Nano Influencers: Who They Are, Pros, Cons + Tips to Find Them

Jade Cottee
Jade Cottee
Content Marketing Manager
an influencer filming content

Influencer marketing can be one of the best investments for brands looking to promote their products and services on social media.

But, there are many conversations about the cost and efficacy of social media influencers.

After all, a brand or company will want to get as much exposure as possible without breaking the bank. 

So, how do you benefit from collaborating with influencers cost-effectively?

You should consider working with nano-influencers with up to 10k social media followers—they’re less costly yet have high engagement and trust among their audiences.

This guide is all about nano-influencers and how businesses can approach them.

You’ll learn the following:

  • What nano-influencers are
  • Benefits and downsides of working with them 
  • How to choose the right ones

And we’ll look at platforms that make collaborations with influencers easier and more streamlined.

Let’s get started!

What Are Nano-Influencers?

Nano-influencers are social media users with 1,000–10,000 followers and who consistently publish content. 

Their followership might be smaller than the bigger influencers, but the audiences following nano-influencers are highly engaged.

This can make them valuable partners for brands looking to reach niche audiences.

Something to clarify before moving forward is the difference between TikTok and Instagram influencers.

TikTok influencers are a bit “rough around the edges,” but that means they’re more genuine and authentic than Instagram influencers, who are more polished. 

Plus, Instagram is a more established platform with more types of content, from photos to videos.

On the other hand, TikTok excels in user-generated content (UGC) features, with duets, stitches, and the option to reuse videos.

Nano-influencers vs. micro-influencers vs. macro-influencers vs. mega influencers

So, nano-influencers have the least amount of followers, but what other types of influencers are there?

Let’s run through them in terms of the number of followers, collaboration costs, and campaign effectiveness.

  • Mega-influencers (over 1 million followers): This category mainly comprises famous people and celebrities. They have the most followers, so their campaigns have an immensely high reach. Because of this, they have the highest fees per piece of content. The average minimum price is $1,034.
  • Macro-influencers (100K–1M): They are established on social media channels and charge per post as professionals. Their content is high-quality since they have the resources and experience. They’re getting paid, on average, between $151 and $793. 
  • Micro-influencers (10K–100K) have a decent following based on their expertise in a specific niche. Micro-influencers get paid in multiple ways, such as performance-based payments or free products. Their compensations are between $30 and $145. 
  • Nano-influencers (1K–10K): As mentioned earlier, nano-influencers have built active communities based chiefly on niche interests. In a recent study, Instagram nano-influencers have the highest engagement rate of 4.84%. Most of them get a performance-based payment. The average is between $4 and $25.


The fees we mentioned above come from a survey by Storyblok, but actual prices may vary.

So pricing is a significant factor when choosing influencers for digital marketing campaigns, but there are others.

Depending on your goals (reach, engagement rates, conversions, etc.), you should also consider an influencer’s efficiency and experience.

Nano-influencer examples 

To better understand what the profile of a nano-influencer looks like, we will share some examples. 

Image Source: Instagram

Above, we can see a UGC influencer who produces content about beauty and fashion products. 

The influencer has collaborated with several well-known brands, such as Glossier. 

Image Source: Instagram

Here’s another nano-influencer example. Lavelle’s also collaborated with various brands and has been featured in Starbucks’ campaigns.

As we’ve seen, famous brands often partner with influencers who have smaller followings. Let’s see what benefits these brands get from their collaborations with nano-influencers.

4 Benefits of Collaborating with Nano-Influencers

Collaborating with nano-influencers has its advantages, and here are four reasons why it's worth considering.

Benefit 1: Authentic content

Around 90% of customers say authenticity is essential in deciding which brands to follow and support. 

One of the key benefits of working with nano-influencers is their ability to create authentic content. 

Nano-influencers have a smaller following and are often less polished than more prominent influencers. 

But this isn’t necessarily a downside since it allows them to be more natural and genuine with their content, which resonates more with their audiences. 

As a result, their content tends to be relatable and trustworthy, making it a powerful tool for brands looking to build authentic connections with their customer base.

Benefit 2: High engagement rates 

Nano-influencers have higher engagement rates than more prominent influencers because they have a closer relationship with their followers. 

The survey we mentioned above has found that nano-influencers have the highest engagement rate—almost 5%. 

This is possible since they have more time to interact with their followers and respond to comments, helping them build a loyal and engaged audience.

Working with nano-influencers allows brands to tap into this high level of engagement and connect with their target audience meaningfully.

Benefit 3: Highly trusted by their audiences

Audiences trust nano-influencers because they have built their following organically. 

Communities trust nano-influencers because they see them as experts in the relevant niche.

Also, nano-influencers have followers who are friends, peers, and family—leading to even more trust in their recommendations.

92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above all other advertising—reason enough for brands to collaborate with nano-influencers.

Nano-influencers can help brands tap into this high level of trust and build brand awareness by showing brands are engaged with the community and knowledgeable about the niche. 

Benefit 4: Affordable costs

Working with nano-influencers can be a cost-effective way of reaching a highly engaged and relevant audience. 

Nano-influencers typically charge less than larger influencers, making it an affordable option for brands with a limited budget. 

The best thing about payments related to nano-influencers is that they usually have more payment types, like performance-based fees, a free subscription, or gift cards.

Even if you have to pay them per piece, the average pricing for a nano-influencer is $4–$25, as we saw earlier. Their fees may differ based on the content type and the platform.  

This low pricing allows brands to invest in multiple nano-influencers, reaching a larger audience while staying within their budget.

In conclusion, collaborating with nano-influencers has several benefits, including creating authentic content, achieving high engagement rates, and earning high trust among their audience. All for a very affordable cost.

As consumers increasingly crave authenticity and user-generated content, partnering with nano-influencers is an intelligent way for brands to build trust and connect with their target audience.

Nevertheless, there are specific cons to working with nano-influencers, and we’ll go over them in the next section. 

The Downsides of Nano-Influencer Marketing

Working with nano-influencers offers significant benefits, but there are some potential downsides you should be aware of.

  • Small audiences: This is a significant potential disadvantage of working with nano-influencers. Because they typically have less than 10,000 followers, their reach is limited. If you need to reach a big audience, consider influencers with a more extensive following.
  • Lack of experience: A lot of the time, nano-influencers don’t have the same knowledge and expertise as larger influencers. They may lack the resources and tools needed to accomplish your social media marketing goals.
  • Low-quality content: Since they’re relatively new on sponsored posts, nano-influencers lack the knowledge to produce high-quality content. They can also lack attention to detail, so you might need to hold their hand a bit while they create content for your brand.
  • Time-consuming: A campaign with many nano-influencers may require significant effort to manage because you’ll need to ensure that each post is of a high enough quality.

Overall, while working with nano-influencers can be a cost-effective way to reach niche audiences, evaluating their content quality and alignment with your brand values is essential before entering into a partnership.

How to Find Relevant Nano-Influencers for Your Brand

If you’re considering working with nano-influencers, there are several steps you can take to find the right ones for your brand. 

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you find relevant nano-influencers using social media.

Step 1: Search for relevant hashtags and trends in your niche

The first step to finding relevant nano-influencers is to search for hashtags and trends relevant to your brand. 

Use social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter to search for related hashtags and then look at which accounts are posting using them.

This will help you discover influencers who are already interested in topics associated with your brand.

Step 2: Check the follower count of the influencers you discovered

Once you’ve found some potential influencers, the next step is to check their follower count. 

Nano-influencers typically have fewer than 10,000 followers, so make sure to look for influencers who meet this criterion. 

Remember, the key to nano-influencer marketing success is finding influencers with a highly engaged and loyal following, not just a large number of followers.

Step 3: Collect influencers’ email addresses for business inquiries 

Once you’ve identified potential nano-influencers, the next step is to collect their contact information. 

Most influencers will have their email address listed in their bio, but you can also reach out to them directly through DMs or by commenting on their posts.

Image Source: Instagram

When reaching out, introduce yourself and your brand and explain why you want to collaborate with them.

Remember to ask them to provide you with their media kit (if they have one), which lets you see which companies they worked with previously. 

Step 4: Send out collaboration proposals 

After collecting the contact information for potential nano-influencers, it's time to send out collaboration proposals. 

Be sure to communicate details about the campaign, including the goals, timeline, and payment type. 

Remember that nano-influencers may have less experience with sponsored content, so be clear and concise in your proposals to ensure that they understand what is expected of them.

Step 5: Follow up with a detailed campaign brief 

If a nano-influencer agrees to collaborate with your brand, providing them with a detailed campaign brief is crucial. 

This should include all of the campaign details:

  • Goals
  • Timeline
  • Content guidelines
  • Brand assets 

Be sure to include examples of the type of content you are looking for and any key messaging points that should be included in their posts.

However, if you're looking for an easier way to connect with nano-influencers, you could use an influencer marketplace platform to simplify the process.

4 Influencer Marketplace Tools for Easy Nano-Influencer Marketing

Evaluating potential collaborators is challenging, even if you know the steps to take.

The good thing is that several marketplace tools automate the collaboration process and filter the influencers so you can find the best ones with less hassle.

These tools save you time and effort while they give you access to a dataset of influencer-related information based on your marketing needs.

So, here are some recommendations that will help you find qualified nano-influencers.

Tool #1: Insense

Insense is a collaboration platform that helps brands find the right influencers to produce social media campaigns. 

Insense marketplace is where the matching process happens. 

Through this platform, brands can access over 35,000+ influencers to collaborate with their social campaigns.

Insense can help brands succeed on social media by matching them with vetted user-generated content creators and influencers that fit the brand’s identity. 

Insense marketplace provides all the necessary details, such as the influencers’ portfolios, ratings, and even budget, to help you make an informed and tailor-made decision.

Additionally, Insense simplifies the content briefing process with interactive creative briefs and helps ensure campaign assets are delivered on time with campaign moderation tools. 

Tool #2: Shopify Collabs (formerly known as Dovetale)

Shopify Collabs is a community-building and collaboration platform that helps brands manage their influencer marketing campaigns. 

Image Source: Shopify Collabs

Shopify Collabs lets brands do four main things: discover, manage, measure, and pay influencers.

Through the platform’s marketplace, brands can connect with influencers to promote their products and conduct marketing campaigns.

Tool #3: Neoreach

Neoreach is an influencer marketing platform that helps brands run influencer campaigns. 

Image Source: Neoreach

Neoreach allows brands to connect with influencers, bloggers, and other influencers.

The platform experts assist brands in finding influencers that fill their needs and align with their niche.

Tool #4: Upfluence

Upfluence is an affiliate and influencer marketing platform specializing in e-commerce brands.

Image Source: Upfluence

Upfluence’s suite assists brands in finding the right influencers for their marketing campaigns.

The platform also allows you to create lists with prospects and download them for thorough study.

Using these tools can make your life easier and ensure your influencer marketing campaigns will be more successful than ever.

It’s time to recap all the valuable information we’ve shared.

Over to You

So, now you’ve learned all about nano-influencers.

You have the knowledge to grow through influencer marketing campaigns and take advantage of the trust and authenticity that nano-influencers offer.

You just need to find the influencers that match perfectly with your brand.

Don’t worry. It won’t be hard—Insense can help you out. 

Simply book a demo with Insense, and our team will show you how to find and work with excellent influencers in your niche.

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Jade Cottee

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