Micro-influencer
Also called micro influencer, nano-influencer
What is a micro-influencer?
A micro-influencer is a social media creator with a relatively small but engaged following, commonly described as about 10,000 to 100,000 followers. They usually focus on one niche, such as local food, running or skincare, and often have closer relationships with their audience than large creators, which makes their recommendations feel personal.
The tiers are informal and definitions vary. Nano-influencers are smaller still, often under 10,000 followers. Mid-tier, macro and mega influencers sit above micro, with audiences in the hundreds of thousands or millions. There is no official cutoff, so agencies and tools use slightly different numbers.
Micro-influencers are often more affordable and more open to product-for-content deals or small fees, which makes them a common starting point for small businesses in influencer marketing.
Why a micro-influencer matters
For a small business, reaching 20,000 people who care about exactly your niche is often worth more than reaching a million who do not. Micro-influencers offer that focus at a price a small budget can handle.
Working with several micro-influencers also spreads risk and produces a variety of content, which can be reused as UGC ads with the right rights.
How to find micro-influencers
- Search niche and local hashtags and keywords on the platforms your customers use.
- Look at who your existing customers and followers already follow.
- Check engagement, comment quality and whether the audience matches your location.
- Reach out personally with a short, specific offer.
- Start with one small collaboration before committing to more.
Micro-influencer FAQ
How many followers does a micro-influencer have?
Most definitions put micro-influencers at about 10,000 to 100,000 followers, though some start the range lower. Nano-influencers usually have fewer than 10,000.
Are micro-influencers worth it?
Often, especially for niche or local businesses. They tend to cost less and their audiences are focused. Judge each one by audience fit and engagement, not tier alone.
Related terms
Influencer marketing is paying or partnering with creators who have an engaged audience to promote a product in their own content and voice.
A brand ambassador is a person who represents and promotes a brand over time, often a customer, creator or employee with a long-term arrangement.
Engagement rate is the share of people who interacted with a post, usually engagements divided by reach or followers, shown as a percentage.
The creator economy is the industry of independent creators who earn money from content, audiences and brand deals, plus the tools that serve them.
UGC ads are paid ads that use user-generated content, or content made to look like it: real customers or creators talking about a product on camera.