Creators no longer need to have hundreds of thousands of followers to land a brand partnership.
Brands and retailers are selecting ‘micro-influencers’ to help support their campaigns and reach their target audiences.
Micro-influencers often only have small followings but will be deeply embedded in the community their content focuses on, making them an attractive prospect for an ambassadorship or campaign appearance.
Retailers such as Disney Store, ASOS, PrettyLittleThing, Superdrug and Zara all utilise small creators, and we speak to experts from across the industry to find out why.
Emma Roffey, senior influencer strategist at advertising agency Coolr says: “I think that it’s influencer marketing in general has moved far beyond bigger is better.
“When we think about what influencers are and why we would use influencers like the keys in the first part of the name, right influence, and we know that a lot of those smaller creators have very loyal core niche communities that really over-index in engagement. They are having two-way conversations in the comment section.”
Melo Meacher-Jones, head of social at global marketing agency Iris, explains that micro-influencers “bring proximity” as their audiences feel like “genuine communities”, which leads to stronger engagement.
They say: “They are active participants in the cultures they speak to, so brands benefit from storytelling that feels culturally sharp and credible. Bigger talent often sits more in celebrity territory.”
“They deliver scale and visibility, but not always relatability. Most smart brands are using both, but there’s a clear shift toward connection and credibility as the real growth drivers.”
Shanice Dover, associate director, creator and community at M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, agrees. She explains that when a creator is embedded into a space, they are able to drive conversation as opposed to chasing it.
One example Meacher-Jones gives of a micro-influencer is Mr Money Jar, a UK-based content creator who focuses on saving and investing. His content is aimed at young professionals.
They say: “His content is practical and consistent, which builds credibility over time. Audiences return because they see him as a guide. When he recommends a product or platform, it feels vetted. That trust shortens the path to purchase and deepens long-term loyalty.”
Dover adds: ” Macro creators still drive fame and cultural moments, but trust often erodes as their influencer role becomes professionalised, making their relationship with followers more distant.
“In contrast, micro-creators hold authority because of context, not scale, and are seen as peers and genuine participants in the spaces they occupy, while being trusted enough to influence behaviour without it feeling transactional.”
Roffey comments: ” I think that across the funnel of different types of influencers, every part of that funnel plays a very different role. So macro and more hero creators, your more traditional set of influencers, do a fantastic job for reach and for scale.
“But when it comes to the authenticity play, the engagement-building play, that’s when brands by far and large are turning more and more towards micro influencers because they’re the ones that can really prove those sorts of results.”
She adds: “I think there is a bit of a myth that brands are going for micro creators more often. They’re not because of budget, but it’s simply not true. Some micro creators command the same rates as a macro creator does.
“It’s really down to what the brand is trying to do with a particular campaign. And if that is building reaching and reaching engagement, then absolutely yes. It’s always going to be a matter of choosing micro influencers over your more macro hero slips.”
Dover highlights that niche expertise boosts loyalty and helps increase buying confidence because it “reduces scepticism”.
She says: “Belief can only be built through trust, which isn’t easy to gain in a minefield of mistrust and fake reviews. In niche communities, micro-creators are better able to build their credibility as they speak from the position of active participants, just like their audiences.”
According to Dover, measuring the impact of a micro-influencer campaign means looking beyond reach.
She explains: “Thoughtful comments, direct replies, story responses, DMs and sentiment in community threads are helpful indicators of depth and intent behind interactions, building a richer picture of how brand resonance is being shaped.
Meacher-Jones concurs, explaining brands look beyond “vanity metrics” to define success. They explain that the number of followers and likes a creator has only tells part of the story.
They say: “The real indicators are engagement quality, saves, shares, affiliate links and conversion rates. Brands also track sentiment, brand lift and search growth. The strongest campaigns build credibility within communities and deliver measurable commercial results over time.”
Roffey explains the times when brand’s measured engagement by how big an influencer is or by how many likes and views a post gets are “long gone”
She says: “At Coolr when we’re reporting back on influencer work for our clients, we’re looking into engagement, but not just engagement rate, but the types of engagement that we’re getting, how many comments are in the comment section? What is the sentiment of that comment section?”
Dover adds: “We also have to take into consideration that the ways in which audiences are engaging on social platforms are shifting. Public commenting and sharing overall is declining and audiences are more selective about what they visibly engage with, which makes surface-level metrics less reliable in isolation.”
“Ultimately, micro-influencer success isn’t about reaching the masses. The real goal is embedding a brand inside an existing community or conversation, and earning trust within it.”
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