Top Influencer Platforms for Microinfluencers to Get Deals

What’s one of the best ways for small or new creators to land paid brand deals?

Sign up for influencer platforms!

I’ve earned several thousand dollars over the years running campaigns through these platforms, and I want to help you get paid to create too.

And if you’re just stumbling upon this post and don’t know me and want some context on my experience, hi! I’m Austen, a fashion and beauty micro influencer based in New York City and I currently have a community of about 90,000 people across my social media platforms including Instagram (17k), TikTok (25k), YouTube (19k) and Pinterest (24k).

Today we’ll cover:

• What influencer platforms are

• How influencer platforms work

• My favorite platforms for brand collaborations

• Other platforms I think are worth a try

• Gifting platforms

• Tips for landing collaborations through these platforms

• Pros and cons of influencer networks

• A bonus resource for new creators

What Are Influencer Platforms?

An influencer marketing platform (sometimes called a third party platform or network) is simply a website or an app that connects brands to content creators.

How do they work?

You might be wondering, “When should I sign up for these platforms in my content creator journey?”

As far as I know, none of the platforms require a minimum follower count, so you can join them right away if you want!

Before creators apply for campaigns, I usually recommend reaching one of two benchmarks:

1. You have at least 1,000 followers on your primary posting platform—whether Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. This places you in the nano-influencer category, demonstrates your potential to grow a larger community, and allows you to share engagement, reach, and impressions with a brand.

2. Show an impressive portfolio of work spanning at least six months, and brands will see that you create content consistently and commit to growing your community.

The great thing about most influencer platforms is that you connect your social accounts at the start. They update automatically as you grow and expand your communities.

Influencers often ask me whether it’s safe to connect their social media accounts to these platforms. I’ve signed up for all the ones listed below and connected my own accounts, so you can take that as you will.

My Favorite Influencer Platforms For Paid Brand Deals

Aspire

When I talk to my fellow content creators, Aspire is the one that I usually hear creators have generally positive experiences with across the board.

I completed two brand collaborations through Aspire in 2021. Uploading deliverables was easy, I could negotiate and communicate directly with the brands, and the entire process felt seamless.

One brand invited me to collaborate through Aspire IQ, and I applied to another campaign on the platform.

Some campaigns may have minimum benchmarks or follower counts, but from what I understand, you can sign up anytime. Once campaigns match your eligibility or brands want to work with you, the platform notifies you.

The InfluenceHer Collective

I’ve probably completed the most paid brand deals over time through this network. The InfluenceHer Collective, owned by Her Campus, mainly runs campaigns with college-aged creators targeting millennial and Gen-Z women.

So if you are a college-aged influencer, or a millennial or Gen-Z woman, you should absolutely sign up. But I’ve definitely noticed that as I have gotten further and further from being postgrad, I have received fewer collaborations through them.

That being said, I’ve still worked on some pretty cool brand collaborations with them and I’ve been able to negotiate most of them with maybe one or two exceptions along the way.

Fohr

I’ve completed two campaigns with Fohr.

I felt that they paid me fairly for both and allowed me to negotiate some terms. However, my point of contact changed several times during the campaigns, which caused too much back-and-forth and some confusion.

Fohr also has a bulletin section on their website where you can apply for opportunities that may be gifted or include surveys of interest. Brands submit these opportunities directly, so Fohr doesn’t manage them.

If a brand recruits you for a paid campaign through Fohr, a brand representative will likely reach out to you via email, as happened with me.

One of the biggest benefits of Fohr especially for newer creators is definitely its technology: you see your analytics, use the content search tool and collect follower testimonials.

LTK

Now you may know LTK (formerly rewardStyle) as an affiliate marketing platform, which it is, but they do also have a section on their website called collaborations and brands can also reach out and collaborate with you through LTK. So I do consider it a third party platform for that reason.

I’ve completed only one campaign through LTK, but it was with a brand I was excited to work with—a perfect fit for my content—and they paid fairly and quickly.

I’ve heard that your LTK sales drive opportunities with certain brands. If you can clearly show that you generate sales, brands may be more likely to collaborate with you.

Obvious.ly

In terms of pricing and deliverables I find Obvious.ly to sometimes be hit or miss. However, the hits are definitely hits and I’ve enjoyed every campaign that I’ve done with them so far.

Their team is also generally pretty responsive and they’re one of the few platforms that actually notifies me when I’m not selected for something which I appreciate because there are so many that you never end up hearing back from.

And then here are some other platforms for paid brand deals I think are worth a try:

• #paid

• Mavrck

• Collectively

• Linqia

• Social Fabric*

• Takumi*

I’ve used Social Fabric and Takumi in the past, but I haven’t done any deals through them lately. I recommend these platforms for brand-new creators just starting out because the rates are usually non-negotiable and lower than on other platforms I’ve worked with.

As for the other five networks, I’ve signed up but haven’t completed any deals through them yet. I’m sharing them because fellow content creators recommended these platforms, and some have had success on them, even if I haven’t yet.

Gifting-only platforms

• Influenster

• Octoly

Now I have a LOT of opinions about when it makes sense for influencers to work in exchange for products. If you want my full thoughts on gifted campaigns and whether or not influencers should work for free, I actually do have a whole video about that on my YouTube channel that you can watch here.

If you just started creating content a few weeks or months ago and aren’t ready for paid brand collaborations, this is a great way to test products, build relationships with brands, and practice creating sponsored content—even on a gifted basis.

I’d say that at this point in my career probably less than 5% of all deals that I take are gifted but every creator is different! Again I’d definitely recommend watching my YouTube video if you are looking for more information on whether or not a gifted campaign may be worth it.

Increase Your Odds Of Landing Deals

I have three key tips for you to increase the likelihood of getting chosen for brand campaigns you see on influencer platforms.

1. Make sure you keep your profile updated!

As I mentioned earlier, when you connect your social accounts to these influencer marketing platforms, they update automatically. Aside from occasionally fixing a broken connection, you won’t need to update your stats. However, I recommend setting a calendar reminder. Pause this video and do it now to recur every six months so you have time to ensure all your platforms stay up to date.

If you’ve updated your profile photo, moved, had a child, or shifted the type of content you create, make sure the platforms reflect these changes. Keeping your profiles current maximizes your chances of being cast by brands you’d love to work with.

2. Don’t apply to every campaign that is offered to you.

You might be thinking, “But Austen, the more campaigns I apply to, the better my chances of getting accepted. That’s math!”

That may be true, but applying indiscriminately can undermine whether a campaign makes sense for both you and the brand.

For example, it wouldn’t make sense for me to do a campaign with a pet brand because I don’t have any pets. Even within my niche, a skincare brand might want to promote a product for oily skin, but since I have dry skin, I’m not the right fit—even if it’s technically a beauty campaign.

3. Make it easy for a brand to say yes

If a brand gives you the chance to explain why they should select you for a campaign, take full advantage of it.

Get as specific as possible and show the brand what it’s like to work with you. Describe the type of content you plan to create, how you’ll integrate it naturally, and share other ideas that make them say “yes” as they review all the applications.

Pros And Cons Of Influencer Platforms

Pros

One pro is that you can see which brands are working with influencers—campaign opportunities appear directly on the platform, or you can receive them via email updates.

If you’re a small creator, influencer platforms offer a great way to start working with brands, since many of these platforms target nano and micro-influencers specifically.

If you create high-quality content and have a small audience, you don’t have to wait to get paid for your work. I recommend signing up for several platforms and seeing what opportunities arise.

There are also some cons, and you can decide for yourself whether they are deal breakers.

Cons

You can’t always negotiate within these networks, and one reason I land four-figure brand deals even as a micro-influencer is that I know how to negotiate.

I read contracts carefully and return to brands to request changes to deliverables or remove usage clauses I don’t agree with.

Since many platforms limit negotiation, make sure to read your agreements carefully. Understand exactly what you’re committing to and ensure you’re comfortable with the rate offered.

Another con is that you don’t always find out if a brand doesn’t choose you. If you don’t get a “yes,” you may not get a “no” either.

The biggest downside of working through these platforms is that you don’t build a direct relationship with the brand.

If you complete a campaign through a third-party platform and want to work with that brand again, you may have to wait until the platform posts another opportunity. You usually don’t have a direct way to contact the brand unless your agreement explicitly allows it.

I’ve found that the best campaigns—in terms of content that truly fits my brand and fair compensation—happen when brands reach out to me directly or when I pitch to them myself.

Finally, always read the fine print before signing up for these platforms. They may update their terms of service, and it’s important to understand what being on the platform actually means.

A Bonus Resource

If you’re a new creator and want to set your social media platforms up for success when applying to brand campaigns, I highly recommend downloading my free guide, The Influencer Launchpad. It walks you through everything you need to know to start your content creation journey.

This guide helps you clarify your “why,” choose the posting platform that fits you best, establish a posting schedule that works, and much more.

Now I want to hear from you! Have you signed up for any of the platforms I mentioned?

Are there any platforms I didn’t include that you’d recommend trying?

Please leave a comment below. I’m curious to hear your experiences, and sharing helps all of us learn and connect as creators.

You can also send me a DM on Instagram! I love saying hi and connecting with you guys there as well.

yours,

Austen

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