The rise of the ‘influencer’ and their secret lives

From choosing a bottle of gin, to buying a pair of jeans or deciding which movie to download… For good or bad you now have some help in the form of influencers. Yes – these are the people who write about products online. It’s a growing industry and there’s even a chart of the most influential mummy bloggers, some of whom earn millions each year. The top 50 alone have more than 14 million followers and we look to them before making a purchase however trivial and for advice on everything from relationships to holidays and fitness.

A report published today by InfluBase reveals the tricks of the trade – down to when to post (it’s a Tuesday!) and when interactions are at their peak (which is a Thursday!). Instagram is where the influencers engage most with their audience. The study also reveals the secret lives of mummy bloggers – a quarter drink gin! They love to travel and M&S is the brand they talk about the most, with 75.6% of posts being sponsored.

Aston spoke to Jo Middleton, influencer (creator of the multi-award-winning parenting and lifestyle blog Slummy Single Mummy) and Ross Furlong, spokesperson from Influbase to discuss the research and also about influencers.