- A new study has identified Winchester as the top city where social media presence matters the most.
- The study analysed nationwide Google searches about growing an online presence to reveal which cities and towns are the keenest to do so.
- Glasgow residents are the least bothered about how many followers they have.
New data has revealed which cities and towns are keenest to make a name for themselves online, with Winchester ranking first as the most eager to get verified.
The research, pulled together by online card game site Hearts.co, analysed nationwide Google search volume for keywords related to becoming an influencer over the last 12 months, to identify which cities and towns are most interested in gaining followers.
The study analysed over 200 different search terms, such as ‘growing followers on Instagram,’ ‘elevate your YouTube presence’ and ‘boost engagement on TikTok.’
According to the findings, Winchester is the city where social media presence maters the most. The city averaged 129.7 monthly searches per 100,000 residents, which is a huge 72% higher than the UK average of 75.6.
Salford is the second city most intrigued by the influencer lifestyle, with 120.2 searches per 100,000 people – 59% higher than the national average. In third is St Albans, which is still 57% above at 118.7 searches per 100,000 residents.
The ten cities and towns most obsessed with boosting follower count
| Rank | City/ Town | Average Monthly Search Volume Per 100,000 residents |
| 1. | Winchester | 129.7 |
| 2. | Salford | 120.2 |
| 3. | St Albans | 118.7 |
| 4. | Lancaster | 118.2 |
| 5. | Sutton | 112.3 |
| 6. | Canterbury | 111.5 |
| 7. | Exeter | 109.3 |
| 8. | Crawley | 106.8 |
| 9. | Chelmsford | 96.7 |
| 10. | Luton | 94.4 |
On the other end of the scale, being in the spotlight online doesn’t seem to 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 people in the city looking for information on the potential career 43% less than the average Brit, with 43.2 searches per 100,000 residents.
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 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.
The ten cities and towns least obsessed with boosting follower count
| Rank | City/ Town | Average Monthly Search Volume Per 100,000 residents |
| 1. | Glasgow | 42.8 |
| 2. | Liverpool | 43.2 |
| 3. | Birmingham | 44.7 |
| 4. | Sheffield | 50.1 |
| 5. | Bradford | 50.5 |
| 6. | Leeds | 50.7 |
| 7. | Bristol | 51.1 |
| 8. | Edinburgh | 53.8 |
| 9. | Belfast | 53.9 |
| 10. | Newcastle upon Tyne | 55.0 |
Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson from Hearts.co says: “With the influencer lifestyle offering the opportunity to earn a high salary, choose your own hours and work remotely, it has fast become a popular career choice.
“This is especially true for the younger generation, as many already live their lives very publicly online anyway, so being able to earn a living from it makes influencing a dream job.
“However, whilst working as an influencer does have numerous positives, it also has its downsides, such as a lack of job security. This risk likely deters many people from making it their full-time work and instead opt to carry it out as a side hustle.”