Microinfluencers, like hair guru Jasmine McGraw and gaming legend Valkia, use their knowledge, special interests, and dynamic personalities to build followings and rake in the dough. Sound like something that’s up your alley? This guide will walk you through the process of becoming a microinfluencer, from finding your niche to connecting with brands.
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Microinfluencers are social media users who have between 10,000 and 100,000 followers. With a smaller following and a specific niche, microinfluencers often feel friendly, accessible, and authentic. They are usually able to build deeper trust with their community than influencers with larger follower counts.
Money and perks: The amount of money microinfluencers can earn varies depending on the brands they work with, their posting schedule, and their engagement. If this is a side hustle, you shouldn’t expect to make bank, but do take it seriously—a well-planned account could turn into a full-time job. In addition to getting paid, many microinfluencers benefit from perks including comped products and access to exclusive events.
Community-building: Smaller influencers build a community of dedicated followers, so you’ll find yourself interacting with like-minded individuals from around the world.
Freedom: Microinfluencers work on their own time, making personal decisions about who they work with, the kind of content they publish, and how often they post. Some brands may have stipulations about what they want their partners to post; but for the most part, microinfluencers have both flexibility and freedom in their collaborations.
How to Become an Influencer in 6 Steps1. Find your passion.
Having a niche can help you attract followers and take advantage of each social media platform’s algorithm (Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube). As a result, you’ll want to figure out what you love and how you can leverage it into content. Many aspiring influencers “fail to take off because their content is scattered and disconnected,” according to Kaleigh Moore at Afluencer, so make sure you figure it out beforehand.
2. Come up with a plan.
Once you’ve figured out your niche, plan out your content. It doesn’t have to be a full-on calendar of posts, but think about what types of content you’re interested in and what platform is most suited for your passion. For example, if you’re a plant lover, you might post videos showing how you nursed an ailing orchid back to life—but it wouldn’t make as much sense to share a video about changing your car’s oil. While planning, think about how you can become a trusted source for people who are interested in your niche. This will help followers believe in you and help the right brands find you when looking for collaborators.
Megan Binder at Thinkific suggests five steps for building a plan, which we’ve paraphrased here:
- Research: Search other influencers and get a feel for what’s working on their profiles. What are you drawn to? What don’t you like? What brands do you see influencers working with? What does the social media space look like for your specific niche?
- Choose platforms: Part of your research should include how other microinfluencers use different platforms to their advantage. For example, creators in the literature realm might be drawn more to TikTok due to the popularity of BookTok, while those in gaming likely use Twitch.
- Find a theme: Developing a theme “makes your personal brand more organized and entices brands to want to work with you,” writes Binder, so work on creating a brand that resonates with your personality and interests.
- Post consistently: Even though this may start as a side hustle or experiment, treat it like a job. Your plan should include a posting schedule; and whether you decide to post once a week, once a day, or anything in between, the important thing is to stay consistent.
- Analyze: After you’ve got some posts set up, keep an eye on the views, likes, and comments. Maybe the post about making your dog’s favorite treat did better than your other baking posts, meaning you should further explore the pet nutrition niche. With that in mind, consider making related content to continue boosting engagement.
3. Engage and grow your community.
Once you have a plan and start posting, take the time to respond to and engage with your followers. This will create a sense of authentic community and help build trust for you as a microinfluencer. Beyond your own audience, look out for other influencers you may want to collaborate with, since this could lead to a viral post or an unexpected brand partnership.
4. Connect with brands.
As you begin your microinfluencer journey, you’ll come across other social media users, companies, and hashtags that fit right into your market. If you find new brands that you’d like to work with, engage with them by liking, following, and using relevant hashtags in your posts or reach out to them with a compelling influencer pitch. You should also search for microinfluencer gigs that fit your niche on our comprehensive content creator job database.
7 Brands That Work With Microinfluencers Afroza Khan (@afroza_khan) is known for her fashion posts showcasing her bright, fun clothing alongside glimpses into her daily life and travels.
Daydreaming About Food (@hungry_fung) curates a profile that looks good enough to eat, with mouthwatering food pictures and captions that include each item’s rating, price, value for money, and recommendation.
Kate Newman’s (@katenewmanphoto) wildlife photography is bleak and gorgeous, creating a clear and recognizable personal brand.
Jasmine McGraw (@weaviewonder) posts her intricate bridal hairstyle creations alongside fashion content, demonstrating that she’s talented and has a pulse on trends in the beauty industry.
Valkia translated his success with gameplay livestreaming on Twitch to YouTube, where he posts guides and gameplay videos.