Are your purchasing habits influenced by influencers?

Social media influencers are nothing out of the ordinary these days.

The world of digital influence is forecast to be worth £8bn globally by next year, with influencers, bloggers and vloggers commanding five-figure sums in exchange for brand investments.

Online endorsements from celebrities and influencers can help boost brand sales through exposure to their millions of followers.

The craze started on social media with celebrities like the Kardashians and now Sophie Hinchliffe AKA Mrs Hinch has been deemed the modern day Mrs Mop after her unconventional approach to the most mundane of household tasks earned her a casual 2.7 million followers and counting.

Influencers are paid to promote goods on their social media channels and many large organisations such as Proctor & Gamble have bought into this way of getting their products endorsed.

Let’s take Zaflora – Founded in 1922, Zoflora’s famous concentrated disinfectant has been a staple for households for nearly a century. Effective and inexpensive, it’s readily available and has a huge number of uses – one bottle can replace several other cleaning products around the home. Thanks to Mrs Hinch, Zoflora has lately been enjoying new popularity with people who might not have discovered it before. Its manufacturer, Linthwaite-based Thornton Ross, had to double production to cope with demand after she endorsed the cleaning product on Instagram. Mrs Hinch refers to her followers as the Hinch Army, and her pictures of her immaculate home complete with gleaming kitchen work tops, crumb-free floors and perfectly presented home accessories gain thousands of likes and comments.

Micheal Parkinson and Alan Titchmarsh have both endorsed life insurance products – how does their endorsement make you feel about the product?

What are your views on influencers? What makes you choose a new product? Are you influenced by influencers on social media? Do you follow any influencers?