Don’t underestimate the power of a micro-influencer. Micro-influencers are defined as those with a social media following of 1,000-10,000. While that number may not seem like an impressive feat at first glance, keep in mind that micro-influencers have 7x more engagement on Instagram than influencers with hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of followers. 

They may have a smaller following, but what micro-influencers bring to the table is the ability to build a loyal, niche, and highly-engaged audience who trust their endorsements. For early startups, getting your product or service in the hands of a micro-influencer is a smart way to reach your ideal customer and build credibility around your brand, especially if you’re in the consumer space. Not to mention, micro-influencers don’t charge nearly as much as major influencers, which is ideal if you’re working with a tight budget. 

But before you can get an influencer to endorse your brand, there are a few key steps you need to take to establish a connection and pitch your business to them. Here’s how to pitch micro-influencer to increase your brand awareness. 

Find the right influencers

If you’re going to learn how to pitch micro-influencers you have to recognize that most of them have a specific niche. In order to find the right influencers to represent your brand, it’s important to identify which niche your business is in as well as the audience you’re trying to reach. Once you’ve identified your niche and target audience, you can begin researching the top influencers in your industry. 

Adobe, for example, was one of the first B2B companies that integrated micro-influencers into their marketing strategy. They knew that to reach their target audience for their suite of creative products, which is students and artists, they would need to partner with micro-influencers who’s following was comprised of that same audience. 

An easy way to find micro-influencers for your brand is to tap into social media to see who’s talking to your target audience. Using relevant keywords to search through hashtags, the top posts will surface, making it clear who the key players are. 

Know your budget 

As mentioned earlier, micro-influencers tend to cost a lot less than a top influencer. Even so, it’s necessary to define your budget before you begin outreach so both parties know what to expect. If your marketing budget is extremely limited, think about what else you can offer. It’s common for brands to send their products to influencers to try, so consider how many products you’re willing to give out for free before pitching. In order for the partnership to work, micro-influencers have to get something that’s worth their time and effort if they’re going to put in the work to promote your brand. 

Connect with them before sending the pitch

To increase your chances of working with an influencer, it helps to establish a relationship with them first. Once you’ve identified the micro-influencers you want to align your brand with, connect with them online by following them on social media and engaging with their content. Take note of their personality, content style, and how they interact with their followers. Getting to know a micro-influencer prior to pitching them can help you tailor the marketing campaign in a way that makes sense for both them and your brand. 

Personalize the pitch

When figuring out how to pitch micro-influencers, it’s not wise to blindly gather the names of micro-influencers and send out a generic pitch to all of them in one fell swoop. Just like with any type of pitch, the best ones are personalized. To truly connect with a micro-influencer and increase your chances of getting a response, it’s worth it to spend a little extra time tailoring your pitch to the receiver. 

Address them by name, praise something they recently worked on, and explain exactly how your influencer campaign will benefit them and align with their content. Let them know why you think they’re the best person to promote your business. A personalized pitch will show them that you took the time to understand their brand and are eager to partner with them. 

About Dave Manzer: Dave is founder and managing principal at Swyft, a PR and digital marketing agency with offices in Denver, Austin and Houston. Swyft specializes in helping tech companies with a variety of services including marketing automation, content marketing, public relations and thought leadership, website design, SEO, and much more.