As the influencer market continues to prosper and more express interest in joining the industry, new data reveals the cities and towns where residents are less interested in becoming social media stars.
The research, pulled together by online casino comparison website Kajino, analysed nationwide Google searches for keywords related to becoming an influencer, to identify which cities and towns are most and least interested in following a content creator career path.
It’s not surprising that many are considering the career path, given that the industry doesn’t seem to be slowing down in growth anytime soon, and UK ad spending on influencers is predicted to reach a projected market volume of a whopping $1.63bn by 2028.
However, not everyone understands the fascination with making a name for themselves online, with Belfast residents the ninth least phased by the concept.
The city averaged 53.9 monthly searches per 100,000 residents, which is 29% below the national average of 75.6 searches per 100,000 people.
Glasgow is the least interested at 42.8 searches per 100,000 people, with residents looking for information on the potential career 43% less than the average Brit.
Closely following in second is Liverpool with 43.2 monthly searches per 100,000 people – also 43% below the national average. Birmingham is third at 44.7 monthly searches per 100,000 people, which is 41% less than the UK average.
At the other end of the scale, Winchester has more ambition to become an influencer than anywhere else in the UK, with 129.7 searches per 100,000 people, which is 72% more than the national average.
Salford has the second highest interest in earning money from influencing, with 120.2 searches per 100,000 people – 59% higher than the UK average.
In third is St Albans, which is still 57% higher than the average, at 118.7 searches per 100,000 people.
While it’s unclear the exact reason for the difference between the cities and towns, it could reflect how heavily social media is integrated into the lives of those living in each area, and therefore how much it’s considered a valid career prospect by residents.
Commenting on the findings, Hekima Yoshida from Kajino says: “Since its invention, social media’s presence in society has continued to grow – and it doesn’t look like it’ll slow down anytime soon.
“In fact, each year brings more opportunities for growth thanks to the creation of new social media platforms, and more brands willing to collaborate with influencers.
“If done successfully, not only does an influencer lifestyle come with a generous salary, but it also has flexible hours that can often be carried out from anywhere in the world. It’s no wonder it’s an attractive prospect for many young people – especially the opportunity to create content about their interests.
“However, being so heavily in the public eye can have downsides. Many influencers talk of the struggles of having details of their personal lives scrutinised, which is perhaps a con that outweighs the pros for certain cities, such as Belfast.”