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PlugMonkey
Updated Feb 2026

How to Find Influencers in Your Niche by Follower Count

Export the follower list of any niche leader on Twitter/X, filter by follower count to identify micro-influencers, and build a targeted outreach list — all without expensive influencer platforms.

Intermediate
15 minutes
5 steps

Before You Start

  • Google Chrome browser (desktop)
  • An X (Twitter) account (logged in)
  • Followers Exporter Pro for X installed from the Chrome Web Store
  • A spreadsheet application (Excel, Google Sheets, or similar)
1

Identify a niche leader to source followers from

Choose a well-known account in your niche — a thought leader, popular creator, or competitor with 50K+ followers. Their follower list is a goldmine of people already interested in your topic. For example, if you sell SaaS marketing tools, pick a top SaaS marketing influencer. The more relevant the seed account, the higher quality your influencer candidates will be.
Pro Tip

Pick 2-3 seed accounts to compare later. Different leaders attract slightly different audience segments, so multiple sources give you broader coverage of your niche.

2

Export their followers with Followers Exporter Pro for X

Navigate to the niche leader's profile page on X and click the floating PlugMonkey button to open the exporter panel. The username is auto-filled. Select "Followers" and click "Start." The extension exports every follower with 20+ data fields per account, including their follower count, bio, location, and verified status. A progress bar tracks real-time completion.
Pro Tip

For accounts with 100K+ followers, the export may take several minutes. Leave the tab open and let it run. The extension handles rate limiting automatically.

Followers Exporter Pro for X's data table previewing exportable follower fields
3

Download the CSV and filter by follower count

Click "Download CSV" once the export completes and open it in Google Sheets or Excel. Sort the Followers Count column in descending order. Now apply a filter to isolate accounts with 10,000 to 100,000 followers — the micro-influencer sweet spot. In Google Sheets, use Data > Create a filter, then set the Followers Count column to "Greater than or equal to 10000" and "Less than or equal to 100000." This removes both tiny accounts and massive celebrities, leaving you with reachable, engaged influencers.
4

Identify micro-influencers by reviewing bios and engagement signals

Scan the filtered list and review the Bio column for each candidate. Look for accounts that explicitly identify as creators, bloggers, consultants, or industry professionals in your niche. Cross-reference with their Tweet Count — a high tweet count relative to account age indicates an active, engaged user. Remove obvious brand accounts, bots (high following-to-follower ratio), and accounts whose bios are unrelated to your niche. Aim for a shortlist of 50-100 qualified micro-influencers.
Pro Tip

Use CTRL+F (CMD+F) to search bios for niche-specific keywords. For a SaaS niche, try 'founder', 'marketing', 'growth', 'startup'. For fitness, try 'coach', 'trainer', 'wellness'. This speeds up manual review significantly.

5

Build your outreach list with contact details

Create a new sheet tab called "Outreach List." Copy the qualifying rows — username, display name, bio, follower count, and URL columns — into this new sheet. Add columns for "Outreach Status" (Not contacted, Emailed, Responded, Converted) and "Notes." The URL field from the export links directly to their X profile, making it easy to DM or find their website. Sort your outreach list by follower count descending to prioritize higher-reach influencers first.

Summary

You now have a targeted list of micro-influencers in your niche, sourced from real follower data rather than guesswork. By exporting a niche leader's followers and filtering by follower count (10K-100K), you identified accounts with meaningful reach that are still accessible for partnerships and collaborations. This approach costs nothing compared to influencer discovery platforms that charge hundreds per month. Repeat this process with different seed accounts to expand your list, and re-export quarterly to catch rising influencers who have grown into the micro-influencer range since your last export.

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Related Guides

How to Export Twitter Followers to CSVHow to Analyze Your Twitter/X Audience DemographicsHow to Compare Two Twitter/X Follower Lists

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Discover Influencers in Any Niche

Followers Exporter Pro for X exports follower data with 20+ fields per account. Filter by follower count, analyze bios, and build outreach lists. Free to install.

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