Why More Brands Are Choosing Micro-Influencers

Big brands are moving from costly celebrity endorsements to micro-influencers, whose smaller but loyal audiences deliver higher trust, engagement, and results at lower cost.
Charlotte Fyfe
August 21, 2025
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3 minutes

For years, big brands have spent loads on celebrity endorsements and large influencers with millions of followers. However today, more are shifting toward micro-influencers and creators with smaller but loyal audiences. These influencers often have greater trust, higher engagement, and better results for a much smaller cost. While celebrities might reach massive audiences, only a small amount of people are actually interested; micro-influencers, on the other hand, are able to connect with niche communities, making their opinions more relevant and trusted.

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The Main Benefits Of Micro-Influencers

  • More authentic – They feel like real people, not just paid spokespeople. Their followers trust their opinions as they seem more genuine and relatable.
  • Higher engagement – Their audiences comment, click, and share more because they have a closer relationship. Micro-influencers are able to target content towards a more specific audience.
  • Better value – One celebrity post might cost tens of thousands of pounds. The same budget can pay for a whole group of micro-influencers, giving you more content and reach.

Micro-influencers get more engagement than larger creators, they often have 7%–20% engagement, while macro-influencers have around 5%.This is because they have closer, more personal relationships with their followers, who are more likely to comment, share, and buy the product. For example, influencers with under 100,000 followers can reach up to 8% engagement, while those with millions usually get 1–2%. Though they have smaller audiences, micro-influencers are more effective.

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Case study 1: Glossier

Glossier built its success by turning customers into brand advocates through its affiliate “Rep” program. These Reps that were often micro-influencers shared routines, honest tips, and personal product photos, earning commission on sales.

Glossier sent free products for trial, offered early access to new launches, and encouraged honest feedback. This boosted engagement and built trust, as followers could see real people genuinely enjoying the products. Thousands of these smaller, authentic voices created a massive online buzz, making Glossier feel approachable, inclusive, and like a community.

@oskinadya for Glossier

Result: Glossier achieved a billion-dollar brand value while keeping marketing costs low, proving that micro-influencer-driven adverts can be very successful.

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Case study 2: ASOS

ASOS created the hashtag #AsSeenOnMe to get customers and small influencers to share photos wearing ASOS products. The posts were shown on the ASOS website, mixing real shoppers with professional models. This encouraged real, authentic participation, showed different styles, and helped ASOS connect with many fashion communities. By featuring everyday customers, ASOS created a more relatable and inclusive image.

@daniellamariex for ASOS

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Result: Over a million posts were shared, giving ASOS a huge collection of free, real content.

Case study 3: Gymshark

Gymshark grew from a small start-up to a global brand by working with many fitness micro-influencers instead of big athletes. These influencers liked gym life and shared regular, relatable content that everyday fitness fans enjoyed.

This approach helped Gymshark build a connected, active community that felt close to the brand. By posting consistent, niche content rather than occasional celebrity endorsements, Gymshark kept followers loyal and encouraged them to spread the word.

@cameronblackk for Gymshark

Result: Gymshark built a tight community that stayed loyal and kept sharing the brand with others.

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What This Means For Your Business

If you want marketing that feels real and drives sales, focus on many small influencers instead of one big, expensive one. Consider working with 10–20 smaller creators who:

  • Match your audience
  • Share natural, relatable content
  • Talk and engage with their followers

You can reward them in different ways like giving free products, early access to new items, commissions, or running affiliate programs to encourage honest promotion. With this approach, you’ll reach more people and build a loyal community around your brand.

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How Bravada can help

At Bravada, we help brands connect with modern audiences using smart, data-led strategies. Want help building a micro-influencer campaign? Email us at hello@bravada-uk.com.

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Sources:

https://www.trend.io/blog/macro-influencers-micro-influencers-influencer-campaigns https://stackinfluence.com/measuring-roi-for-micro-influencer-campaigns/

https://www.extole.com/blog/glossier-marketing-how-the-beauty-brand-used-word-of-mouth-to-shake-up-the-industry/

https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/asos-marketing-case-study-ab-testing/235557717#8 https://houseofmarketers.com/how-gymshark-grew-a-100m-business-in-7-years-with-influencers/

     

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