INFLUENCER MARKETING

Local Influencers: Why Use Local Influencers and 5 Ways to Find Them

Alexandra Kazakova

By Alexandra Kazakova
13 min READ | Aug 29 2024

Table of contents

According to 85% of marketers, influencer marketing brings effective results for businesses, with 7% of them stating that this strategy has the highest ROI rate. While there are various types of influencers, those working locally in your region take an edge if you want to engage and build connections with local audiences.

However, finding them is the real task. With so many individuals offering such services, how do you locate the ones that are both authentic and resonates with your prospective customers? Well, don’t worry – we are here to guide you.

In this article, we will delve into:

  • The basics of local influencers
  • Key benefits of collaborating with local influencers
  • Strategies for identifying the right influencers in your area
  • A guide to effectively leverage local influencers
  • Case studies showcasing successful local influencer campaigns

P.S.: Struggling to find the perfect local influencers? Try inbeat.co, the fastest search engine for discovering influencers. With our advanced search filters, you can identify the ideal influencers based on niche, followers, location, and more. And guess what? We offer affordable, transparent pricing without any hidden costs so you can collaborate with confidence.

TL;DR:

Local Influencers: Focus on influencers with a strong local following who understand regional culture and interests. Examples include local bloggers, vloggers, and social media personalities.

Benefits:

  • Increased Trust: Local influencers enhance brand credibility.
  • Authentic Content: They create content that resonates with the local audience.
  • Targeted Reach: Effective for reaching specific geographic areas.
  • Cost-Effective: Often less expensive than traditional advertising.
  • Increased Foot Traffic: Can drive more customers to physical stores.

Finding Local Influencers:

  • Influencer Discovery Tools: Use platforms like inBeat.co to find and assess local influencers.
  • Local Blogs and Websites: Check local niche blogs and online directories.
  • Competitor Analysis: Review competitors' influencer partnerships for insights.
  • Brand Ambassador Programs: Develop programs with enthusiastic customers.
  • Influencer Marketing Agencies: Consult agencies for expert assistance.

Alternative Methods:

  • Google Maps: Find influencers by checking popular local spots.
  • Tagged Profiles: Explore social media posts tagged with local locations.
  • Location Hashtags: Use hashtags to find influencers in specific areas.
  • Successful Campaigns:
  • Sony PlayStation VR: Effective campaign in Canada using local tech influencers.

Pepsi Emoji Campaign: Local influencers drove engagement and store traffic.

Local Influencers: A Brief Overview

Local influencers, a type of micro-influencers, have a massive fan following within a specific geographic region. They have a deep understanding of the local culture, preferences, and needs.

Typically, these individuals engage in various activities, such as:

  • Promoting local businesses and products
  • Endorsing events and causes
  • Sharing local news and updates
  • Providing recommendations and reviews
  • Showcasing local talent and artistry

Local influencers can be bloggers, vloggers, social media personalities, or even experts in specific fields. In fact, anyone with a follower count of 500-10,000 can be considered as a local influencer.

Take Julia Suppa. With a social media following of 10.5k, she is a prime example of a local influencer from Canada.

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Benefits of Collaborating With a Local Influencer

Partnering with local influencers can be beneficial for you in several aspects, including:

  • Boosted trust & credibility: 69% of consumers trust influencer recommendations more than direct brand messaging. Thus, a local influencer with a genuine connection to the area can lend credibility to your brand through their endorsements.
  • Authentic content creation: Local influencers possess deep know-how about the community's vibe, interests, and needs. This allows them to create content that truly resonates with your target audience and feels natural rather than promotional.
  • Targeted audience reach: Partnering with a local influencer allows you to reach a highly targeted audience in your area. This precise targeting, as a result, ensures your marketing efforts are more effective and impactful.
  • Cost-effective marketing: When compared to traditional advertising avenues, working with local influencers can be remarkably cost-effective. The best part is that many of them agree to promote your products in return for significant discounts or free packages.
  • More foot traffic: A recommendation from a local influencer can drive more customers to your physical store. Their followers value their opinions and are likely to visit your location based on their endorsement.

5 Crucial Ways to Find Quality Local Influencers

Wondering how to locate influencers? Well, our expert tips guide has got you covered.

1. Leverage Influencer Discovery Tools

The most effective way to find local influencers is through discovery tools available online. They offer a comprehensive way to find suitable influencers, combined with detailed analytics on their performance, audience demographics, and engagement rates.

Let’s understand how you can effectively leverage such tools for the purpose of finding local influencers:

  • Explore dedicated platforms: Start by trying out platforms like inBeat.co which offer extensive spam-checked databases that you can navigate using different parameters and keywords. They allow for precise targeting and provide insights into the history of influencers so you can make informed decisions.
  • Assess authenticity: Beyond just numbers, evaluate the authenticity of the potential influencers. For this, you can use free tools like fake followers checker from inBeat.co. This can identify the dormant or suspect followers of an influencer which gives you a clear idea on their actual reach.
  • Use filtering tools: Take advantage of the advanced filtering options available on these platforms to narrow down your search. Filters can include location (crucial for targeting local influencers), audience size, engagement rate, and industry to make your search process more efficient.

Pro Tip: If you have specific criteria in mind for your ideal influencer, try inBeat.co’s DeepSearch feature. Simply provide us with a few examples of influencers you’re interested in, and we'll recommend similar profiles.

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2. Check Local Blogs and Websites

Exploring local blogs and websites is an effective way to uncover influencers who have established credibility and a dedicated audience within your community. These sources often feature individuals who are only influential in specific niches and are also regarded as thought leaders and trendsetters in the local scene.

You can consider the following strategies to hunt down local influencers:

  • Identify niche-specific blogs: Search for blogs that focus on specific industries or interests that align with your brand. These can range from local food critics to fashion brands based on your product or service. Engaging with such bloggers can provide targeted exposure to an audience that is already interested in topics related to your business.
  • Review content quality and engagement: After finding suitable influencers, look for active comment sections and frequent sharing of posts that indicates the blogger’s influence over their audience. Another way of determining this metric is through a relevant tool available online, such as Engagement Rate Calculator by inBeat.co.
  • Explore local online directories: Leverage online directories that list influential blogs and websites by region. These can serve as a shortcut to finding local figures in your area who might not be as prominent on large social media platforms but have a strong community presence.

Pro Tip: You can engage actively with local bloggers by offering to sponsor their content or events. This collaborative approach lets you gain visibility among their audience and establishes a mutually beneficial relationship that can lead to long-term partnerships.

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3. Analyze Competitor’s Collaborations

You can identify what works in your industry by analyzing the partnerships formed by your competitors and tailor your approach accordingly. This involves examining the types of influencers they are using, the nature of the content produced, and the outcomes of these collaborations.

To thoroughly analyze your competitors' collaborations, consider the following approaches:

  • Monitor social media platforms: Systematically track your competitors' social media accounts to observe which influencers they are working with. Take note of how these influencers integrate the brand into their content, the frequency of sponsored posts, and the audience's response in terms of likes, comments, and shares.
  • Leverage analytics tools: Employ tools such as BuzzSumo, Social Blade, or SimilarWeb to gather data on the performance of your competitors' influencer content. These can help you measure various metrics, such as engagement rates, audience growth, and the overall reach and impact of ad campaigns.
  • Assess campaign effectiveness: Investigate any available case studies, press releases, or earnings reports that detail the outcomes of your competitors' influencer partnerships. Analyzing these can provide a deeper look into campaign objectives, performance metrics, and return on investment.

Pro Tip: inBeat.co experts recommend engaging in advanced social listening by setting up specific keywords and hashtags related to your competitors' campaigns. This allows you to track real-time audience reactions and discussions surrounding these collaborations. With this, you can know more about audience preferences and emerging trends that are not apparent through direct observation alone.

For example, if Dyson is your competitor, reports like below can help you know more about the results it achieved via local influencer marketing.

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4. Develop a Brand Ambassador Program

Creating a brand ambassador program is a strategic way to engage local influencers. Brand ambassadors are individuals who are passionate about your products and can share their genuine experiences. This boosts your brand visibility while forming a loyal community of advocates.

Let’s have a look at some tips that will help you develop a successful brand ambassador program:

  • Identify passionate customers: Start by identifying your most enthusiastic customers who regularly interact with your brand on social media or through feedback. These individuals are often already supporting your brand and can be nurtured into becoming official ambassadors, if they have a solid social media presence.
  • Set clear expectations and benefits: Clearly outline what you expect from your brand ambassadors, including the types of content they should create and how frequently they should post. In return, offer them exclusive benefits such as early access to products, special discounts, or monetary compensation.
  • Provide resources and support: Equip your brand ambassadors with the necessary tools and resources to effectively promote your brand. This can include branded merchandise, content guidelines, and access to a dedicated support team.

Pro Tip: We recommend promoting a sense of community among your brand ambassadors by creating a private online group where they can share ideas and collaborate on campaigns. Hosting virtual meetups or exclusive events can also strengthen their connection to your brand.

For instance our client Hurom announced Nick Bosa, a famous NFL player, as their brand ambassador.

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5. Consult with a Local Influencer Marketing Agency

Engaging a local influencer marketing agency can streamline your efforts to find and collaborate with influencers who resonate with your target audience. These agencies have the expertise and tools to create strategic campaigns.

For effective implementation of this method, consider the following tips:

  • Identify specialized agencies: Look for agencies that specialize in influencer marketing within your specific industry or region. One such example is our sister agency inBeat, which blends paid media with micro-influencer marketing to create impactful campaigns.
  • Evaluate their services: Ensure the agency offers a comprehensive services, including campaign strategy, influencer identification, content creation, and performance analytics. A full-service agency can manage all aspects of your influencer marketing campaign to ensure an effective approach and provide greater value for your money.
  • Check their track record: Review case studies and client testimonials to evaluate the agency's success in previous campaigns. Look for evidence of their ability to drive engagement, increase brand awareness, and achieve tangible business outcomes.
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Pro Tip: When selecting an influencer marketing agency, consider choosing those that prioritize data-driven approaches, like inBeat Agency. Our experts leverage advanced analytics to understand audience behaviors and preferences so that your campaigns are highly targeted and maximize engagement.

3 Alternative Ways to Hunt Local Influencer

Some alternative method to find local influencers are:

1. Find Local Influencers with Google Maps

Google Maps is a powerful tool that can help you identify local influencers in specific areas. You can find influencers who visit and review these locations frequently by exploring popular local spots.

For example, let's say you're looking for influencers in San Francisco who frequent local cafes. Let’s see how you can do it:

  • Search for popular locations: Open Google Maps and search for "cafes in San Francisco."
  • Identify key spots: Look at the top-rated cafes or those with the most reviews.
  • Check reviews and photos: Click on these cafes to see detailed reviews and photos posted by users. Influencers often leave extensive reviews and share high-quality images.
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2. Find Local Influencers with Tagged Profiles

Using tagged profiles on social media platforms like Instagram can help you find local influencers who are actively engaged with your target community. This method involves looking at posts where users tag specific locations or businesses, which often highlights influential individuals.

For example, suppose you're targeting fitness enthusiasts in Atlanta. This is how you can find influencers using tagged profiles:

  • Search for popular gyms: Look up popular “gyms in Atlanta” on Google Maps or directly on Instagram.
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  • Visit their social media profiles: Go to the gym's Instagram profile.
  • Check tagged posts: Check their posts to see if they mention or tag any of their members or trainers.

For instance, we discovered a fitness micro-influencer Michael in Atlanta who tagged this gym.

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3. Find Local Influencers with Location Hashtags

Using location hashtags is an effective way to identify local influencers who have a strong presence in your target area. You can discover influencers who frequently post about your location and engage with the local community by searching for and following relevant hashtags.

For instance, if you are looking for influencers in Los Angeles, you can search for hashtags like #LosAngelesLife, #LAEvents, or #LosAngelesFoodie on Instagram.

These hashtags will lead you to posts from individuals who are actively sharing content about life, events, and food in Los Angeles.

Let’s see an example:

  1. Search for the hashtag: Type #LosAngelesFoodie in the Instagram search bar.
  2. Explore the posts: Browse through the posts tagged with this hashtag.
  3. Identify influencers: Look for profiles with high engagement rates, consistent posting, and a significant number of followers.
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Examples of Local Influencer Marketing Campaigns

Various top brands have incorporated local influencer marketing in their promotional tactics, which helped them drive substantial results. Let’s have a look at some of them:

1. Sony PlayStation VR in Canada

Sony formed an influencer campaign in Canada to promote its PlayStation VR headset. They collaborated with Canadian tech and gaming influencers on Instagram and YouTube for this purpose.

This approach showcased the positive gaming experiences via influencers in the form of images and short looping videos. Consequently, it led to substantial social media engagement, with the brand achieving over 12,728 likes, 230 comments on Instagram, and 28,322 views on YouTube​.

2. The Pepsi Emoji Campaign at Walgreens (#SayItWithPepsi)

Pepsi launched a local influencer campaign to promote its limited edition Pepsi emoji bottles, available exclusively at Walgreens. The campaign used local influencers to create original content that included blog posts, photography, and branded videos.

Influencers were tasked with incorporating the Pepsi emoji bottles into their summer activities, which helped drive foot traffic to stores and enhance product visibility. The campaign resulted in 46 million impressions and over 50,000 engagements with the content​.

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inBeat - Your Gateway to Finding Quality Local Influencers

Local influencers offer a powerful way to connect with your community and boost your brand's presence. Implementing strategies such as those discussed above can help you enhance brand visibility, increase engagement, and drive meaningful growth for your brand.

Key Takeaways:

  • Local influencers strengthen community connections and boost brand visibility.
  • Develop a brand ambassador program to engage loyal customers.
  • Consult local influencer marketing agencies for targeted campaigns.
  • Participate in local events and online communities to find influencers.
  • Use social media tools and hashtag searches to identify relevant influencers.
  • Monitor results to ensure effective campaign performance and adjustments.

Still wondering how to connect with local influencers that excel in your niche? inBeat.co can help! It features a comprehensive database to hunt micro-nano TikTok and Instagram influencers in a few minutes. To ensure authentic searches, there is a free toolkit available as well, through which you can check engagement rates, collaboration costs, fake followers, and more.

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