. A company selling archery bows can collaborate with him. The content would come across as authentic since he's already posting about this niche sport and reaching out to followers who can be potential buyers.

4. Authentic and Relatable Content 

Micro-influencers often create creative and relatable content that can be seamlessly integrated into paid advertising. They have a personal connection with many of their followers, and collaborating with a micro-influencer can help you create content based on what they know about their followers.

For instance, Delilah Isabel, a micro-influencer with 17.4K influencers,  creates content about sustainability, slow fashion, travel, and lifestyle on her Instagram account. She gets high engagement on her content. She creates excellent, relatable content like a reel about going to the local refill store or a reel about small sustainable changes one can make that often get higher than usual engagement. Suppose a small sustainable clothing brand wants people to know about their brand and see their website. They can work with an influencer like Delilah to create authentic content to create awareness. 

5. Accessible to Small Brands 

Small businesses cannot afford to pay a large amount for influencer marketing, and they may also find it tough to get a response from celebrity influencers. 

Nano and micro-influencers can be approached easily through a direct message on the platform they are most active on or through email. This is why most micro-influencers are so popular with small brands. 

Steps for Finding Micro-Influencers

You can look for micro-influencers manually or by using an influencer search tool. 

Steps for Finding Micro-Influencers Manually

You can take these steps to find micro-influencers manually: 

1. Search Using Local Hashtags 

You can use popular local hashtags to search for micro-influencers. For Twitter, search for tweets using hashtags and check for profiles with high engagement and relevant content. 

To find micro-influencers on Instagram and TikTok, use local hashtags. 

Once you find the profiles, review their engagement metrics. Look for consistency in posting, audience interaction, and content relevance. 

2. Check Your Existing Social Media Followers 

Your existing followers are your brand’s fans and people interested in it. By researching your existing social media followers, you may be able to find a local influencer who’s already a fan of your brand.

3. Use a Local Influencer Marketing Agency 

You can contact micro-influencer agencies in your city to help you find micro-influencers.

Here’s how a local  influencer marketing agency can help you: 

• Local Expertise: A local agency will have in-depth knowledge of the local market and can identify micro-influencers who are well-aligned with your geographic and demographic target.

• Vet and Evaluate influencers: An agency can provide detailed insights into an influencer’s audience demographics, engagement rates, and overall authenticity. They can assess the influencer’s past collaborations and reputation to ensure they align with your brand values.

• Campaign and Content Guidance:  The agency can manage influencer campaigns and provide content guidance that leverages the micro-influencer’s strengths and fits your marketing goals.

• Negotiation and Contracts: The agency can negotiate fees and terms and manage contracts for you.

• Campaign Management: The agency can track the performance of the micro-influencer campaigns and also work on  influencers analytics metrics such as engagement, reach, and conversions. They can provide reports and insights to measure the campaign’s success.

4. Ask for Recommendations

An easy method to find micro-influencers is to ask for recommendations from people you know. Here’s whom you can ask for recommendations from: 

• Your existing followers: Ask your existing followers for recommendations of micro-influencers whose content they love. 

• Other influencers you have worked with: If you have worked with influencers before, ask them if they know other influencers who post content in a particular niche and could work well for your brand. 

5. Check Your Competitor’s Collaborations

As a business owner, it’s likely you keep a tab on what your competitors are doing. Check what campaigns your competitors are running. See which influencers they are collaborating with and if that content is working for them.

You can then find mi

cro-influencers similar to the influencers whose content works for your competitors.

Steps for Using a Free Influencer Search Tool to find Micro-Influencers 

Micro-influencer marketing platforms like impulze.ai can also help you find micro-influencers. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can use impulze.ai to look for micro-influencers: 

Step 1 - Login into impulze.ai. If you want to try impulze.ai out first, you can get a 14-day free trial. Once you log in, you’ll be taken to the home screen (visible below)

Step 2 - Click on ‘search’ tab at the top of the screen (see screenshot below)

Step 3 -  In the search bar, type the niche for which you’d like to see the micro-influencers. In the filters bar on the left, choose the location where you want to look for micro-influencers. You can select a country or even a specific city. Lastly, choose 10000 as the minimum number of followers and 100000 as the maximum. Hit search.

See the screenshot below to understand how you can do this. 

That’s it! 

You’ll see a list of micro-influencers in your chosen location. Instagram influencer analytics, such as engagement rate and micro-influencer follower count, are also listed for each micro-influencer. 

On our micro-influencer platform, you can also use advanced filters to find micro-influencers based on age, gender, content count, etc. 

Tips for Working With Micro-Influencers 

1. Foster a Culture of Open, Transparent Communication: 

From the outset, be transparent about your expectations, campaign goals, payment terms, and deliverables. Communicate in a manner that the influencer should feel free to reach out to you in case of any issues. 

Regular check-ins can ensure both parties are aligned and can address any issues promptly. This openness helps build trust and ensures that the influencer can communicate with you anytime. 

2. Offer Fair Compensation:

Compensation is a key factor in a successful partnership. Ensure that your payment terms reflect the influencer's reach and engagement level.  

Besides monetary compensation, consider offering additional perks like free products or exclusive access to services if possible. This approach could enhance the influencer's motivation and commitment to the campaign.

3. Involve the Micro-Influencer in the Creative Process:

If you want a particular kind of content, give the micro-influencer examples of what sort of content you need. You should collaborate on ideas for the best results, allow creative freedom, and listen to the influencer's input. Micro-influencers understand their audience's preferences and can provide valuable insights into what content can work best. 

This involvement not only leverages their expertise but also empowers them, making them more invested in the campaign's success. Ultimately, this leads to engaging content that will seem genuine to their followers. 

4. Experiment with Different Types of Campaigns:

Experiment with different types of micro-influencer campaigns to see what works best for your brand. Testing different approaches will allow you to see what type of content generates the most engagement for that particular medium. 

Here are a few approaches to consider: 

• Product Reviews and Unboxings

• Giveaways and Contests

• Sponsored Posts and Stories

• Educational or How-To Content

• Behind-the-Scenes and Day-in-the-Life content

5. Build Relationships: 

Build strong relationships with the micro-influencers that you work with. Invest time in developing a genuine connection. Show appreciation for their work, provide constructive feedback, and recognize their contribution.

A solid relationship fosters loyalty and encourages influencers to enthusiastically advocate for your brand. Over time, these relationships can evolve into mutually beneficial partnerships that yield better results and more impactful marketing efforts.

The Takeaway 

Working with micro-influencers has many benefits. You can reach out to people likely to engage with your brand's content and act on their recommendations. You get a better return on your investment.

But it's comparatively more time-consuming to find micro-influencers. A quick Google search or social media search will first show you results for macro-influencers. You can use the methods discussed in this article to find micro-influencers manually.

Or, save time and find micro-influencers in a few clicks using impulze.ai.

Use a 14-day free trial of impulze.ai to find the right micro-influencers for your campaign. Click here to try. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find a micro-influencer? How to find influencers for free?

You can find micro-influencers using hashtags on social media, working with an influencer marketing agency, or searching on Google. You can also use a micro-influencer platform like Impulze.ai to look for micro-influencers. Use the filter on the left-hand side to select 10K to 10K as the number of influencers and hit search. You will see a list of influencers in the niche and location you are targeting. 

How do I find micro-influencers near me?

Suppose you want to find micro-influencers near you on Instagram. You can use local hashtags to search for them on Instagram or contact a local influencer marketing agency to help you. You can also use an Instagram influencer search tool to find micro-influencers near you.

How to reach out to micro-influencers?

You can contact micro-influencers via a direct message on their most active social media platform or by email. Send a personalized message or email introducing your brand and mentioning why you’re reaching out. To save time, you can use these free templates to contact micro-influencers. 

How to choose a micro-influencer?

First, know your campaign goals and target audience. Then, do extensive research on micro-influencers and choose a micro-influencer based on your research. Look for micro-influencers whose content can align with what you want to advertise. Check the quality of the influencer’s content and engagement rate. Review their past collaborations. You can choose a micro-influencer based on these criteria and your budget. 

What is an example of a micro-influencer? 

Cooper Beebe, an American footballer, is an example of a micro-influencer. He has 18,000 followers on Instagram.