Focus on Micro and Nano Influencers If you’re working on a budget, skip the Tammy Hembrow’s for now. Instead:
Nano influencers: 1k–10k followers. Hyper‑niche, super engaged, trusted by their small community.Micro influencers: 10k–100k followers. Still relatively affordable, often have high authenticity and good interaction.These creators often accept product trades or lower fees, especially if your brand is a good fit and you approach them with genuine respect.
Why this works for you: Their audience trusts them. Their cost is lower (sometimes just free product + shipping). You can collaborate with several at once (diversifying risk). You can build longer‑term relationships and repurpose the content they create. Tip: Look for creators whose style matches your brand aesthetic and values. Reach out with a gentle, personalised message (“Hi X, love how you do Y… I think our product might fit your vibe…”). Keep it simple, kind and human.
Gifting and Contra Deals One of the most budget‑friendly ways to engage influencers is through gifting or contra deals:
You send your product(s) to the creator for free. In return, you ask for an honest review, a post / story / video / reel. You track which pieces perform best and scale from there. If you approach this thoughtfully (respectfully, targeted, with good packaging and a clear brief that still leaves creative freedom), you’ll get far more value than a cold “pay for one post” approach. And your budget stays manageable.
Repurposing content into paid social (the smart multiplier) Here’s where the real magic happens. Because you’re small, you shouldn’t treat the influencer post only as a separate piece of content. Instead: take that content and turn it into ads.
Why this is so effective Authentic creator content resonates better than super‑polished branded ads. And small brands can benefit from that authenticity. According to recent data: How you do it Secure rights from the influencer/creator: permission to reuse their post/video as an ad (make sure you have written consent). Alternatively you can use an influencer marketing platform like #gifted where under a pro plan you receive full content licensing rights to all content created. After you receive the finished piece of content, upload it into your paid social platform (Facebook/Instagram/TikTok). Use it as an ad with minimal tweaks: retain the “real person” feel, minor branding, a clear call to action. A/B test: compare your regular branded ad vs creator‑content ad. Monitor metrics: CTR, CPA, ROAS. Scale what works: invest more budget behind the best‑performing creator‑ad and keep layering in new creators. In short: the influencer content is not just a “post for Instagram” only. Think of it as content assets you own and can use across channels, meaning you’re squeezing maximised value.
Putting your budget smartly Here’s a simple budget‑breakdown for small brands (feel free to adapt):
Real‑life mini example (for your brand) Let’s say you’re a natural skincare brand based in Australia (hello, Sydney!). You identify 3 nano influencers who are into clean beauty, have ~6–8k followers each, good engagement 3–4%, and are local enough for easy shipping. You send them your hero product + personalised note + small surprise gift.
They each create a story and a feed post showing how they use the product, what they love about it. You secure usage rights to reuse those visuals.
Then, from those 3 posts: you pick the one piece of content that got the best engagement (say, 3.2% engagement rate) and run it as a boosted ad on Instagram (AUD $200 budget). You track that the paid version achieves 0.45% click‑through and cost per click is $0.48 (which is better than your previous in‑house ad at $0.65 CPC). You scale by increasing budget behind that creator‑ad and retain the creator for another campaign (perhaps a “summer edit” co‑post) to build deeper loyalty.
Over the year, you’ve built a growing library of content (5–10 creators’ assets) you can reuse across paid or owned channels (website, email, social). The cost is modest, the authenticity is high, and you’re not locked into huge budgets.
Bonus tip: Use the right platform to streamline the process Here’s where you can get even smarter. A platform like #gifted
Why it’s powerful : You gain access to a pool of influencers who already understand product‑for‑post collaborations. That saves you time in hunting, vetting, negotiating.You can set up campaigns where influencers create content (feed posts, stories, reels) in exchange for your product + shipping. You can then take that creator content , secure rights, and turn it into your paid social ads. That means you’re getting two uses of one collaboration: organic buzz + paid‑social asset. Because the cost is modest (subscription + product cost) and you’re re‑using content across channels, the ROI can be very favourable for a smaller brand. So at the end of your influencer outreach, remember: the influencer post is just the beginning . The power move is to turn that content into your ad engine.
