On such a large scale, influencer marketing moves the needle. When throwing millions of dollars into ad campaigns of any kind, something usually gives. But…what about small businesses? Can influencer marketing make a difference for you?

In short: yes. The long answer, however, is that your influencer marketing will look very different from the likes of Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Sephora. And that’s okay.

Small businesses get a big boost from small influencers. In fact, nano-influencers—those with fewer than 10,000 followers—get twice the engagement of macro-influencers, which are those with more than a million followers.

There are a couple reasons for that increased engagement. First, influencers with smaller follower counts tend to be seen as more authentic. Rather than performing for an audience, they’re sharing their favorite brands and products with people they consider their friends. Second, massive follower counts often come with a large number of fake accounts. Fake accounts rarely engage; they’re just there to make the influencer look good.

One last benefit of working with smaller influencers? They cost less. While micro-influencers—those with 10,000 to 100,000 followers—might charge $1,000 to $5,000 per post, nano-influencers often charge $100 to $1,000, depending on the amount of work involved. Some might even provide feedback in exchange for free products.

If you’ve been considering influencer marketing as an option for your small brand, now is the time to get on board. Why? Well, your competitors are probably doing it. And, as we always say, if your competitors do it and you don’t… who wins?