How to Find Local Influencers

A local influencer is an influencer which greatly resonates and reflects a specific local region. Unlike more mainstream or global influencers chasing mass appeal with larger followings, local influencers thrive on authenticity and connection, shaping trends, spotlighting local businesses, and driving conversations that matter within their community. Whether it’s a foodie sharing their favourite local spots, a fitness coach rallying their community, or a creator capturing the city’s spirit within their artwork, their influence is rooted in trust and relatability. In an era where audiences crave genuine connection, local influencers bridge the gap between brands and communities, proving that sometimes, smaller reach means stronger impact.

Why are local influencers important?

Local influencers matter because they allow you to hone in on particular groups and more accurately and precisely target your desired audience. Local influencers bring authentic, community-driven storytelling to their content and hence foster greater advocacy. 

Their power lies in proximity; they understand local culture, values, and trends in a way that national campaigns simply can’t replicate. When they recommend a café, highlight a boutique, or champion a cause, their followers listen, not because they’re paid to, but because they’ve fostered greater trust within their local community.

For brands, partnering with local influencers is a strategic way to build credibility and visibility in specific markets, this being particularly important when breaking into a new market or region. They can effectively act as cultural translators, helping businesses speak the language of their audience. In a digital world saturated with content, local influencers remind us that connection often still starts close to home. 

Mobilising Search Tools

Now that we better understand why using local influencers is so important, I’ll dive into the how – how do you find the right local influencers for your campaign? The answer is a simple one: you must mobilise the right search tools.

The most obvious search tool is a manual search on social platforms. To narrow down results more accurately, apply location filters where possible and explore hashtags relevant to your target area or region. Once you’ve discovered an influencer that fits your criteria, the ‘similar accounts’ button is a useful tool to utilise, although this has its limitations with accuracy. 

You can also run manual searches on search engines such as Google; sometimes, you’ll find curated articles or lists highlighting top influencers in specific locations. Manual search methods are the most labour and time intensive, but it can yield authentic and relevant results, helping to uncover genuine local voices who may not appear in databases or influencer platforms. It also allows you to assess content quality, engagement style, and audience interaction firsthand.

Alternative options to manual searches include using influencer search platforms, which serve as dedicated databases for influencer profiles. CreatorIQ offers robust search and filtering capabilities, allowing brands to identify influencers based on location, audience demographics, engagement rates, and content style. It also verifies data to ensure authenticity and minimise the risk of fake followers or inflated metrics. Beyond discovery, it provides detailed analytics and campaign tracking tools, making it easier to measure performance and ROI. 

Traackr is another influencer search tool which emphasises influencer search and relationship management. It provides in-depth insights into audience quality, influencer performance, and historical collaborations, enabling brands to make informed, ethical decisions. Traackr also includes benchmarking tools, enabling marketers to compare influencer impact across different markets or industries. Both Creator IQ and Traackr involve a subscription cost and have complex interfaces which can be overwhelming for beginners or teams without dedicated influencer marketing expertise.

Aria combines the best of both worlds; it has the powerful search capabilities of platforms like CreatorIQ and Traackr, but without the hefty subscription cost, and with the simplicity and user-friendly feel of manual search tools. Think of it as the ChatGPT or Gemini of influencer discovery. Type in what kind of local influencers you’re looking for, and Aria will analyse your prompt, providing a concise overview of your parameters before running the search. For example, if you enter “I’m looking for food influencers in France” or “Show me male fashion influencers from Northern England,” Aria instantly summarises the gender, location, and keywords.

Once you hit ‘View Results,’ you’ll see a visually rich feed of profiles that match your criteria, complete with handles, key metrics (followers, engagement rate, audience age group, etc.), profile images, bios, and recent posts. A standout feature is the ‘Find Lookalikes’ button. When you spot an ideal match, Aria can suggest similar profiles from its database, much like social platforms’ ‘Similar Accounts’ feature. It’s intuitive, efficient, and built to make influencer discovery smarter and more accessible.

In a world where authenticity drives engagement, finding the right local influencers can transform how brands connect with communities. By combining smart tools like Aria with human insight, marketers can uncover genuine voices that resonate locally, build meaningful relationships, and create campaigns that feel real, relevant, and rooted in place.