Picture this: you’re scrolling through social media and your favorite influencer pops up promoting a product. Their recommendation feels genuine, and the product is totally relevant to your life. Suddenly, you’re thinking about adding it to your cart. That’s influencer marketing in action—and it has completely changed the ways brands promote their products online!
A whopping 93% of marketers have used influencer marketing campaigns. And here’s the part that might surprise you: those campaigns aren’t just for influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers. Not even close!
Brands are actively seeking out micro and nano influencers. That’s because these smaller accounts often have the most loyal, engaged audiences in their niche. And for brands, that’s an absolute goldmine!
Have you been dreaming about earning real income from your online presence, but feel like your follower count isn’t there yet? This post is for you! We’re sharing a roundup of brands that work with small influencers. Plus, we’ll tell you exactly how to find even more that align with your content. By the end, you’ll have a solid game plan for monetizing your content through brand partnerships, affiliate marketing, and collaborations. Let’s get into it!
20 Brands That Work with Small Influencers Like You
When brands evaluate influencers to work with, follower count is actually one of their last considerations. What they really care about is engagement rates and high-quality content. And that’s exactly where small content creators shine!
Brands that work with micro-influencers have a clear goal—driving measurable traffic and making sales. Since small influencers have built genuine, trust-based connections with their audience, they deliver exactly that. That kind of authenticity translates into serious ROI for brands.
In other words, this structure is exactly why small influencers are becoming one of the hottest commodities in influencer marketing!
What Are Influencers?
Influencers are content creators who build a following online through relatable, niche-focused content. They then monetize that following through influencer collaborations, affiliate marketing, user-generated content (UGC), and sponsorships.
Most influencers focus on one specific niche, like travel, fitness, food, beauty, or lifestyle to attract a highly engaged, targeted audience. And once they’ve built a strong personal brand and a loyal following? That’s when the brand deals start rolling in—and the real money-making begins!
Want to see exactly what it looks like when brands collaborate with influencers? Check out our post “What Are the Typical Scopes for Influencer Collaboration?”
Different Types of Influencers
Each type of influencer brings its own unique advantages to influencer marketing. We’ll break down the tiers below so you can understand where you stand today:
- Nano-Influencers (1,000-10,000 followers): Newer creators with tight-knit communities and the highest engagement rates of any tier. If you’re just starting, don’t underestimate your value here. Brands love the authenticity and trust that nano influencers bring to gifting campaigns and genuine product recommendations.
- Micro-Influencers (10,000-100,000 followers): The sweet spot for brand partnerships—and for good reason! Micro-influencers are established in a specific niche with strong engagement and high conversion rates. Most affiliate and ambassador programs actively target this tier.
- Mid-Tier Influencers (100,000-500,000 followers): At this level, you’re a proven creator with a wide reach who still feels refreshingly relatable to your audience. Sponsored content becomes a real, consistent income stream here. Many creators at this tier start working with agencies or managers to handle their growing brand partnerships.
- Macro-Influencers (500,000-1 million followers): Full-time professional creators with serious reach and even more serious brand deals! Paid campaigns, product launches, and long-term ambassadorships are all on the table at this level. This is where influencing truly becomes a career!
- Mega-Influencers (1 million + followers): The top tier of the influencer world—and the brand partnerships to match! Mega influencers charge five to six figures per post and work exclusively with major global brands.
- Celebrity Influencers (10 million + followers): Stars who built their fame outside of social media—think actors, athletes, and musicians. Now, they leverage the influencer industry for top-dollar brand partnerships.
Want to level up your influencer tier? Check out our post “Best Podcasts for Influencers” to find out which podcasts you need to be listening to for follower growth.
What Do Brands Look for in Influencers?
When brands are searching for the right influencer to create content with, here’s what they’re actually looking for:
- Engagement rate above 3%
- Consistent posting schedule
- Clear niche positioning
- Clean, brand-safe, engaging content
- Audience demographics alignment
- Strong call-to-action performance
Notice anything missing from that list? Follower count! Small influencers with just a few thousand highly engaged followers have a real shot at brand partnerships.
How to Get Brand Deals as a Small Influencer
Step 1: Optimize Your Profile
The very first thing a brand does when considering a partnership is check out your social media profile and website. So, you want both looking their absolute best! Make sure your profiles clearly communicate your niche, showcase your best content, and reflect a strong, cohesive personal brand.
Consistency is everything here. When you post regularly and maintain high engagement, you’re sending a clear signal to brands that you’re worth working with!
Step 2: Use Influencer Platforms
Influencer platforms are one of the best ways to connect directly with brands for partnerships, gifting campaigns, and affiliate marketing opportunities. There are so many great ones out there, too! The key is finding the platforms that align with your niche and influencer tier.
Once you’ve joined, you’ll have access to a huge variety of brands ready to partner with creators just like you. Most platforms even include analytics dashboards so you can track your content’s performance. The more insight you have into what’s working, the better you can optimize, boost engagement, and drive sales.
Read through our guide “Apps for Influencers to Connect with Brands” to find some that align with your influencer strategy.
Step 3: Direct Outreach Strategy
You don’t have to sit back and wait for brands to come to you. Taking the initiative and reaching out to brands directly is a totally valid—and often very effective—strategy for landing micro influencer collaborations. It puts the ball firmly in your court. You have more control over the collaboration terms, compensation, and the content creation from the very start.
Want to know exactly how to make that first move? Check out our post “How to Reach Out to Brands as an Influencer” for everything you need to know.
What Brands Work with Small Influencers?
Beauty and Skincare Brands
Glossier
Glossier is the beauty brand that practically invented the modern micro-influencer playbook—and their story is one of our favorites! While Glossier began as a beauty blog, Into the Gloss, they worked their way up to a billion-dollar company. The whole way, they prioritized real voices over polished celebrity faces. And that philosophy makes them pure gold for small creators.
Their Generation Glossier affiliate program welcomes nano and micro influencers with open arms, and the brand regularly sends PR packages to creators. You’ll get access to product seeding, affiliate commissions, and the chance to be reposted on Glossier’s official channels. Yes, that kind of exposure is very real—and for a small creator, it’s absolutely game-changing!
Apply to Glossier’s Affiliate Program
Sephora
Sephora is one of the few major beauty retailers that runs a paid, yearlong influencer program designed for creators of every size. The Sephora Squad opens applications once a year, typically between August and September. They select creators based on content quality, audience engagement, and a genuine passion for beauty. Follower count? Not a factor. And that’s exactly what makes this program so special.
Selected creators receive free product boxes, paid contracts, mentorship from past Squad members, and inclusion in Sephora’s official social campaigns. Plus, Sephora runs a separate affiliate program through Impact for ongoing partnership opportunities.
Good Molecules
Good Molecules has built a seriously loyal following by pairing affordable, ingredient-focused skincare with transparent education. And their love for small creators is just as real as their products! The brand regularly sends PR packages to micro influencers who post honest reviews and educational content. They’re easily one of the most accessible and creator-friendly brands in the skincare space.
If you’re into skincare ingredient breakdowns, texture shots, or before-and-after content, Good Molecules is a perfect fit. They run gifting and UGC partnerships, with affiliate opportunities available for creators. The more reliable way to get on their PR list? Tag the brand consistently in your content and reach out directly through their website.
Join the Good Molecules Influencer Program
Supergoop
Supergoop is the sunscreen brand that made SPF really exciting. And their growth has been built almost entirely on partnerships with skincare-loving creators of all sizes. Their creator program, sometimes called The Sunshine Crew, is open to small influencers across blogs, Instagram, and TikTok.
Selected creators get free product seeding and a 10% commission on every sale. They also get exclusive access to new launches before they hit the market. And honestly? That last perk alone is worth it! Plus, Supergoop runs gifting campaigns for new product drops. Translation: even smaller creators have a real shot at landing a PR package!
Join the Supergoop Sunshine Crew
Fashion Brands
Princess Polly
Princess Polly is a fashion-obsessed brand that built its entire empire on micro-influencer marketing. Their affiliate program pays a 5% commission on every qualifying sale. But here’s the part that makes Princess Polly stand out: they explicitly state there is no follower minimum on their collab page. None!
In other words, if you love fashion content and post consistently, you have a real shot at getting approved. Affiliates get pre-made promotional materials, access to exclusive deals, and a dedicated creator dashboard. For fashion bloggers and content creators just starting out, this one is a must-apply!
Join the Princess Polly Affiliate Program
Fashion Nova
Fashion Nova is the brand that built itself into a household name almost entirely through influencer collaborations. They work with creators of all sizes who can confidently style their pieces and have strong energy. Most of the influencers they work with are on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Their ambassador program offers affiliate commissions, gifting, and the chance to be featured on Fashion Nova’s official channels. And those channels have millions of followers. Yes, millions!
Fashion Nova’s team actively scouts creators on Instagram. That means consistently tagging the brand and posting high-quality content can land you on their radar. No application required! Keep showing up, keep creating, and you might get that DM you’ve been waiting for!
SHEIN
SHEIN runs one of the highest-paying fashion affiliate programs out there. Affiliates earn 10% to 20% commission on every sale through their unique referral link or code. The program is open to bloggers, YouTubers, TikTokers, and Instagram creators with as few as 500 engaged followers. Yes, you read that right—500!
With new arrivals dropping daily, you’ll always have fresh, on-trend content to share with your audience. And for top-performing affiliates, it gets even better. Monthly bonuses ranging from $100 to $1,000+ are on the table, with the potential to be invited into SHEIN’s brand ambassador program. The more you show up and drive sales, the more SHEIN rewards you for it.
Join the SHEIN Affiliate Program
ASOS
ASOS is one of the most coveted brands in the fashion influencer space, and their ASOS Insiders program is exactly why! This invite-based initiative turns selected creators into the brand’s official style voices across social media. While the program is invite-only, smaller creators can absolutely get on their radar by consistently using #ASSEENONME and showcasing ASOS in their styling content.
ASOS also runs a separate affiliate program through major networks, paying commissions of 3% to 10% on sales. Between the paid Insider opportunities and the open affiliate program, there’s a real path into the ASOS world.
Join the ASOS Affiliate Program
Fitness and Wellness Brands
Alo Yoga
Alo Yoga is an athleisure brand synonymous with the wellness creator world. And their affiliate program is one of the most lucrative in the fitness space! Accessible through networks like Impact and FlexOffers, the program is open to creators who produce yoga, Pilates, mindfulness, or athleisure-focused content.
If that sounds like you, this one is a must-join! Make sure to also check out our guides, “What to Put in Fitness Blogs” and “How to Make Money as a Fitness Blogger!” We have some seriously insightful tips that can level up your business.
Join the Alo Yoga Affiliate Program
Gymshark
Gymshark is the original fitness brand to scale through influencer marketing, and they’re still one of the best brands for small influencers. The Gymshark Athlete Program officially has no follower count requirement. Instead, the brand scouts for creators who tell a compelling fitness story, show up consistently, and genuinely inspire their audience.
The best way to get on Gymshark’s radar is through the annual Gymshark66 challenge. This is where creators post their 66-day transformation journey using #Gymshark66. It’s one of the most exciting organic pathways to a brand deal we’ve ever seen!
Selected athletes receive year-long contracts, free apparel, paid sponsorships, and VIP event invites. If you’re serious about building your fitness brand, throwing your hat into the Gynshark66 ring is a no-brainer!
Liquid I.V.
Liquid I.V. is the hydration brand that has absolutely exploded in popularity with fitness, wellness, and lifestyle creators. Their affiliate program welcomes small influencers who care about health and hydration, prioritizing engagement quality over follower count.
Approved ambassadors receive free products, unique discount codes to share with followers, and a percentage of every sale made through those codes. Top performers can also be tapped for paid campaigns, especially around big product launches. This one is a total win for wellness creators!
Join the Liquid I.V. Affiliate Program
MyProtein
MyProtein is an established sports nutrition brand with a creator program built specifically for fitness and wellness influencers. The best part? Their Influencer Program welcomes creators of all sizes who produce fitness, nutrition, or wellness content.
Ambassadors receive monthly product allowances, care packages, commission, and invites to paid photoshoots and brand events. And with frequent flash collabs around new flavor drops, there are constant opportunities to land paid content opportunities.
Join the MyProtein Influencer Program
Girlfriend Collective
Girlfriend Collective is the sustainable activewear brand that has become a genuine favorite among eco-conscious fitness and lifestyle creators. They actively partner with smaller influencers who weave sustainability, body inclusivity, and mindful consumerism into their content.
Most of their partnerships are gift-based, meaning you’ll receive free apparel in exchange for honest, authentic content. They also run a referral program that rewards creators with store credit and discounts. And their recycled material messaging is absolutely perfect for creators with values-driven audiences. Authentic brand and authentic partnerships—that’s the Girlfriend Collective way.
Join the Girlfriend Collective Affiliate Program
Tech and Digital Brands
Logitech
Logitech is one of the only major tech brands with a public creator program that explicitly welcomes creators of every size. Their Influencers and Creators Program covers all of their sub-brands. So no matter what corner of the tech world your content lives in, there’s a place for you.
The brand states on their website that they’re open to creators “no matter the following size” who fit their niches. Approved creators get product seeding, paid campaign opportunities, and the chance to be featured on official channels. Opportunities like this in the tech space are rare, so if tech content is your thing, this one deserves your attention!
Join the Logitech Influencers and Creators Program
Canva
Canva is the design platform every content creator needs. And their affiliate program is one of the most generous in the entire digital tool space! The program is open to design creators, educators, bloggers, and anyone whose audience would genuinely benefit from Canva Pro.
The earning potential here is seriously impressive. Affiliates earn 80% commission on the first two months of the Canva Pro monthly plan or 25% on annual plans. With numbers like that, a single piece of high-converting content can add up to some exciting earnings.
Join the Canva Affiliate Program
NordVPN
NordVPN runs one of the highest-paying affiliate programs in the tech world. The program pays a 40% commission on new sign-ups and a 30% recurring commission on renewals. That means every piece of high-converting content you create keeps earning for you long after it’s published.
NordVPN actively works with smaller creators who produce educational or review-style content about online privacy, cybersecurity, and streaming access. And for larger creators with strong tech and gaming audiences, paid sponsorship deals are also on the table.
Join the NordVPN Affiliate Program
Shopify
Shopify is the e-commerce platform powering millions of online businesses worldwide, and its affiliate program is an absolute dream for creators. Approved affiliates earn a 100% commission on the first month of any new subscription. Plus, they have access to professional creative assets, lead magnets, and a dedicated creator dashboard.
It’s a perfect fit for bloggers in the business, side hustle, or digital product space. And with generous educational content support that makes onboarding easy, getting started with the affiliate program is super smooth.
Join the Shopify Affiliate Program
Lifestyle and Subscription Brands
HelloFresh
HelloFresh’s influencer program is built to support creators of all sizes across blogs and social media. New influencers receive a free HelloFresh box to kick off their partnership with an unboxing and cooking experience their audience will love. Plus, they get a personalized discount code that earns commission on every new customer sign-up. How good is that for a starting point?!
They also tap top-performing creators for paid campaign opportunities and recurring partnerships. So, the better your content performs, the bigger the opportunities get! The program is structured, smooth to onboard into, and set up to help new influencers succeed from day one.
Join the HelloFresh Influencer Program
FabFitFun
FabFitFun is the seasonal subscription box that has become a total staple in lifestyle, beauty, and wellness content. Their affiliate program pays $10 per new subscriber referred through your unique link. It’s perfect for creators who love unboxing, hauling, and reviewing content!
The brand also regularly sends seasonal boxes to creators for gifting partnerships. That means you get the full unboxing experience and create amazing content without spending a single dollar. And with the unboxing format converting especially well, your audience will love watching every reveal.
Join the FabFitFun Affiliate Program
OLIPOP
OLIPOP is the prebiotic soda brand that has gone absolutely viral on TikTok and Instagram. Their growth has been built almost entirely on partnerships with influencers, including small creators. That’s not just a talking point either. Micro-influencers account for about 20% of the program’s total creator sales. That’s proof that smaller followers genuinely land real partnerships here!
Their affiliate program is open to small influencers, bloggers, and creators with engaged communities. Affiliates start at a 10% baseline commission with the opportunity to scale all the way up to 20% for top performers. You’ll also get product samples, dedicated program support, and regular sitewide coupons. OLIPOP is easily one of the most well-rounded affiliate programs on this list.
Join the OLIPOP Affiliate Program
How to Find Brands That Work with Small Influencers
Brand programs and affiliate platforms aren’t the only way to find collaboration opportunities. Sometimes, a little social media detective work goes a long way! Below are some of the most effective strategies for identifying brands that are open to working with micro-influencers.
Search hashtags like #giftedcollab and #brandambassador.
Hashtags are basically a free, real-time directory of the brands that work with creators right now. Search hashtags like #giftedcollab, #brandambassador, #giftedpr, #sponsoredpost, and #giftedbrand on Instagram and TikTok. Pay attention to which brands pop up repeatedly, and take note of the size of the creators they’re working with.
Use Meta Ad Library to find brands running influencer ads.
The Meta Ad Library is an absolute goldmine—and honestly, most creators have no idea it even exists! It’s a completely free public tool that shows every active ad currently running on Facebook and Instagram. That includes ads that brands are boosting directly from creator content.
If a brand is consistently running paid ads featuring creators, they almost certainly have a budget for new partnerships. And that means they’re actively looking for creators just like you. Start digging into the Meta Ad Library, and you might be surprised by just how many opportunities are hiding in plain sight!
Analyze influencer “paid partnership” tags.
Here’s a little insider trick that most creators don’t take advantage of! When a creator runs a paid sponsorship on Instagram, the post is legally required to be tagged. It’ll say “paid partnership” with the brand right at the top. That means you can scroll through creators in your niche and see which brands are paying for sponsored content.
Start building a running list of every brand you spot tagged this way. Then, pitch the ones that align with your content and audience. Make sure to prioritize brands that are already paying creators of a similar size. They’ve already proven they’re open to working with influencers at your level. So, they’re way more likely to say yes to you, too!
Look for DTC brands running heavily paid ads.
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands are a holy grail for small creators because influencer marketing isn’t just part of their strategy—it IS their strategy. Keep seeing the same DTC brand popping up on social media? That’s a strong signal that they have an active influencer budget. These DTC brands often build their entire following through creator partnerships and are actively looking for more.
Monitor Kickstarter and new product launches.
Newly funded brands on Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Product Hunt are often seeking creator content to support their launches. But here’s the thing: they don’t have the budget for big-name influencers. That’s exactly where you come in!
Browse trending or recently funded projects in your niche. Then, reach out directly with a pitch offering to create content in exchange for product, affiliate commission, or a small flat fee. When you get in early, you could be building a brand partnership that grows alongside the brand itself. That’s the kind of long-term relationship that pays off in a big way down the road!
Use Shopify store directories.
Most DTC brands run on Shopify, and there are public directories that let you browse Shopify stores by niche, revenue, and traffic. Tools like MyIP.ms and Built With can help you discover smaller Shopify brands you’ve never come across before. From there, check each brand’s website for an affiliate or ambassador page, or reach out directly.
Here’s what makes this strategy so exciting: smaller Shopify stores often haven’t formalized their influencer program yet. That means you have the chance to define the partnership entirely on your own terms. Get in early, show them your value, and you could be shaping a brand collaboration from the ground up!
Join influencer Facebook groups where brands post casting calls.
Facebook groups are one of the most underrated tools for finding paid collabs and UGC gigs. Search for groups like “Influencer Opportunities,” “Brand Collaborations for Creators,” and “Micro-Influencer Network” to find spaces where brands post casting calls directly. Many of these gigs require no follower minimum and are open to anyone who fits the brief.
Join influencer marketing networks like FYPM.VIP and Creator Source.
Newer creator-first platforms like FYPM.VIP and Tribe are completely changing the game. They’re giving creators greater transparency into brand partnerships that simply didn’t exist before!
FYPM.VIP is a creator review platform where influencers leave honest, no-holds-barred reviews of brands they’ve worked with. This includes actual rates paid and a real breakdown of how the experience went.
Conversely, Tribe is a creator marketplace where you submit content directly to live brand briefs—and get paid when they choose your content. No cold pitching, no waiting around for a response. You create, you submit, and if the brand loves it, you get paid.
Both platforms give you powerful insider knowledge before you ever send a single pitch. That kind of information is absolutely priceless! Knowledge is power, and these tools make sure you always walk into a brand negotiation knowing what you’re worth.
Start working with brands as a small influencer with help from InfluencerSEO.
You don’t need a massive following or hundreds of thousands of blog views to start working with brands. And this post is proof of that! The brands that matter are already offering collaborations with micro-influencers like you. The key is showing up consistently with high-quality content and a genuinely engaged audience that trusts your recommendations.
That’s exactly where InfluencerSEO comes in.
Our team of SEO experts helps small influencers get their content in front of the right people. Through strategic keyword research, technical backend optimization, and engaging content that ranks, we can help you build a following. And when brands see your blog pulling in real organic traffic from Google? That’s a major green flag that pushes them straight toward reaching out for a collaboration!
Ready to take your influencer game to the next level? Check out our SEO packages to find the perfect fit for where you are right now!
Jordan Becerra, founder and Lead SEO Strategist at InfluencerSEO, has spent almost 15 years in the creator internet space, the last nine building InfluencerSEO into the go-to SEO partner for content creators, with 500+ creators served from pre-launch to massive publication. She learned creator monetization and community building strategy from the inside working for Lauryn Bosstick of The Skinny Confidential prior to founding InfluencerSEO, so she understands both halves of the game: how search actually works AND how creators actually build a strong community online and make money. Her job now is to stay ahead of where search engine optimization is going, especially as AI rewrites the rules, and to make sure the creators she works with get there first.
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