Influencer Marketing for Small Businesses: Getting Started on a Small Budget (2026)
Short answer: As a small business you get furthest with smaller creators, products instead of fees, and a few collaborations you measure closely. Start with five to ten PR packages to creators who have said yes, give each one their own discount code, label the ads correctly and keep track of tax. Build on the ones who deliver.
Why influencer marketing suits small businesses
You can start with products. Smaller creators often accept a PR package without a fee. The money in the industry goes to bigger accounts: in Sweden, influencers under 10,000 followers received only 8 percent of sponsorship revenue in 2022 according to IRM.
The audience is there. 43 percent of Swedes follow influencers, and 79 percent of 15 to 24 year olds, according to Eurobarometer 2025.
You get content. Every collaboration produces photos and videos that, with the creator's permission, you can use in your own channels.
You can start small. A test with a few packages costs less than a campaign in traditional media and quickly shows what works.
Three budget levels
The numbers are examples. Adjust them to your products and margins.
Under SEK 5,000: PR packages to five to ten nano and micro influencers who have said yes. You pay for products at cost price and shipping. Give each creator their own discount code.
SEK 5,000 to 20,000: keep the PR packages and add a few creators on commission, or a couple of smaller fees for reels to the ones who delivered best last time.
Over SEK 20,000: paid collaborations with clear deliverables, and UGC videos with usage rights so you can use the content in your ads.
Read more about prices in what an influencer costs.
Get started in four weeks
Week 1: goal and product
Decide what counts as success: sales, new followers or content for ads. Pick a product that looks good on camera and that you want to be known for, ideally a bestseller.
Week 2: find creators
Look for creators whose audience is your customers, not just those with the most followers. Check audience, engagement and past collaborations. Read how to find the right influencers.
Week 3: agree and ship
Write down what you hope for, roughly when, how the ad should be labelled and whether you want to use the content yourself. Ask about F-skatt. Ship the package with a personal card. Read the PR package guide.
Week 4: measure and choose the next step
Collect results per creator: did the post happen, how did it do and how many used the code. Invite back the ones who delivered best and replace the rest.
Two rules you can't skip
Ad labelling: posts made for compensation, including products, must be clearly labelled, for example "Reklam från @yourbrand" (Advertisement from @yourbrand) at the start of the caption. You as the brand carry the main responsibility. Read the ad labelling guide.
Tax: if the creator has no F-skatt (Swedish business tax registration) and receives products or money worth at least SEK 1,000 from you in a year, you pay employer contributions. A PR package under SEK 1,000 is below the threshold, as long as the same person doesn't receive more during the year. Read the tax guide for brands.
Common mistakes
Choosing on follower count. The right audience beats a big audience.
Shipping without asking. Unsolicited packages are often never shown.
Not tracking. Without a discount code per creator you don't know what sold.
Giving up after one round. The first round is a test. The second and third rounds with the right creators give the most.
How to do it on Unwrappa
On Unwrappa you can publish a product campaign for free, with up to three spots, and let verified creators apply with a pitch. 81 percent of the more than 650 creators have under 10,000 followers, exactly the kind of accounts that suit a smaller brand. When you approve someone, the address is shared automatically, and once the post is live the creator adds the link in the app. If you want to pay fees, run UGC or commission campaigns, or invite creators directly, Plus starts at SEK 399 a month.
Want to compare with other options? Read the influencer platform comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a small business spend on influencer marketing?
Start with what you can afford to test, ideally five to ten PR packages. Increase once you see which creators sell.
Do I have to pay influencers?
No, many smaller creators accept products. If you want more posts, usage rights or exclusivity, it is fair to pay.
How many followers should the influencer have?
There is no minimum. For a smaller brand, accounts with a few thousand engaged followers in the right niche often give the most.
How do I know if it worked?
Give each creator their own discount code or link and compare sales, cost per post and the content you received.
Do I need a contract?
At least write down what you agreed: deliverables, dates, labelling and whether you may use the content. It saves misunderstandings.
Sources (in Swedish)