Social media influencers have become integral to marketing and brand-building in the digital age. While many think first of the prominent celebrity influencers with millions of followers, brands should also pay attention to a whole world of nano and micro-influencers.
In this in-depth guide, we’ll explore the world of local influencers on Twitter and how brands can connect with them.
Table of Contents
What is a Local Influencer?
A local influencer has built a sizable and engaged following on social media in a particular geographic location. While they may not have millions of followers, local influencers have established themselves as trusted voices on topics relevant to their city, state or region.
Some key characteristics of local influencers:
- Typically have between 5,000 to 100,000 followers.
- Content focuses on their local area – news, events, recommendations, etc.
- Followers are concentrated in their geographic location.
- Seen as an authority on their location.
- May have strong connections with local businesses, venues, events etc.
Brands should pay attention to local influencers because they can help promote your business to engaged followers in your target market. They have built relationships with their audience and can lend their credibility to your brand in an authentic way.
Also read: Micro-influencers vs Macro-influencers on Twitter
Why do Local Influencers Matter on Twitter?
Twitter has traditionally been seen as more of a global platform than other social networks. Still, local influencers have found ways to flourish on the forum. Here are some of the advantages Twitter offers local influencers:
- The openness of Twitter. Anyone can follow anyone, which allows local influencers to quickly build an audience within their geographic region. They don’t have to rely on followers finding them – they can seek out local followers with targeted messaging.
- Twitter chats and hashtags. Local influencers can use localized Twitter chats and hashtags to connect with others in their area. This helps them build their following and authority.
- Events. Twitter is great for sharing and discovering local events. Local influencers use Twitter to promote local happenings and establish themselves in the know.
- News sharing. Being on top of local news and issues allows local influencers to position themselves as experts on what’s happening in their city or town. The speed of Twitter makes it advantageous for real-time local updates.
- Engagement. Twitter facilitates meaningful engagement between local influencers and their audience. They can answer questions, have conversations, and strengthen connections.
Brands that want to increase local awareness and engagement should leverage these Twitter advantages by partnering with local influencers.
How to Identify Local Influencers on Twitter
To find relevant local influencers to potentially work with, you need to use some specific identification tactics tailored to Twitter:
Look for location identifiers in bios and usernames
Many local influencers will identify their location directly in their Twitter bio. You can search Twitter bios using keywords like “Austin blogger” or “NYC writer” to uncover local influencers this way. Their Twitter handle may also give clues through a location name or local reference.
Seek out common local hashtags
Search hashtags related to your location, like #Boston, #SanFran, #MadisonWI, etc. Local influencers frequently use these location-specific hashtags when tweeting about relevant happenings and issues. Look through recent tweets using the hashtag to find active local voices.
Review followers and engagement
Look at their followers and engagement once you’ve identified potential local influencers. Do they have a high percentage of followers also located in the region? How much attention do they get on region-specific tweets compared to other content? This helps confirm their local influence.
Look at tweet content
Scan their recent tweets. Someone tweeting primarily about local happenings, businesses, news and interests is likely a local influencer, whereas someone tweeting about a variety of national topics may need to be more locally focused. The content focus says a lot about how locally influential someone is.
Use Twitter lists and local events
Follow Twitter lists related to your location, as they often include key local influencers. Local influencers frequently attend and promote local events, so check-in lists and event attendees can discover additional options.
Tips for Connecting with Local Influencers on Twitter
Once you’ve identified relevant local influencers, you must reach out and build a relationship. Here are some tips:
Mention them in a friendly way
Mention local influencers in tweets when sharing their content or positively referencing them. Thank them for contributing to the community. This gets their attention and lays the foundation for communication.
Comment and retweet their content
Start engaging with their content – reply to their tweets with thoughtful comments and retweet posts you find valuable. This shows you are paying attention and gets them familiar with your brand.
Reply to questions and polls
If local influencers tweet questions or polls, provide your input. This actively demonstrates your attentiveness and interest in participating.
Direct message introductory outreach
After building initial awareness through tweets and engagement, send a short, polite, direct message to introduce yourself and your brand. Reference common interests relevant to the local area you share.
Suggest meeting up at a local event
Once a relationship is started, propose a meeting at a local event you both plan to attend. Appointment in real life strengthens the bond and allows further collaboration and discussion.
Partner on giveaways or contests
Work together on giveaways or contests for local residents. They lend their audience and local trust, and you provide prizes and brand exposure. It’s a winning combination.
The key is taking things slowly, establishing common bonds, and adding value for influencers and followers. With this approach, local influencers are more likely to reciprocate and support your brand authentically.
Examples of Successful Local Brand/Influencer Campaigns
To give you an idea of how brands have partnered with local influencers on Twitter, here are two examples of successful local influencer marketing campaigns:
Rosetta Stone [#RosettaStoneArabic Twitter Chat]
- Goal: Promote the launch of new Arabic language learning software in Jordan.
- Partner: @YousefTuqan – micro-influencer based in Amman, Jordan with 15k Twitter followers.
- Campaign: Yousef hosted a Twitter chat in Arabic about language learning with his followers and local experts. Used #RosettaStoneArabic hashtag.
- Results: 3.6 million Twitter impressions, 13.5k chat engagements, and a significant brand and product awareness increase in Jordan.
TOMS Shoes [2019 Campus Tour Program]
- Goal: Promote the TOMS brand on college campuses across the U.S. and encourage sales.
- Partners: 130+ microinfluencers based near college campuses on the tour route.
- Campaign: Provided campus micro-influencers with custom branded post templates and complimentary products to feature and give away locally.
- Results: Drove over 18k visits to TOMS e-commerce site and increased brand visibility on campuses through students.
As you can see, partnering with relevant local influencers gave these brands an authentic way to achieve their goals. It drove impressive results through localized social buzz.
Common Questions About Local Influencers on Twitter
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about leveraging local influencers, specifically on the Twitter platform:
Conclusion
Local influencers on Twitter allow brands to increase awareness, foster engagement, and build trust through localized word-of-mouth at scale. By leveraging Twitter tools to identify relevant local voices, thoughtfully building relationships through consistent engagement, and running campaigns tailored to their audience, brands can achieve impactful results and resonate within specific communities.
The key is taking an authentic, value-driven approach. Local influencers want to showcase beloved aspects of their city or town and be recognized for contributing to their community’s culture. Powerful marketing outcomes can happen when brands demonstrate a genuine interest in collaborating on this mission, inviting organic connections instead of transactions.
Local influencer marketing on Twitter is about celebrating what makes each location unique – the people, passion points, and places that give an area its unique identity and way of life. Brands that tap into this stand to build bonds that go far beyond transactions. By embracing local influences as partners, brands become part of the cultural fabric.
