How to Find Instagram Influencers in Your Niche
To find Instagram influencers in your niche, start from content, not names: search your niche's hashtags and keywords, note the creators behind the posts that get real engagement, then check each creator's follower count, engagement rate, recent posts and past brand partnerships.
To find Instagram influencers in your niche, start from content, not names: search your niche’s hashtags and keywords, note the creators behind the posts that get real engagement, then check each creator’s follower count, engagement rate, recent posts and past brand partnerships. Doing it by hand works for a handful of creators; for a longer shortlist, collect the same public data with a scraper.
Follower count alone is a weak guide, because a creator with 20,000 engaged followers in your niche can outperform one with 500,000 general followers. This hub covers the manual method, the data method, and links to guides for fitness, local and micro-influencers. Every other Instagram guide starts from how to search on Instagram.
How Do You Find Influencers on Instagram Manually?
Search your niche’s hashtags and keywords, open the posts that get genuine comments, and follow the trail to the creators behind them. Listed below are the 5 steps.
- List 5 to 10 specific hashtags and keywords for your niche.
- Search each one and open the recent posts with real conversation in the comments.
- Open the creator’s profile and check their followers, bio and last 10 to 20 posts.
- Check who they tag, collaborate with or mention, which surfaces similar creators.
- Record each candidate in a spreadsheet with followers, engagement and notes.
Hashtag research is covered in how to find trending hashtags on Instagram.
What Size of Influencer Should You Look For?
Pick the follower range that matches your budget and goal; smaller creators usually cost less and often have closer audiences. The table shows the tiers commonly used in influencer marketing.
| Tier | Followers | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Nano | 1,000 to 10,000 | Local or very specific communities |
| Micro | 10,000 to 100,000 | Niche authority with strong engagement |
| Mid-tier | 100,000 to 500,000 | Reach while staying focused |
| Macro | 500,000 to 1 million | Broad awareness |
| Mega | Over 1 million | Mass reach |
Guides for specific searches: how to find fitness influencers on Instagram, how to find local influencers on Instagram and how to find micro-influencers on Instagram.
What Should You Check Before Contacting an Influencer?
Check engagement on recent posts, comment quality, audience fit and past partnerships before reaching out. Listed below are the 5 checks.
- Engagement rate on the last 10 to 20 posts, using the median; see how to calculate Instagram engagement rate.
- Comment quality: real questions and conversation, not repeated emoji from unrelated accounts.
- Audience fit: whether their content and followers match your customer.
- Past partnerships: posts marked as paid partnerships show who they’ve worked with.
- Consistency: regular posting, without long gaps or sudden follower jumps.
The full vetting method, with data, is in how to vet Instagram influencers with data.
How Do You Build an Influencer Shortlist With Data?
Collect the posts behind your niche’s hashtags, pull the creators’ profiles, then score them on their recent posts. apidojo’s Instagram actors on Apify cover each step with public data and no Instagram login. The table maps the steps to the actors, with prices from each actor’s listing.
| Step | apidojo actor | What it returns | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Find posts in your niche | Instagram Hashtag Scraper | Posts and reels with the owner username, likes, comments, hashtags |
$0.016 per hashtag, first 60 posts included, then $0.0004 per post |
| 2. Profile each creator | Instagram User Scraper | followerCount, biography, category, isBusiness, publicEmail |
$0.01 per profile |
| 3. Score recent posts | Instagram Scraper | Each post’s likeCount, commentCount, isPaidPartnership |
$0.50 per 1,000 posts |
The isPaidPartnership field flags posts marked as paid partnerships, which shows a creator’s brand history at a glance (Apify). The User Scraper only returns a public email where a business account has added one (Apify). Creators on TikTok are found the same way in how to find TikTok influencers by niche with data.
Is It OK to Use Influencer Data?
Public profile and post data can be used for research, but it’s still personal data, so collect only what you need, store it securely, and follow Instagram’s terms and laws such as the GDPR. Use public business emails for relevant, one-to-one outreach, not mass messaging.
Questions people ask
How do you find influencers on Instagram for free?
Search your niche's hashtags and keywords, and check creators' profiles and recent posts by hand.
How many followers does an influencer need?
There's no minimum; nano-influencers from 1,000 followers can work well for specific niches.
How do you contact an Instagram influencer?
Use the email or contact button on their profile if they list one, or send a direct message.
How do you spot fake followers?
Look for low engagement relative to followers, generic comments and sudden jumps in follower count.