Now, more than ever, brands have a nearly unlimited amount of influencers to choose from to help boost a brand’s visibility, thanks to creators promoting products and services to any type of audience, niche, industry, or category. However, having all these options can get quite overwhelming! Should a brand focus on getting the product/service in front of millions of eyes with the help of mega-influencers, which can get quite expensive? Or should you partner with an influencer that has a smaller, but, usually, more loyal audience (high average views)? Is bigger really better? 

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Micro-influencers typically have between 1,000 and 100,000 subscribers- but don’t let these smaller numbers fool you! Having a smaller audience can mean higher engagement with the viewers, which oftentimes is more important than a high follower count. An audience that is more engaged means that they are more receptive to brands that are being endorsed, in comparison to some of the ‘bigger’ names on YouTube. Micro-influencers also tend to be more relatable than their ‘celebrity’ counterparts, making it easier for the followers to connect to them on a personal level. In addition, micro-influencers typically cost less to work with than more prominent influencers, making them a more affordable option for brands. As a result, it's often better for brands to work with smaller influencers who can connect with their audiences more authentically.

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Some of the brands that work with micro-influencers include:

Book of the Month 

Book of the Month is a monthly book subscription service that offers its members access to a curated selection of new releases, bestsellers, and classic titles. In addition to offering discounts on books, the company also provides access to exclusive content, such as author interviews and book club meetings. The company has sponsored several micro-influencers, including Zoe’s All Booked (10K subscribers), Stories For Coffee (26K subscribers), and Princess of Paperback (17K subscribers). 

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By sponsoring micro-influencers, Book of the Month can reach a wider audience and promote its service to potential new members. The micro-influencers selected by Book of the Month are passionate about reading and have a strong connection with their followers. This allows them to effectively promote the service and encourage their followers to sign up. In turn, this helps Book of the Month to grow its membership and continue providing its members with access to great books. Influencers sponsored by Book of the Month receive the 5-7 book selections of that month for free, which allows them to read the books and give their honest opinion. 

Princess Polly

Princess Polly is a fashion brand that has risen in popularity in the last few years, which has a lot to do with the exposure they received from their sponsorships with micro-influencers! Princess Polly sponsors micro-influencers in order to reach a wider, and younger, audience and promote their brand. Princess Polly has become the #6 favorite shopping website for teenagers in the United States. The micro-influencers share images and videos of themselves trying on and wearing the company's apparel and share their personal experiences with the brand, resulting in an increase in awareness of the brand. 

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You’ve probably seen Princess Polly around YouTube, but here are a few micro-influencers who nailed their brand sponsorship with the clothing brand -  Annie Cooper (14K subscribers), Hope Kindred (11K subscribers), Kyla Beland (88K subscribers), Leizel Cosgrove (40K subscribers), Teagan Litten (43K subscribers, and Allyson Boubert (56K subscribers). 

HelloFresh

HelloFresh is a leading international food delivery brand that seeks to make healthy cooking easy and fun for everyone. The company partners with micro-influencers to help promote its message and reach a wider audience - especially influencers that focus on a specific niche (everyone has to eat, right?). This partnership is beneficial for both parties, as the micro-influencers are getting paid for promoting the brand and get to enjoy HelloFresh’s products and service, and HelloFresh is able to gain exposure and reach a wider audience. HelloFresh is committed to making healthy cooking easy and accessible for everyone, and their partnership with micro-influencers is one way they are spreading their message!

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Over the last few years, HelloFresh has partnered with a wide range of micro-influencers on YouTube, including Krystal Oh (37K subscribers), Cooper Neu (13K subscribers), Natalia Seliger (10K subscribers), and The Great Family (18K subscribers). 

Ana Luisa

Ana Luisa is a fine jewelry brand committed to sustainability and social responsibility. Their beautiful pieces are handmade by skilled artisans using only the highest quality materials. As a result, each piece is unique and has its own story to tell. But what sets Ana Luisa apart from other jewelry brands is their focus on micro-influencers. This allows them to connect with their customers on a more personal level and build trust and loyalty. Plus, it aligns its brand with values like authenticity and transparency. As a result of this approach, Ana Luisa has built a strong community of loyal fans and advocates. 

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If you are looking to buy pieces from Ana Luisa, but need just a little bit more persuading, check out videos by these influencers - Emmy Rosam (60K subscribers), Airelle Snyder (12K subscribers), Aimee Leigh (16K subscribers), and monica kim (68K subscribers). 

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How can small creators find brands to sponsor their channel?

If you are a small creator, and most specifically a micro-influencer, you may be wondering how to score sponsorships from companies. The truth is, it's not as difficult as you might think. An engaged and loyal following is incredibly appealing to brands looking to connect with their customers on a more personal level. If you are a YouTube micro-influencer, you can do a few things to increase your chances of landing sponsorships.

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1. Get to know your channel's worth - Before reaching out to brands, it's important to have a good understanding of your channel's worth. This will help you determine what type of sponsorships you can realistically expect to receive. The best way to assess your channel's worth is to use this YouTube sponsorship calculator. It takes many critical factors into account and gives you a very accurate estimate of your channel's worth.
2. Build your audience - To attract sponsors, you need to have a strong and engaged following. So, work on growing your channel organically and building a community around your content. Remember, its quality over quantity. 
3. Engage with brands - Start reaching out to brands you think would be a good fit for your channel. Share your statistics and pitch why partnering with you would benefit them. When reaching out to brands, it's essential to be clear about what you can offer and how you can help them achieve their goals. Be sure to do your research and identify the brands that are a good fit for your channel. Then, reach out and introduce yourself! Let them know who you are and what you do. Don’t know how to reach out to brands? We have a free email template you can follow. 
4. Use YouTube sponsorship platforms - there are several platforms that connect YouTube influencers with brands. These platforms make it easier for small creators to find sponsorships and get their channels in front of brands looking to partner with influencers. At ThoughtLeaders, we work with small YouTube creators and help connect them with brands that are a good fit for their channel. We make it easy for influencers to find sponsorships and get paid to promote products and services they believe in - don’t hesitate to reach out! 
5. Be patient - Landing sponsorships can take time, so don't get discouraged if you don't hear back right away. Keep creating quality content and engaging with your audience, and eventually, the right brands will come knocking.

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Influencer marketing is still a relatively new marketing strategy, one that is advancing and developing with each day. As an up-and-coming influencer, scoring your first sponsorship is a big deal, and thankfully, those sponsorships aren’t only offered to the well-known mega-influencers anymore. The personal connection that a micro-influencer has with its audience is unmatched. So as a small creator, if you’re uploading and engaging with your audience regularly, the sponsorships are surely going to start rolling in!