Looking for brands that work with micro-influencers? Don’t you have thousands of followers on social media? Well, you don’t need a huge following to be an influencer and get brands to work with you.
The way brands approach influencer marketing has shifted dramatically. With the rise of micro-influencers, the number of followers is no longer an obstacle to obtaining brand partnerships.
Today, it’s all about engagement and the impact you can create, and micro-influencers are known for creating good engagement. In fact, 77% of marketers say micro-influencers top their list of ideal influencers.
If you’re a micro-influencer with an engaged audience, this article will teach you everything you need to know about working with brands. Let’s start with some of the top brands that collaborate with micro-influencers.
Table of Contents:
- Top 20 brands that partner with small influencers
- Why do brands collaborate with influencers?
- How to get brands to work with you?
20 brands that work with micro-influencers
Contacting brands that already work with influencers is generally a good idea, as they are more likely to have a budget and a streamlined process in place for managing influencer marketing campaigns.
Let’s take a look at some of the top brands working with micro-influencers:
1. La Croix
- Category – Beverages
- Platform – Instagram
La Croix is one of the brands that work with micro-influencers and is a well-known brand that has seen success with micro-influencers. Instead of the traditional marketing techniques used by other beverage companies, La Croix collaborated with the Whole30 nutrition program and micro-influencers to showcase their products.
For a chance to be featured on their profile, LaCroix actively encourages its followers to use branded hashtags such as #LaCroixlove and #LiveLaCroix. The brand even collaborates with influencers with fewer than 1000 followers.
To encourage influencer collaborations, LaCroix even sends out vouchers for free cases of their drinks to micro-influencers.
The Live LaCroix section on their website also showcases content uploaded by micro-influencers across different platforms.
How to collaborate with La Croix: La Croix looks for micro-influencers to represent the brand by finding people who have already tagged the brand in their social media posts. We recommend using the hashtags #LaCroixlove and #LiveLaCroix to get the brand’s attention.
2. Daniel Wellington
- Category – Fashion
- Platform – Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok
Daniel Wellington’s strategy is straightforward: Offer a watch or other incentives to influencers in exchange for a sponsored post on Instagram promoting the brand.
Not only this, but they also give you a chance to get featured in their feed. Their daily #DWPickoftheDay contest challenges influencers to create creative content for a chance to be reposted on Daniel Wellington’s official account.
How to work with Daniel Wellington: Sign up on their website to join their global ambassador community as an influencer. Entering brand contests like #DWPickoftheDay can also be a good way to get noticed by the brand.
3. Asos
- Category – Fashion
- Platform – Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube.
The ASOS Insiders influencer program is a major element of ASOS’ success and 3.2 billion dollar revenue. Asos picks out fashion and beauty experts, to promote the brand’s clothes, accessories, and/or beauty products.
ASOS Insiders post photos of themselves promoting the brand’s product on their account, along with the product code in the image caption.
How to work with Asos: The best way to get noticed by the brand is by posting content representing the brand with the hashtag #ASSEENONME.
4. Coca-Cola
- Category – Beverages
- Platform – Instagram,Tiktok
Industry leaders like Coca-Cola are no strangers to influencer marketing. Their #Cokeambassador campaign has micro-influencers who regularly post photos of themselves with a Coke in hand.
A recent example of their influencer marketing efforts is the @cocacolabelgium campaign. They collaborated with Instagrammers from the fashion, travel, and lifestyle industries with less than 100K followers to reach out to Belgian consumers.
How to work with Coca-Cola: Branded hashtags are closely monitored by the majority of brands. Most of Coca-Cola’s influencers use #cokeambassador to represent Coca-Cola. Using this hashtag along with quality content can be a good way to get their marketing team’s attention.
5. Sperry
- Category – Fashion
- Platform – Instagram
Sperry is also one of the brands that work with micro-influencers, which is known for its boat shoes, and is focusing on Instagram to improve its digital marketing strategy and social branding.
Their campaign includes collaborating with small influencers who shared popular images of Sperry products on social media. The ambassadors receive a budget that they can use to engage their communities and audiences.
Sperry also launched OpenSponsorship, a platform that connects athletes with brands. This resulted in campaign opportunities for 6,000 athletes representing 160 different sports.
How to partner with Sperry: They usually select influencers from Instagram users who are already sharing high-quality photos of its products. So, make sure to add the brand’s official hashtags #sperry and #sperrystyle to your content.
6. Glossier
- Category – Beauty
- Platform – Youtube
Glossier has established an influencer program in which influencers receive product discounts or other non-monetary incentives in exchange for posting videos about glossier products they enjoy.
They’ve created an environment in which anyone who wears and enjoys their makeup can be an influencer. In fact, The company has an army of more than 500 ambassadors.
“Our customers are our number-one mouthpieces and evangelists. They are doing exactly what we hoped they would. They are interpreting Glossier.”- Glossier founder Emily Weiss. (Source- Vox)
How to collaborate with Glossier: A good way to get Glossier’s attention is to start tagging @Glossier in content that highlights their products.
7. Amazon’s Audible
- Category – Tech
- Platform – Instagram
Audible collaborated on a campaign with photographer Jesse Driftwood, who had fewer than 100K followers on Instagram.
Rather than a sales pitch to promote Audible, Jesse shared his personal perspective on how using audible helped him stay productive. The post received over 10,000 likes and 300 comments, with a 30% engagement rate.
How to partner with Amazon: You can become an Amazon influencer by signing up on their website.
8. Banana Republic
- Category – Fashion
- Platform – Instagram
The Banana Republic is a great example of a brand collaborating with Instagram fashion and lifestyle micro-influencers. They have run 13 such campaigns, reaching a total of 43.2 million consumers.
Their campaigns primarily work with Instagram micro-influencers to model their seasonal clothing lines in a variety of settings.
How to work with the Banana Republic: The most common hashtags used by their influencers when posting branded content are #itsbanana, #brmovesyou, #brmakeitmatter, and #brholiday. We recommend posting quality content with these hashtags to get noticed by the brand.
9. Forever 21
- Category – Fashion
- Platform – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter
To be featured across Forever 21’s social channels, the brand encourages users to post pictures of their favorite outfits on their social media feed with the hashtags #F21xMe.
In exchange for sharing content featuring Forever21 outfits, the Forever 21 Influencer Campaign pays influencers a flat fee plus an apparel budget.
How to work with Forever 21: Forever 21 is always on the lookout for new talent, so email your portfolio over to talent@forever21.com today. Also, keep an eye out on their website and social media for influencer campaign announcements.
10. Sephora
- Category – Beauty
- Platform – Instagram
With over 58k Posts, #SephoraSquad is one of the biggest social media campaigns on Instagram. Sephora launched this campaign in order to turn fans into brand ambassadors.
They give micro-influencers access to new Sephora products to test and review on the internet. Sephora uses influencer marketing campaigns constantly to engage with a larger audience and highlight company culture.
How to work with Sephora: Keep an eye out for openings at their official Sephora squad website.
11. Nike
- Category – Fitness Apparel, Footwear, and Accessories
- Platform – Instagram, Affiliate
Nike is undoubtedly the leading fitness apparel brand involved in designing, manufacturing, and selling men’s and women’s fitness apparel, footwear, and accessories worldwide. You can just look at Nike’s Instagram following – a whopping 250+ million, enough to prove the fact that the brand is the market leader.
You might be already eager to collaborate with Nike but unfortunately, the company doesn’t allow influencers to apply to become their brand ambassadors and looks for influencers proactively.
Nevertheless, you can join the Nike Affiliate Program to get up to 11% commission on valid sales generated by you.
12. Maude
- Category – Sexual Wellness and Self Care
- Platform – Instagram, Facebook
Based in the USA, Maude is a well-known sexual wellness and self-care brand that sells products in multiple nations including the US, UK, EU, CA, and AUS.
Maude is looking for passionate brand ambassadors who can represent the brand, pass on the brand values, and educate people on sexual wellness.
On becoming a Maudern Ambassador, you will get a number of perks including exclusive access to products, test upcoming launches, and a 10% affiliate commission on sales generated from your audience. If you are interested, you can apply on Maude’s official website.
13. Canon
- Category – Photography, and Videography
- Platform – Social Media and Web
Canon is one of the few imaging technology companies that lead the market worldwide.
If you’re a passionate photographer, becoming a Canon brand ambassador will be a great opportunity for you to grow your career. You will get featured on Canon’s brand ambassadors program page along with your work and story.
To become Canon’s brand ambassador, you can visit a Canon office near you with your portfolio. They have a selection panel consisting of individual experts who analyze and shortlist portfolios of applicants.
14. Airbnb
- Category – Hospitality
- Platform – Affiliate
Airbnb is a US-based company that allows people to host, advertise, and book online accommodations and experiences for short-term in 191 countries.
They are looking for Airbnb Superhost Ambassadors who can help new hosts start their hosting journey with Airbnb.
Talking of benefits, Superhost Ambassadors get access to exclusive features and tools, cash rewards for helping new hosts, priority customer support, and more. If you’re interested, you can apply directly through the Airbnb website.
15. Headspace
- Category – Wellness
- Platform – Social Media
Headspace is one of the brands that work with micro-influencers. If you’re a health and wellness influencer, Headspace can offer you a great collaboration opportunity. It is a top-rated wellness app that helps people meditate, sleep, and relax their minds to have a healthy and happy lifestyle.
They are looking for partners who can represent the brand and help people relax their minds using Headspace. You can apply directly from Headspace’s official website.
Another way to collaborate – Use the app and share your story on Instagram and tag Headspace in your post. They often feature their users who share their stories and experience using Headspace.
16. Fitbit
- Category – Fitness and Wearable Technology
- Platform – Affiliate
When it comes to wearable technology, Fitbit leads the market in many countries including the USA.
Fitbit is looking for affiliate partners to grow its sales and market share further. You just need to have a website or blog to become a Fitbit affiliate.
For every sale generated, you will earn a 3% fixed commission. Moreover, you will get free Membership and exclusive access to creative assets, helping you promote the products easily on your website.
17. Mejuri
- Category – Jewelry
- Platform – Instagram
Based in Canada, Mejuri is an affordable luxury jewelry brand that sells men’s and women’s fine everyday jewelry online and in-store as well. As of now, the brand has business in three countries – the US, the UK, and CA, and is one of the best brands that work with micro-influencers.
To grow its reach and sales, the brand is looking for Instagram influencers who can appear for the brand and promote its products. You may also get a chance to be featured in Mujuri’s Instagram feed, they have over 1.1 million followers on Insta.
Best of all, Mejuri accepts direct applications from influencers interested to join Mejuri Fine Crew.
18. Knix
- Category – Women’s Apparel
- Platform – Social Media
Another Canadian brand that is popular for its women’s intimate clothing. Through its intimate apparel, Knix is on a mission to inspire women to feel and live free unapologetically.
They are looking for influencers who can share the same belief and vision. If you also want to promote the idea that women should live free without any judgment and self-doubt, you should definitely join their ambassador program.
What reward will you get? 6-10% sale commission, access to free Knix products, exclusive discounts, previews of launches, and more.
19. SSENSE
- Category – Luxury Fashion
- Platform – Instagram, Affiliate
SSENSE is a Montreal, Canada-based company that sells high-end street-style apparel for men and women. The company was founded in 2003 and has grown its reach to many countries across the world, and is one of the best brands that work with micro-influencers.
The brand has a decent following of 1.1 million on Instagram and actively features and collaborates with influencers to promote its products. But unfortunately, you can not apply to become their ambassador directly.
However, you can apply for their affiliate program to earn a commission on sales generated by you. they have a long 30-day cookie policy which means you will get a commission if your audience buys something from SSENSE within 30 days of opening your affiliate link.
20. ChopFit
- Category – Fitness
- Platform – Social Media
ChopFit is a niche-specific fitness brand that sells limited but unique products that can be used to exercise and work out. Their primary product is “Chopper” available in several weight options and can be used to do a number of workouts. They also have a dedicated app named “ChopFit” that is available for both iOS and Android devices.
They do not have a large significant social media presence, that’s why they are looking for influencers to collaborate with and convert them into brand ambassadors. If you’re into fitness, you have a great chance to become their ambassador even if you’re a small influencer.
21) Starbucks
- Category: Beverages
- Platform: Instagram, TikTok
Starbucks has mastered the art of utilizing micro influencers to bolster its presence on social media, particularly on platforms like Instagram. Through strategic collaborations and engaging content, they seamlessly integrate their brand into the digital landscape.
Whether it’s through vibrant Frappuccino selfies, insightful weblog reviews, or vlogs showcasing seasonal favorites like the pumpkin spiced latte, Starbucks captivates audiences and fosters a sense of community around its products.
How to partner with Starbucks: Compose a polished email spotlighting your strengths as a content creator and presenting a brief proposal tailored for Starbucks. Don’t forget to attach links to your Media Kit and social media profiles before sending it to partnerships@starbucks.com
22) Dunkin Donuts
- Category: Food and beverages.
- Platform: Tiktok, Instagram and Twitter.
Dunkin’ Donuts, a prominent player in the food and beverage industry, prioritizes its online visibility through strategic influencer partnerships. From teaming up with grassroots bloggers to collaborating with notable figures like Charlie Damelio, Dunkin’ leverages a diverse range of influencers to extend its reach.
Through compelling social media campaigns across platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, Dunkin’ effectively taps into the power of influencer marketing to engage its tech-savvy audience and strengthen its digital presence.
By embracing the influence of social media personalities, Dunkin’ ensures its products are showcased to a wide and receptive audience.
How to partner with Dunkin Donuts: Dunkin Donuts is always looking to collaborate with new people and hold contests for the same. You can get in touch with their team via their website.
23) Target
- Category: Department Store
- Platform: Instagram
Target, the American retail giant, understands the value of influencer collaborations in reaching their audience effectively. By partnering with Instagram influencers, Target showcases its apparel offerings to a wider demographic.
For example, in 2017, Target launched a new swimwear line and enlisted the help of influencers to promote it using hashtags like #targetstyle and #targetswim. These hashtags continue to be utilized by Instagram users, indicating the enduring impact of Target’s influencer campaigns.
Target’s influencer collaborations extend beyond traditional models to include athletes and individuals with a passion for swimming. By aligning with influencers who resonate with their target audience, Target ensures authenticity in their promotions.
How to partner with Target: You can apply to collaborate with Target on their website.
24) HelloFresh
- Category: Packaged food.
- Platform: Instagram
HelloFresh, a leading meal-kit company based in Germany, has established a global presence, serving customers in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Recognized as the largest firm of its kind in the United States, HelloFresh attributes a portion of its success to strategic collaborations with influencers.
How to partner with HelloFresh: HelloFresh accepts applications for influencer collabs and partnerships via their website.
25) Audible
Audible, as a prominent player in the audiobook industry and a subsidiary of Amazon, recognizes the value of micro influencer partnerships in bolstering its presence on social media. With an extensive library of titles, Audible aims to reach a diverse audience through strategic collaborations with bloggers of varying sizes.
In its marketing efforts, Audible demonstrates a commitment to maximizing the potential of influencer marketing. From partnering with A-list celebrities to engaging with micro-influencers who have dedicated niche fan bases, Audible ensures its content is shared with a wide spectrum of audiences.
By tapping into the authenticity and engagement of micro influencers, Audible can connect with listeners on a more personal level, fostering genuine interest and loyalty among its target demographics.
How to partner with Audible: Audible provides a very simple process to apply for their affiliate program. You can sign up as an affiliate and use your social media platform to promote the products.
Why Do Brands Collaborate With Influencers?
Influencer Marketing is no longer about just audience size and reach. Today, It’s all about building up trust among consumers.
According to Helplama’s research, people are 3x more likely to read posts from a friend than from a brand itself. And brands are starting to realize that micro-influencer collaborations can help with this.
To attract the best brands that work with micro-influencers, you should know the reasons behind brands collaborating with influencers.
Here are some of the top reasons why brands are interested in working with micro-influencers:
- Better Audience Engagement
- Target Specific Niche Audience
- Genuine content
- Budget-friendly and many more
To know in detail, check out our post on: How Collaboration With Micro-Influencers Help Your Small Business?
How to get brands to work with you?
Approaching brands to collaborate with you is good, but if you want brands to approach you, follow these practices:
1. Define your Niche
With so many influencers in the market, it can be difficult to stand out indeed. But targeting a specific niche can help you grab attention.
To define your niche, you can ask yourself:
- What distinguishes you from others in your line of work?
- Do you consider yourself an expert in any field?
- What are you passionate about?
2. Post consistently
Do you want to see growth on social media? Do you want to stay top of mind with your followers and attract new brands? You need to be consistent.
You must be active in order to attract new followers and increase engagement rates.
So, how frequently should you post on social media? Once a day? Once a week? According to research, increasing the frequency with which you post content can boost engagement rates.
By posting 1-2 posts per day, you can keep your content fresh and relevant.
3. Approach directly
Once you’ve defined your personal brand, it’s time to reach out to brands.
The first step is to find a way to approach the right social media manager or marketing team. Find out how to contact them by looking them up on the brand’s website and/or social media. Also, keep an eye out for any requirements posted by them.
Secondly, you need to craft your pitch email or message. During the pitch, try to think of creative ways to connect with them. Include your media kit, a brief bio, and, most importantly, explain how working with you can benefit their brand.
Pro tip: Do a little research regarding the brand and its content strategies. This shows that you went the extra mile and put in the effort to learn about their brand and products.
4. Tag or mention brands in your posts
This is one of the most effective methods you can get noticed by brands looking for influencers. Brands love to see people sharing their content & tagging them in social posts.
To tag a brand on social media, you can include the company’s profile name in your post’s caption or in comments, using @ tags.
As these @tags are clickable, this will draw the brand’s attention, and they will realize you are promoting them.
On Instagram, you can also tag brands through photos. Photo tags are also clickable, and brands receive notifications when you tag them in photos.
5. Use relevant hashtags
Using hashtags can boost your efforts while looking for brands to collaborate with you. Using the appropriate hashtags while posting engaging content can help you capture brands’ attention. Most brands often go through their hashtags looking for content or influencers to feature.
Have a look at some top reasons to use relevant branded hashtags with your content:
- More traffic
- More Followers
- Increased Engagement
- Get noticed by brands (as they regularly monitor hashtags
Some of the relevant hashtags in the micro-influencer space are #microinfluencers, #smallinfluencers, etc.
Most brands have a unique hashtag that is easily identifiable and instantly associated with the brand, such as Calvin Klein’s #MyCalvins.
To identify relevant and branded hashtags in your niche:
- Look at hashtags used by other fellow influencers (post captions)
- Keep an eye on hashtags used by brands
6. Create a media kit
A media kit is also a great way to introduce yourself to brands and marketers while summarising your work and area of expertise. Brands typically request a media kit from influencers they want to work with. So not having one can result in missed opportunities for collaborations and makes you look unprofessional.
So, how do you put together an influencer media kit? Keep these key points in mind while creating a media kit for yourself:
- Include your Social Media Statistics
- Highlight your Demographics
- Showcase previous work and collaborations
- Include contact information( email, phone number, social media handles, website, etc)
- Make it visually appealing
Here’s an example:
7. Join Influencer Marketplace
Are you a creator with highly shareable content that appeals to a niche audience? An influencer marketplace could be exactly what you’re looking for to promote your work.
Using an influencer marketplace is one of the simplest and most efficient ways to find endorsements and work with different brands.
Simply put, Influencer marketplaces connect brands with industry influencers.
Most influencer marketplaces/platforms have a similar process:
- You sign up and post a brief describing your content and area of expertise
- Wait for brands to respond
- Interested brands reach out with relevant campaign details
- Partner with them to create content and promote their products.
Conclusion
Getting brands to sponsor you on social media isn’t easy; it takes time and a lot of effort.
However, if you consistently create high-quality content that brands want and connect with your followers on a personal level, you will begin to gain their attention.
You’ll start seeing more of the brands that work with micro-influencers working with you as long as you’re providing value that the brand can track, and start attracting an audience they want. Also having honest, open conversations with brands that you work with will help you build a strong relationship and could result in future collaboration opportunities.
With these tips, we hope you’ll be well on your way to becoming a key micro-influencer in your niche and securing larger brand deals.