How to find micro influencers in the UK? Paid and free approaches

How do you find micro influencers?

The micro-influencers you choose will make or break your campaign. So, you need a strong approach that leverages tools, social media platforms, or influencer marketing agencies to make informed choices. 

Let’s break down five key ways to find micro-influencers. 

1. Use influencer marketing platforms (e.g., Kolsquare)

Influencer marketing platforms are a quick and cost-effective way to find influencers. Most platforms store millions of global influencer profiles, which you can quickly shortlist with advanced search and filters. 

Screen influencers quickly using the following filters:

• Location (including city)
• Social media platforms
• Engagement rate (minimum and maximum settings) and average number of likes per post
• Audience demographics
• Audience size (e.g., selecting only micro-influencers)
• Audience credibility
• Estimate reach and average number of plays per post

From there, simply click the influencer's profile to view in-depth metrics. 

Kolsquare gives you access to these key metrics on influencer profiles:

• Engagements
• Follower count and growth
• Audience demographics
• Past collaborations and results across various platforms and formats
• Insights (number of plays, likes, and comments) are available for every post across all platforms
• Contact details

You can freely explore this data, and when you’re ready, message the creator on-platform. You can also manage your workflow, tracking deliverables, payments, and affiliate links via Shopify.

If you already have a list of potential influencers, there’s no need to search for each name manually. Simply import the CSV file into Kolsquare, and the influencer profiles will appear. 

Once your campaign is up and running, measure each influencer’s performance on the platform. Receive detailed analytics in real-time, including which audiences you engaged, how each influencer performed, and ROI. 

2. Search by hashtags and keywords

A hashtag or keyword search on social media will bring up influencers in your niche. For example, a nappy brand can search a hashtag like #UKMumLife. 

Local brands can also search by location on most platforms. Simply input the place you’re targeting in the search bar and press send. Alternatively, look for local hashtags, such as # LondonEats, # WalesNeverFails, or # LeedsDogs. 

Often, once you find influencers with a hashtag, they will also use similar hashtags that you can also use. You can also look for trending hashtags on TikTok Trends. 

3. Audit your existing community

If some micro-influencers stood out in past campaigns, reactivate them. Long-term partnerships build trust over time, and you can trust the influencer to create great content — it’s a win-win. 

Alternatively, examine who is tagging your brand and brand hashtags on social media. These creators develop organic content about your brand, also known as user-generated content (UGC). That’s a strong sign that they’re real fans. 

4. Using TikTok One Creator Marketplace and Instagram Creator tools for influencer marketing

TikTok allows brands to search for influencers on TikTok One. After registering and verification, the “Explore creator” tab provides users with a few limited filters, including target audience, followers, and performance, to help find potential influencers for your campaign. 

Instagram is set to release its Creator Marketplace soon. However, it is currently only available in the US. For now, brands running Instagram influencer marketing campaigns will need to search for influencers manually. 

It’s worth noting that these tools aren’t advanced. And not all listed creators are active or relevant.

5. Work with agencies or local experts

If you’re unsure how to get started, working with an influencer marketing agency or expert can help you be more confident that your campaign will succeed. There are specific micro-influencer agencies, but most agencies work with these types of creators. They will select influencers using an influencer marketing platform or their pool of influencers. 

An influencer marketing agency can handle the entire influencer marketing process, including campaign planning, selecting influencers, managing influencer relationships, drafting influencer contracts, and providing reporting. This is especially helpful when entering unfamiliar regional markets.

Scaling campaigns is much easier with the help of an influencer marketing agency. The operational complexity of influencer management challenges many teams. Most marketers already have packed schedules. But large campaigns are worth it. They allow brands to dominate conversations fast, creating a surge of interest. Agencies and experts can take on the heavy lifting, reducing strain.

How to find micro influencers for your brand? Influencer marketing checklist

Your goals will define the various criteria of your campaign. However, some averages indicate an influencer’s content is resonating with their audience. 

Use these criteria to guide influencer selection:

• Engagement rate (above 3% is solid for Instagram, above 5% for TikTok)
• Follower quality (no bots or follow-for-follow tactics)
• Content consistency and aesthetic (look for inventiveness and novelty)
• Brand alignment and niche expertise
• Audience demographics match your ICP (UK-based, age range, interests)
• Past collaborations (avoid influencers who run too many promotions)
• Ethics and values 

In short, influencer selection should be holistic, considering content style, metrics, and past collaborations. 

Your brand and the influencer’s should fit seamlessly. Micro-influencers with unique, credible, and valuable content stand out.

Kolsquare: Tools to Simplify the Process

Kolsquare is an influencer marketing platform that turns marathon influencer searches into a few clicks. 

• AI-powered search functionality
• Advanced search filters, including influencer demographics, audience demographics, and engagement rates
• Deep audience analytics
• Campaign tracking (EMV, reach, engagement)
• Exportable reports to share with teams or clients

Bonus Tip: Build Relationships, Not Just Campaigns

Influencer marketing with micro-influencers thrives on trust and close connections with their audience. However, while a single post can have an impact, working with influencers over the long term will enhance brand recall, strengthen your message, and improve content quality. 

However, you don’t need to rely on sponsored posts repeatedly. Novelty wins audiences on social media. 

Pro tip: You can use varied campaign styles to maintain interest during long-term collaborations.

Let’s explore some good ways to activate micro-influencers in 2025. 

Events: How to generate organic content through experiences

Events campaigns allow you to activate multiple influencers on a budget. Here, brands invite influencers to events in the hopes that they will share organic content, unpaid content that the influencer decides to post rather than the brand mandating it. This gives influencers creative freedom, resulting in content packed with genuine emotion in a style that matches their usual posts, boosting credibility. 

There are many options. For example brands can host atmospheric dinners, VIP parties at festivals, or countryside getaways.

Events are especially effective if you invite influencers who you have collaborated with before. This allows you to receive the benefits of long-term collaborations and rewards the influencers, creating stronger bonds. 

Affiliate: a low-risk strategy for engaging audiences

Wish you could work with influencers without spending too much upfront? If so, consider affiliate marketing. 

Running a large-scale influencer campaign with ten creators could easily cost thousands of pounds. While careful influencer selection increases the likelihood of a campaign's success, many brands are concerned about spending a significant amount with no guarantee of a positive return on investment.

Affiliate marketing turns the traditional framework on its head, using a pay-by-commission structure that pays influencers a percentage of the sales they bring the company. 

ShopMyInfluence CEO Gregory Bocquenet shared, “Affiliation is an acquisition lever that is profitable by definition. The brand defines its acquisition cost – the commission on sales generated - or ROA, by setting remuneration at 10% of the sale, for example. Generally speaking, budgets are not limited because it is profitable for the brand to generate traffic and sales. That makes it a very important new source of monetisation for influencers.”

For example, an influencer may get 10% of the checkout price when a consumer follows their unique link or inputs their discount code. This inspires influencers to create impactful content, and it enables brands to scale their operations on a budget. 

This is the tactic that helped fitness brand GymShark go viral. It activates fitness influencers, particularly micro-influencers, to share an affiliate discount code along with content featuring the brand. 

In the example below, influencer Sasha (@fitbysashae, 10.5K followers on TikTok) models different GymShark outfits. In the caption, she shares her unique discount code. The post generated €12.9K EMV from 1.8K likes, 89K plays, and 121 comments. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@fitbysashae/video/7511757341277179158

Make micros your design partners: the ultimate tactic for brand-influencer alignment

A good way to build influencer relationships is to treat them well. Send exclusive products and even ask for their opinions on ways to improve products before they go to market. This shows that you value their input and maintain a continuous relationship. Dipping in and out every few months isn’t respectful. You should continuously nurture beneficial partnerships. 

Consider upgrading your top performers to brand ambassadors. 

Start your micro-influencer campaign today.

Micro influencers aren’t hard to find—you just need the right tools, data, and mindset. Whether you're launching a product in London or boosting brand awareness nationwide, these creators can deliver both authenticity and ROI.

The first step is obtaining information. If you’re looking for a quick data-backed method for finding influencers, consider an influencer marketing platform like Kolsquare. Simply search keywords and filter the results to receive a tailored list of influencers who match your requirements. 

Book a demo today.