Micro influencer
A creator with a smaller, often niche following, roughly tens of thousands of followers, whose audience tends to be closer and more engaged than that of big accounts. Brands use many of them at once for authenticity, niche reach and cheaper content. Higher engagement per follower does not mean more sales, and twenty small creators reach many of the same people, so measure total reach and outcomes, not likes.
Where it's used
Used in influencer programmes for niche categories, local launches and creator content for paid social. Good when the audience is specific and trust in the creator matters more than raw reach.
How to calculate it
Cost per engagement = Total fees ÷ Engagements
Worked example
Illustrative numbersA brand compares one macro creator (500,000 followers, 1.2% engagement, fee 10,000) with 20 micro creators (30,000 followers each, 3% engagement, fee 400 each).
Macro engagements
500,000 followers × 1.2% = 6,000
Macro cost per engagement
10,000 fee ÷ 6,000 engagements = 1.67
Micro engagements
20 creators × 30,000 followers × 3% = 18,000
Micro cost per engagement
20 creators × 400 fee ÷ 18,000 engagements = 0.44
What it tells you
Micro looks four times cheaper per engagement. Check how much the 20 audiences overlap and what each option sold before calling it a win.