You may think that, because you don’t have a huge company with an enormous marketing budget, that using influencers is not something you can afford. The fact is, there are influencers for every budget that can reach any target audience.
How important are influencers? LinkedIn reports that 75% of people use social media to make buying decisions. Plus, according to Shopify, brands are seeing increasing returns from influencers, with 84.8% finding influencer marketing effective. How pervasive is influencer marketing? The influencer market size was approximately $24 billion at the start of 2025. People trust influencers more than branded content or even celebrity endorsements because watching an influencer seems very personal.
Influencers for Every Budget
There are four tiers of influencers depending on the number of followers the influencer has:
- Nano: 1K-10K
- Micro: 10K-100K
- Macro: 100K-1M
- Mega: 1M+
Nano influencers can target a smaller, more localized audience, which is exactly what many small businesses need. Plus, a nano-influencer charges far less than someone with a million followers, often working in exchange for product or for as little as $200 in compensation. Do you still think you can’t afford influencers?
Finding Influencers
Once you decide to start using influencers, how do you find them?
While you can try to find influencers on your own, it can be a resource-intensive process. You need to identify reliable influencers who can speak to your target audience and fit within your budget.
That’s why most companies, both large and small, rely on professional advertising agencies like McFadden/Gevender to match the right influencer with their brand.
At McFadden/Gavender, our social media team begins by compiling a list of influencers who align with your objectives. We use influencer marketplaces to identify potential influencers based on factors such as their expertise, content style, content type, follower count, pricing, and more.
We also conduct organic searches to discover influencers who would be a suitable fit for your brand. We scour social media platforms to identify potential influencers or creators who would be a good match. Then, our team meticulously reviews each influencer’s account to ensure they meet the brand’s requirements. This evaluation considers factors like audience demographics, engagement rates, and other pertinent factors.
What’s the Difference Between Influencers and User-Generated Content?
Influencers are generally provided with guidance by the brands that hire them, but their content remains their own. However, many companies prefer more control over their influencers, leading to the creation of co-branded content. Traditional influencer campaigns aim to reach a specific target group and use their voice to engage with their community in support of a brand. Co-branded content, on the other hand, focuses on aggressively promoting a brand rather than engaging in casual conversations with loyal followers.
User-generated content (UGC) is another type of content created by individuals, such as real customers or customer lookalikes, rather than by the brand itself. The American Marketing Association defines UGC as any content made by people about their experiences with a brand. This includes Instagram stories about new purchases, posts complimenting customer service, and blog posts sharing product experiences. UGC is genuine content created by individuals, offering a real and authentic perspective in contrast to traditional corporate advertising.
Companies can also encourage their existing customers and followers to create content featuring their brand and then repurpose this content in marketing campaigns, providing proper credit to the content creators.
Are Finding Influencers Worth It?
The Digital Marketing Institute says that 69% of consumers trust influencer recommendations and influencer marketing campaigns earn $5.78 for every dollar spent. Influencer-led product launches generate 38% more traffic in the first 72 hours than traditional ad-based launches. So, compared to traditional forms of marketing, influencers and UGC promotion is definitely worth it. It is, however, a lot of work and can be a bit hit-and-miss if you don’t really know what you’re doing.
That’s why, if you’re thinking about using influencers or user-generated content (UGC) as part of your marketing strategy, you should reach out to McFadden/Gavender. We don’t just manage tasks; we can help you find influencers who align with your vision. We know where to look, how to negotiate, and how to turn limited budgets into high-impact campaigns. We also understand how to align every move with your brand’s long-term goals. With McFadden/Gavender, you’ll gain clarity, strategy, and years of social media expertise that most brands don’t have in-house.
What can we do for your brand? We can:
- Collaborate with nano and micro-influencers
- Negotiate product or service gifting rather than a cash payment for services
- Encourage existing customers and followers to create content featuring your brand
- Engage influencers organically and build genuine relationships by commenting on their posts, sharing their content, and interacting before pitching collaborations
- Initiate performance-based partnerships by compensating influencers based on sales, clicks, or leads they generate.
- Encourage influencers to participate in company-sponsored giveaways and contests
- Establish ongoing partnerships with influencers, which can provide better value and deeper brand alignment over time.
- Repurpose influencer content across multiple channels for greater exposure
Are you ready to initiate an influencer campaign that you can afford and that will be effective and profitable? Then contact McFadden/Gavender and let us take your brand to the next level.
