# Paid brand deals for micro-influencers: a practical guide

> Micro-influencers can win paid collaborations when their audience and content fit a brand's objective. There is no universal follower threshold for paid work. Check each deal's requirements, distinguish audience sponsorships from asset-only UGC, and use relevant examples to make your application easy to assess.

By LGI · Updated 2026-09-14

Canonical: https://lgi365.com/creator-resources/guides/brand-deals-for-micro-influencers

## Show relevance before reach

Brands may need access to a particular audience, credible product education or usable creative assets. Define which outcome your channel supports. A smaller specialist account can be relevant to a specialized deal, but that does not mean every brand will accept a small audience.

Describe your audience with the analytics you actually have. Use the same date range when comparing reach or engagement. Do not substitute estimated demographics, purchased followers or isolated viral results for representative performance.

- Explain your niche and typical viewer in plain language.

- Show representative recent posts and their actual results.

- List the countries or languages visible in your analytics.

- Connect one product benefit to a familiar content format.

## Separate distribution from production

Asset-only work can reduce dependence on follower count, but it still has production, eligibility and licensing requirements. On LGI, read the deliverable's publication method and confirm which account will post.

| Work type | What a brand buys | Evidence to show |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Creator-posted sponsorship | Content plus access to your audience | Audience fit and representative performance |

| Asset-only UGC | Content for the brand to publish or license | Filming, editing and demonstration quality |

| Hybrid deal | Assets plus creator distribution | Both capabilities and separate rights |

## Build a focused application

Choose a deal that fits your platform, country and content category. Link two or three relevant pieces and explain a specific concept. If the brand requests a quote, describe exactly which deliverables and organic usage are included.

Ask about paid advertising rights, exclusivity, revisions and delivery dates before lowering your rate. Reducing scope may make a partnership workable without treating your time as free. Keep your quoted production fee separate from gifted products or uncertain commission.

- Read mandatory conditions before using an application.

- Avoid claiming a guaranteed number of sales or views.

- Make sample work visibly distinguishable from sponsored work.

- Use a written scope even for a small first collaboration.

## Use each completed project to improve the next pitch

Save the approved deliverables, actual results and feedback you are allowed to reuse. Ask permission before displaying brand names, private performance reports or a testimonial. Build your portfolio around documented work and show what you personally contributed.

For US audiences, disclose payments, free products and affiliate relationships when they create a material connection. Small accounts are not exempt from endorsement rules.

## Questions

### How many followers count as a micro-influencer?

Definitions vary between brands and research providers. Use the specific campaign's follower and audience criteria rather than treating an industry label as an eligibility rule.

### Should I accept gifted work to get paid work later?

Evaluate the gifted offer on its own terms. A product-only campaign is not a promise of future paid work. Consider the production effort, posting obligation and rights requested.

## Sources

- [FTC: Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/disclosures-101-social-media-influencers)

## Next step

[Explore brand deals](https://lgi365.com/deals)