A micro-influencer is a social media creator with a modest but engaged following, usually focused on one subject or one area, who features brands in return for a fee, free products or commission. There is no official definition: the term is an industry convention, and the follower bands people attach to it vary from one agency or platform to another.
How influencer tiers work
Marketers often sort creators into rough tiers by following. A common convention, not a rule, looks like this:
| Tier | Rough following | Typical strength |
|---|---|---|
| Nano | Around 1,000 to 10,000 | Close, often local community |
| Micro | Around 10,000 to 100,000 | Specialist niche with real influence |
| Mid-tier and macro | Around 100,000 to 1 million | Wider reach, more professional production |
| Mega | Over 1 million | Mass awareness, celebrity status |
The numbers matter less than the pattern. As a following grows, it usually becomes broader and less personal. Smaller creators tend to know their followers, reply to comments and be trusted on a specific topic, such as vegan baking in Manchester, running in the Peak District or interiors for rented flats.
Working with micro-influencers usually means working with several at once. Instead of one large fee, a brand might send products or pay modest fees to ten creators, each with their own media kit and audience.
Why it matters
For a UK small business, micro-influencers are often the most realistic way into influencer marketing. Their fees are lower, they are more open to products or commission, and their audiences can be far closer to a local or specialist customer base. A Bristol coffee roaster gains more from three Bristol food creators than from one national lifestyle account whose followers are spread across the country.
There are trade-offs. Managing many creators takes time, results vary more from one to the next, and smaller accounts may have less experience with contracts and disclosure.
That last point is important in the UK. The ASA’s CAP Code and consumer protection law enforced by the CMA apply whatever the size of the account. A creator with 1,500 followers who is paid, or who receives a product in exchange for a post, must label it clearly as an ad, usually with #ad at the start. Even an unconditional gift should be disclosed as gifted. The brand shares responsibility, so a brand cannot rely on the creator knowing the rules.
Common mistakes
- Assuming small accounts are exempt from the advertising rules.
- Sending gifts with an unwritten expectation of a post, which makes it an ad without the label.
- Picking creators by follower count instead of audience location and relevance.
- Ignoring fake engagement, such as sudden follower jumps or generic comments.
- No tracking per creator, so you cannot tell which ones worked.
- Briefing too tightly, which removes the authentic voice you were paying for.
How to act on it
Search for creators who already talk about your category and your area, then check their recent posts, comments and audience location before contacting them. Send a short written brief and agreement that covers deliverables, fee or product, timings, usage rights and the exact disclosure wording, including how the paid partnership label and #ad should be used.
Give each creator their own discount code or tagged link so results can be compared. After a first round, keep working with those who brought real customers and drop the rest. If you want help deciding where creators fit next to search, ads and email, that is part of my digital marketing strategy and consulting.