How to find local micro-influencers (and the tools we actually recommend)

Most small businesses don’t need a celebrity promoting them on Instagram or TikTok.

What they do need is someone right here in the region. Someone who knows the community, shows up to events, tags local cafés in their posts, and genuinely connects with the people who live here. That’s what local micro-influencers do best. I wrote about the power of micro-influencers in local marketing here.

Micro-influencers typically have between 1,000 and 50,000 followers. They’re trusted voices with strong engagement and deep ties to their community.

And for local campaigns, they usually perform better than mega-influencers with scattered audiences.

The challenge is finding the right ones, especially if you want accurate location data and real engagement. Here’s how to do it, and the tools we use and trust.

What makes a great local influencer?

We’re not just talking about someone who lives in your area. A great local influencer:

• Has a meaningful portion of their audience based locally
• Posts relatable, consistent content
• Tags real places, events, and businesses around town
• Builds actual trust, not just vanity metrics

If their feed feels scripted or overly promotional, skip them. Local marketing is built on credibility.

The top tools to help you find local influencers

Modash

If you’re serious about data, start here. Modash lets you filter influencers by where they live and where their followers live. That means you can find creators who have, for example, “50% of their audience in Western MA.”
You can also filter by follower count, engagement rate, niche, and export their contact info.
It’s what we’d use if we were doing a regional campaign for a client with multiple storefronts.
Website: modash.io

Influencity
Powerful search filters, great audience breakdowns, and a built-in CRM. You can narrow your search by city or state and dive deep into audience stats; location, language, age, and interests.
If you’re an agency or marketing team running several influencer campaigns, this is a smart investment.
Website: influencity.com

Upfluence
This one’s built for big campaigns. If you’re running a statewide or multi-city campaign, Upfluence lets you manage influencer relationships, review campaign analytics, and sync up with your online store. It also filters by creator and audience location, just like Modash.
Website: upfluence.com

Heepsy
Simple, clean, and a great starting point. You can search by location, niche, engagement, and fake follower score. It works well in bigger towns and cities. If you’re in a smaller town, you may have to do some manual vetting to confirm the audience is really local.
Website: heepsy.com

How to build your list of local influencers (step-by-step)

1. Start with geography
   Pick a town or region: Amherst, Springfield, Northampton, the Berkshires. Make sure you’re filtering both by influencer location and audience location. Smaller towns won’t have many influencers and you may have to go wider in your search.
2. Pick your platform
   Most local campaigns work best on Instagram and TikTok. That’s where visual content and community overlap the most. We’ve also found LinkedIn and Facebook work if you find the right influencers.
3. Look for signs of local engagement
   Are they tagging nearby businesses? Mentioning neighborhoods, landmarks, or events? Do their comments come from local accounts?
4. Use filters for micro-influencers
   Stay in the 1,000 to 50,000 follower range. These are the creators with tighter community connections and more trusted recommendations.
5. Double-check audience authenticity
   Use fake follower filters. Then scan their feed. If every comment is from bots or spammy accounts, move on.
6. Reach out
   Personalize your message. Mention something they posted. Be human. If you’re offering a product, experience, or paid partnership, be clear about the ask.

Don’t have a budget for tools yet? Do this instead

• Search hashtags like #springfieldma, #northamptonma, #berkshireslife, of #westernmassfoodie on Instagram and TikTok
• Look at who’s tagging local businesses
• Follow chains of tagged photos and comments
• Check who your customers or audience follow locally

This takes time, but if you’re only looking for 3 to 5 local creators to start with, it’s a solid approach.

Final thoughts

Local micro-influencers go beyond content creation. They are connectors. They show people where to eat, what to try, and who to trust.

If you’re building a visibility strategy for your business or nonprofit, consider adding influencer discovery to the mix. The right voice in the right zip code can move people faster than any billboard ever could.

Want help? Call us or ask us about our Local Spark package. It includes everything you need to get local visibility for your business.