Micro influencers are the real definition of small but mighty. When influencer marketing wasn’t a thing, brands thought that the best way to increase sales and brand awareness was through macro influencers or celebrities. The more the following, the more the conversions, right? Not necessarily.
With followings ranging from 10,000 to 100,000, these creators have established trust and credibility within their niches, proving that their small following can be even more impactful than a larger one. This is why nowadays, over 77% of all brand partnerships are with micro influencers, as they tend to offer a better return on investment.
However, collaborating with micro influencers isn’t just about picking a name and sending a generic DM. You need a thoughtful approach that resonates with their values and aligns with your brand’s goals. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to effectively reach out to micro influencers on Instagram, from identifying the right partners to crafting personalized outreach messages that stand out.
A micro influencer is a social media content creator who has a relatively modest yet highly engaged following, typically ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 followers, depending on the platform. Unlike macro or celebrity influencers, who have massive audiences, micro influencers are known for their niche focus and close connection with their followers.
Engagement is a make or break factor in your influencer marketing campaigns. High engagement means that an influencer’s followers are not just passive viewers but active participants who value the influencer’s opinions, making them more likely to respond positively to your product or message.
Micro influencers with smaller audiences are able to engage more deeply and directly with their followers. This is why, with an average engagement rate of 6%, they have the highest engagement rate of any other type of creator.
If you’d like to know an influencer’s engagement rate, explore our free engagement rate calculator.
Micro influencers are more relatable than bigger influencers. Unlike celebrities, micro influencers come across as “Real people”, making their content and partnerships feel more genuine. Over 70% of consumers trust them more than traditional celebrity promotions.
When it comes to influencer marketing pricing, the more you spend doesn’t always mean the better results. The combination of high engagement, targeted reach and authenticity often makes micro influencers bring better ROI than macro influencers.
You can work with influencers that adapt to your budget and still bring successful results. In the table below you can see the average cost of influencers depending on the platform:
Micro influencers are known for their highly niche content, which often appeals to specific groups of people. This means they’ve already established a community that aligns with your ideal demographic.
Whether it’s beauty enthusiasts, fitness experts, tech geeks, or foodies, micro-influencers make it easier for brands to tap directly into the hearts of their target audience.
Reaching out to macro or celebrity influencers often involves dealing with managers, agents or their packed schedules. As they have a large following and constant demand, working with high-profile influencers can involve lengthy negotiations and extensive timelines.
Micro-influencers, on the other hand, are typically more accessible and responsive. They’re often open to genuine connections with brands and can start collaborations quickly without the red tape.
What do you want to achieve with this influencer marketing campaign? Before starting the outreach, two major aspects to define are 1) Your goals, and 2) Your audience.
For this, start by asking yourself these questions:
Are you looking to increase brand awareness, collect quality content, drive website traffic, increase sales or build a community around your product or service? Defining these objectives will help you define the type of influencer you need.
The more specific you are the better. By setting key performance indicators (KPIs), you’ll be able to measure the success of your campaign. In influencer marketing, these KPIs often include total reach, follower growth, engagement rate, ROAS, Earned Media Value (EMV), and more.
Be clear regarding your target audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviours. Micro influencers are ideal to reach their target audience, so once you know your target market it will be easier to identify the creators who can connect with them authentically.
For example,if your brand specializes in dietary supplements, your ideal customer might be health-conscious individuals aged 25-40 who are interested in fitness, wellness, and clean eating. They are likely active on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, follow fitness influencers, and engage with content about workout routines and healthy recipes.
Consider the unique value micro influencers bring to your brand - high engagement, authenticity and relevance to specific niches. Micro influencers are a fantastic fit for brands looking to increase brand awareness,product reviews, tutorials as well as launching niche products.
To make the most of your influencer marketing campaign, make sure to choose micro influencers who align with your brand’s values, niche and goals.
Here are some key criteria to keep in mind when evaluating potential partners:
Ex: If you’re a vegan snack brand, partnering with a micro-influencer who shares plant-based recipes and has followers who comment on trying vegan lifestyles would be a great fit.
An influencer who shares personal stories about using a product in their daily life or actively responds to follower questions (e.g., “I’ve been using this for 3 months, and here’s what worked for me”) is likely to resonate more authentically than one who simply posts generic ads.
Ex: A fashion influencer with 10,000 followers but 1,000+ likes per post and dozens of genuine comments (“Where did you get this?” or “I love your style!”) is likely to be more impactful than one with 100,000 followers but only a handful of interactions per post.
Ex: If you’re a luxury skincare brand, an influencer who creates high-resolution photos and videos with clean, polished visuals will elevate your campaign. Avoid those whose posts appear rushed or cluttered.
Ex: An influencer who has previously worked with ethical fashion brands and highlighted their sustainable practices could be a great match for your eco-friendly clothing line. Conversely, one who posts daily promotions for unrelated products might not seem credible to their audience.
Based on this, you can start your search. There are 3 ways you can find influencers:
This is a lengthy but useful way to find influencers. Start by exploring Instagram, using niche-specific hashtags or keywords.
For example, let’s say you’re looking for mom influencers. By using hashtags like #mommyblogger, #momlife, #motherhood, you can identify potential creators.
You can also look in Google things like: Mom micro influencers
Once you’ve identified potential micro influencers for your brand, organize your findings in a spreadsheet to streamline your outreach process. Include key details such as their social media handle/profile, email, engagement rate, audience demographics, niche, and any notes about their content or past collaborations. This will help you compare options more effectively and ensure you don’t overlook important factors when making your final decision.
If you're unsure how to find an influencer's Instagram email, we've created a comprehensive guide outlining various methods to help you.
If you want to speed your outreach process, using AI tools is the way to go. A report by Influencer Marketing Hub revealed that over 54.8% of marketers believe that AI can improve efficiency and personalize interaction in influence marketing processes.
Rather than spending time conducting a manual search tools like Influencer Hero can do all this for you. With its Influencer Finder feature, you can set specific criteria, including lookalikes, engagement rate, following, location, niche, interests, and more and browse through sounds of influencers.
You also have access to their reports where you can see their previous partnerships, most popular posts, and a more in-depth breakdown of their audience.
Another way to find micro influencers for your brand is through competitor research. Check on those brands that have similar target audiences as yours, and explore their past collaborations. This can give you an idea of creators that might be willing to work with you, as they share those same values.
If you have a small brand, there’s a chance influencers haven’t heard from you. A good way to begin establishing a relationship is by engaging with their content. This can be through comments or likes, showcasing that you like the content they do.
Make sure to check on your followers list first, as it often happens that influencers might be already following you, making this introduction easier and increasing your chances of them accepting a partnership.
When reaching out to micro influencers, the platform you use for communication can impact how your message is received.
Sending direct messages (DMs) might seem quicker and more personal, however it’s less formal. In the case of micro influencers, they are more likely to check on their DMs, however, it’s harder to offer a more detailed proposal and follow up.
From our experience, we’ve noticed that email is typically the preferred method for influencer outreach. You can provide more details about the campaign, attach relevant files and overall keep the conversation organized.
To streamline the outreach process, consider using influencer marketing outreach tools.These tools allow you to manage communication, find the right creators, and more importantly, send bulk outreach messages in a personalized and efficient way.
By combining professional email outreach with the efficiency of an outreach platform, you can enhance your influencer marketing efforts and establish meaningful partnerships with micro-influencers.
Emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened.
The benefit that you have at hand, is that usually, micro influencers manage their own accounts and are not represented by managers or agencies, which makes the communication more seamless. Because of this, catching their eye with a personalized subject line and email is key to ensure you can begin establishing a relationship.
The most important elements you should include in this first outreach email are:
Our AI-powered outreach tool allows you to send bulk messages while keeping a high level of customization. For example it always starts the email with a personalized sentence based on the last social media posts.
SUBJECT: {{ firstname|default(influencer_handle) }} – ENTER YOUR BRAND NAME Partnership
Hi {{ firstname|default(influencer_handle) }},
{{personalized_sentence}}
My name is ENTER YOUR NAME and I’m from ENTER YOUR COMPANY NAME. We are ADD ONE SENTENCE DESCRIPTION ABOUT YOUR BRAND.
We are looking for potential partnerships and we love the content on your account {{influencer_handle}}!`
It would be awesome if you could test our ENTER YOUR PRODUCT.
HIGHLIGHT YOUR USP AND YOUR PRODUCT IN ONE SENTENCE.
I’m happy to send you one ENTER YOUR PRODUCT for you to test. We also offer a 20% commission or a discount code to give out to your followers. Please get back to me if you are interested in this opportunity.
Can I send you one of the ENTER YOUR PRODUCT
Thanks!
Best,
ENTER YOUR NAME
Through these conversations with influencers, it’s important that you highlight the value you offer. Not only in terms of compensation but that they can see that they are not only promotional tools but that you want to establish a relationship with them.
While compensation is important, many influencers value additional benefits that show you care about their success and growth. Here are a few ways to offer value:
By treating micro influencers as partners, they’ll feel more invested in your brand. Additionally, when influencers work with your brand consistently, their audience perceives the relationship as more authentic, strengthening trust.
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From the start, be clear what you’re offering and what you’d like in return. In most cases, influencers will always ask for a flat fee, however, especially when it comes to micro influencers with growing audiences it's easier to negotiate a different type of collaboration (gifting, affiliate, etc).
We always recommend starting an influencer campaign with gifting and affiliate marketing, as here you can see the type of engagement and impact your brand will have with an influencer’s audience. If they have good traction, then you can offer compensation and negotiate a paid campaign.
Don’t get discouraged if you see that an influencer hasn’t responded yet. In most cases, you’ll have to follow up to make sure they see your proposal. However, keep in mind that you should strike the right balance between being persistent without coming across as overly pushy or demanding.
Influencers, even those with smaller followings, often juggle multiple collaborations, so allow a few days before following up. A typical waiting period is 3–5 business days. Keep your follow-up message brief and professional, gently reminding them of your initial outreach. Here’s an example:
Hi {{ firstname|default(influencer_handle) }},
How are you? I hope you’re having a great week!
I just want to make a quick follow-up on our offer. We would like to send you our ENTER PRODUCT NAME + RETAIL PRICE
If you're still interested, please provide your shipping details including your full name and contact number so we can send you the product.
Also, please feel free to browse through the website if you want to know more about our brand: ENTER WEBSITE URL
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Best,
ENTER YOUR NAME
Check out all of our outreach templates for all of the stages of negotiation with influencers.
How do you know if your campaign was a success? By hitting all of your target goals. This takes us back to our first step, where you established the goals and the KPIs.
KPIs are measurable metrics that help evaluate whether your campaign is delivering the desired results. The right KPIs depend on your specific goals:
Clearly defined KPIs will keep your team focused and provide a concrete framework to measure success.
So, how can you measure these after your influencer marketing campaign? You can do it manually tracking the change before the campaign and after the campaign, also through specific formulas to calculate KPIs like ROI and engagement rate.
If you want a more efficient approach, leveraging tools can streamline the process. Platforms like Influencer Hero offer all-in-one solutions for tracking influencer metrics and analyzing campaign performance. With features to monitor engagement, audience demographics, ROI, and more, these platforms provide detailed, comprehensive reports—giving you the insights you need to make informed decisions and maximize your campaign's impact.
The cost of hiring a macro influencer can range from $500 to $10,000 per post, celebrities can go up to $50,000 per post. But, is it worth it? Or is it better to work with smaller influencers?
While this decision largely depends on your goals, micro influencers have proven that despite their significantly smaller following, they’re still able to generate the impact you’re looking for. According to the Influencer Marketing Hub, campaigns with micro influencers see ROI up to 11 times higher than traditional digital ads.
Similarly, research by Bocconi University's Maximilian Beichert and colleagues revealed that many businesses relying on high-follower influencers may be missing the mark.
Analyzing over 1.8 million global purchases and conducting three field studies across Europe, they found that nano and micro influencers deliver impressive results—generating over $1,000 in return for a $50 product investment. In contrast, macro influencers (100,000+ followers) demand steep fees averaging over $1,000 but yield only $6,000 in return.
Micro influencers are changing Instagram marketing as they offer brands authentic connections with highly engaged niche audiences. Here are two examples of brand collaborations with Instagram micro influencers.
Airbnb changed the hotel industry forever. Beyond offering a place to stay, Airbnb seeks to offer unique travel experiences and breathtaking destinations. This is why they also collaborate with nano and micro influencers that stay at their properties and share captivating photos and videos.
In this case, they shared photos and the experience of Maggie Zerbe, a photography influencer with 5K followers, who captured moments of their dog and their stay at an Airbnb in Catskill, New York.
Lululemon is renowned for collaborations with celebrities, macro influencers, and Olympians. However, they also team up with smaller influencers passionate about fitness and wellness.
Recently, they partnered with Yolande, a freelance illustrator with 3K followers, for a unique product collaboration. Yolande designed Lululemon leggings adorned with colorful affirmations like “You are loved” and “You are joyful.” The partnership was showcased through a vibrant Instagram reel featuring Yolande dancing and repeating these empowering affirmations.
Reaching out to micro influencers is a powerful way to connect with highly engaged audiences and create authentic brand partnerships. By setting clear goals, identifying the right influencers, and crafting personalized outreach messages, you can lay the foundation for successful collaborations. Remember to approach influencers as partners, offering value and building long-term relationships that benefit both sides.
With a thoughtful strategy and the right tools, collaborating with micro influencers can be a game-changer for your brand, driving engagement, building trust, and achieving meaningful results. Now, it’s time to put these steps into action and start building impactful partnerships.
The best way is through email, as it’s professional and demonstrates your seriousness about the partnership. Include a personalized pitch that highlights why their content aligns with your brand. For smaller influencers, a DM might also work, but email remains preferable for formal outreach.
You can find micro influencers through manual research on social media, using hashtags or niche keywords, or leveraging tools like Influencer Hero. Competitor research is also an excellent strategy—check the influencers they've collaborated with for potential leads.
Your pitch should include:
Success is measured by setting and tracking KPIs, such as engagement rates, reach, conversions, or ROI. Tools like Influencer Hero can help monitor these metrics and generate detailed performance reports.
Micro influencer fees vary based on their niche, follower count, and engagement rate. On average, they might charge anywhere from $50 to $5,000 per post, but barter deals or product exchanges are also common for influencers with smaller audiences.
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