West Sussex and Surrey towns named in top ten UK areas using social media to make money, according to new study

The research, pulled together by online casino comparison website Kajino, analysed nationwide Google searches for key phrases related to influencing, such as 'monetize social media presence,' to identify where in the UK is most determined to make a regular income from having an audience on social media.

Unsurprisingly, many are considering the career path, given that the industry doesn't seem to be slowing down in growth anytime soon, with UK ad spending on influencers predicted to reach a projected market volume of a whopping $1.63bn by 2028.

It turns out those in Crawley in West Sussex have this down as an ambition the eighth most out of everywhere in the UK. The town averaged 106.8 monthly searches per 100,000 residents, which is 41% higher than the UK average of 75.6.

Sutton, meanwhile, has the fifth highest interest in earning money from social media. with 112.3 searches per 100,000 people.

Winchester has the highest interest in earning money from influencing, with 129.7 searches per 100,000 people – 72% higher than the national average.

In second is Salford, which is 59% higher than the average, at 120.2 searches per 100,000 people. St Albans is third with 118.7 monthly searches per 100,000 - 57% above the UK average.

On the other end of the scale, working as an influencer holds the least appeal to Glasgow residents, with only 42.8 searches per 100,000 people, which is 43% below the UK average.

Behind Glasgow as the second-least interested is Liverpool, with those in the city searching 43% less than the average Brit, with 43.2 searches per 100,000 people. Closely following in third is Birmingham with 44.7 monthly searches per 100,000 people - 41% below the national average.

While it’s unclear the exact reason for the difference between the cities, 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.

Hekima Yoshida from Kajino said: 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 Glasgow and Liverpool.”