Looking for Chicago content creators? Meet the Illinois birds
Chicago’s metropolitan area is home to around 9.4 million people, offering brands a dynamic and diverse market with incredible potential.
But to truly connect here, you need more than broad messaging — you need voices that understand Chicagoans and their unique character and particularities.
Locals value authenticity, purpose, and a deep-rooted pride in their city, and they trust creators who genuinely “get” what makes Chicago special.
Unlike traditional influencer campaigns that can feel disconnected, partnering with content creators who are part of this community allows brands to tap into the fierce loyalty that defines the Windy City and foster real connections.
Meet Hummingbirds’ network of Chicago content creators
The Hummingbirds platform connects brands with local content creators who truly know their communities. To give you a sense of the talent in our network, meet a few of our Chicago collaborators below!
Mia Ashley (@miaashleyco)
Mia is a lifestyle content creator, exploring nearly every corner of the city on her adventures. She highlights Chicago’s unique spaces, diverse food scene, and vibrant culture, whether she’s posing in a lush park or taking a kitty yoga class.
In one Hummingbirds campaign, Mia visited Planet Access, a nonprofit boutique that supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through her engaging video, she introduced her followers to the shop’s curated shelves filled with locally made candles, accessories, and knick-knacks — all while sporting a playful snow-bunny hat. Her post not only showcased the shop’s mission but also inspired her audience to support a business making a meaningful impact in their community.
Nahdya Weathers (@nahdyaweathers)
Nahdya is the Editor-in-Chief of Chatworthy Magazine, and her Instagram account offers glimpses into both her home and professional life. Her content often features her newborn son and devoted partner, along with behind-the-scenes insights into running a lifestyle magazine.
In a successful collaboration with Portillo’s — a Chicago staple filled with local memorabilia — Nahdya shared a video of her visit, revealing her surprising preference for the chicken over the classic Italian beef sandwich. Her post gave her followers a fresh perspective on a local favorite, inviting them to see how her pick stacks up against the traditional choice at this iconic spot.
Maria (@mpdoingthings)
As her handle suggests, Maria lives it up in downtown Chicago! From seal training at Lincoln Park Zoo to celebrating her Mexican heritage, she highlights all the reasons her city is an exciting place to explore.
As a hummingbird, Maria partnered with the Anti-Cruelty Society, a leading animal welfare organization, to spotlight adoptable pets in need of homes. Her video content featured adorable, adoptable kitties ready to snuggle, play, and win over hearts, inspiring her followers to consider adopting and helping animals in their community find loving families.
Chicago Family Adventures (@chicagofamilyadventures)
This popular traveler and foodie shows off the best family hotspots in Chicago. Colorful and uplifting, her account is filled with tips on where to go and what to do with your kids.
In one Hummingbirds campaign, she visited Mini Mash Adventures, an escape room center, on a rainy day. Playfully calling out her husband as the “weakest link” in the group, her post added a fun, relatable twist that may have inspired her followers to wonder who the weakest link in their own group would be — encouraging them to plan a visit and find out for themselves!
Ready to meet some more birds? Check out our Chicago page today!
Are hummingbirds the same thing as influencers?
Hummingbirds are a bit different from traditional TikTok or Instagram influencers in a few key ways. These local influencers build followings by celebrating their neighborhood and community rather than trying to appeal to a massive audience.
Their followers are largely people they know personally — friends, family, colleagues, and other local connections. Because they’re more likely to see their followers regularly, hummingbirds are selective about the brands they work with, choosing those that genuinely align with their values and their community’s interests. This authenticity makes their content relatable and drives real local action, whether it’s encouraging people to try new CPG products or check out an up-and-coming coffee shop.
Take a look at our most successful Chicago campaigns!
New Bird
The New Bird Campaign helped our Hummingbirds navigate the platform while supporting local businesses. Our Birds experienced brands, shared on social media, and enjoyed perks along the way.
Portillo’s
Chicago birds highlighted Portillo’s diverse menu and vibrant atmosphere with this campaign, from Chicago-style hot dogs to iconic Cake Shakes. Showcasing the fun dining experience and wide-ranging menu options, their content invited guests of all ages to rediscover Portillo’s unique charm!
The Honest Kitchen
The Honest Kitchen campaign introduced our Chicago creators to high-quality, human-grade pet food made with thoughtfully sourced ingredients. They shared how wholesome products like Pumpkin Pour Overs, meaty dog treats, and Whole Food Clusters brought joy to their pets. Highlighting "The Honest Difference," our Birds showcased why real, recognizable ingredients make all the difference!
How partnering with Hummingbirds works
The Hummingbirds platform has everything you need to plan and launch successful social media campaigns. If you’re looking to elevate your content creation strategies, our user-friendly tools make it easy to manage every step, from creative planning to final posting — ensuring a seamless process from start to finish.
Plan your campaign with ease
Planning is the foundation of any successful campaign. The more you refine your game plan — like setting the ideal schedule and content expectations — the smoother everything will go.
The Hummingbirds platform supports you every step of the way with content inspiration, hashtag guides, and best practices, so no detail is overlooked. You’ll have all the essentials at hand while enjoying plenty of creative control over the final product.
Match with local creators in the Windy City
Matching with Chicago-based influencers is simple with Hummingbirds. Start by sharing your campaign details with our network of local creators. Once our birds review the timelines and requirements, they can pitch themselves if they feel it’s a good match.
From there, you can assess the applicants, select the best matches, and send a text invitation to join the campaign. Creators then have 48 hours to confirm their spot, ensuring your campaign stays on track.
Our city-specific community of creators means you’ll reach the right people across Chicago, eliminating the hassle of sending endless DMs to unavailable or misaligned influencers.
Monitor your campaign and measure success!
At Hummingbirds, we measure local influencer marketing success by looking at content quality, local awareness, and retail impact.
On our platform, you can track reach, impressions, and engagement for each post, and see how sales respond in specific stores or geographic areas. Our centralized dashboard makes it simple to all the content and its impact in one spot.
Plus, you can easily repurpose our birds’ high-quality, fully licensed user-generated content for future social media campaigns — fueling new ideas and extending the value of each partnership.
Ready to get your feet wet? Book a call with the Hummingbirds team today!