# Influencer marketing for indie games on a small budget

How indie studios run influencer marketing on a small budget: picking creators, pricing models, briefs, and measuring Steam wishlists per creator.

Updated 2026-10-09.

## Small creators are often the better deal

Big channels charge flat fees most indies can’t afford, and their audiences are broad. Smaller creators who play your genre every week often bring more wishlists per dollar, and they reply to messages.

## Three ways to pay creators

- Free keys: cheap, but no commitment and no tracking. See [Keymailer and other key networks](https://wishlistme.me/guides/keymailer-alternatives).
- Flat fee per video: predictable cost, uncertain result.
- Per result: you pay per wishlist Steam attributes to the creator’s link. See [what a Steam wishlist costs](https://wishlistme.me/guides/how-much-does-a-steam-wishlist-cost).

## Run it like a test

- Start with a few creators and a small budget per creator.
- Give each video its own [UTM link](https://wishlistme.me/guides/steam-utm-tracking).
- Compare cost per wishlist across creators after a few weeks.
- Work again with the creators who converted, and raise their rate.

## Do it without the outreach

Wishlistme turns this into one job: you set a price per wishlist and how many creators you want, creators claim slots without you approving them, and you pay only for verified wishlists plus a 5% fee. [Post a job](https://wishlistme.me/indie-game-marketing).

## Sources

- [Steamworks documentation: UTM Analytics](https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/marketing/utm_analytics)

More guides: https://wishlistme.me/guides