"An influencer is someone who has the ability to influence the behaviours of others due to their real or perceived authority or status," Dr Grimmer said.

"From a marketing perspective, influencers have large social media followings and they collaborate with brands and organisations to market products and services to their followers."

Dr Grimmer said the rise of social media and the ability for brands to use influencers as a more 'authentic' way to reach customers has resulted in growth of influencers in Launceston, many of whom collaborate with local brands and organisations.

Dr Grimmer splits influencers into four categories: Celebrity influencers, industry experts/thought leaders, micro influencers who have a great deal of impact via their social media accounts and bloggers and content creators.

"You don't need to be famous first to become an influencer. Influencers are all ages, shapes and sizes. Influencers start off on social media posting to their accounts about their lives, hobbies and interests or they post around a particular theme.

"It helps to be digitally savvy and to understand how things like search engine optimisation works. It's also great if you have skills in photography, writing and content creation, marketing and promotion skills.

"If you become popular you will need to have business negotiation skills and I think also a high level of integrity and an ethical approach if you are marketing goods and service on behalf of brands."

Dr Grimmer said more and more successful influencers were those who were authentic and that consumers were craving 'real' content, which is not contrived and which matches their own values and lifestyles.

"While we all know that much of the content posted to social media is staged and doesn't really represent 'real life'.

"I think the influencers who are genuine and authentic in the way they present themselves and the way they align their personal values with the brands with which they collaborate will likely have longer careers as influencers and enjoy the experience more," she said.

Launceston born actress/blogger Cleo Massey is well known in Australia for her role in the hit television series "H20 Just Add Water" and has amassed over 90k followers on Instagram.

The actress played Kim Sertori in the popular children's TV show from the ages of 11-15 and described that period of her life as incredible.

"Filming it was just the best start to the film and television industry that a little girl could get," Ms Massey said.

"All through high school, I was balancing, being on set and doing schoolwork and trying to have a social life but every time I was on set, it was just like an absolute joy.

"The cast and crew were incredible. I was surrounded by mermaid tails and we filmed at SeaWorld and Warner Brothers, which was next to Movie World and we would sneak through the gates and go on rollercoasters during our break.

With 96k followers on Instagram, Ms Massey said she was being recognised more now than ever before and said the majority of her followers were H20 fans.

"It's quite funny actually, because when we were filming H20, Instagram and Facebook weren't really a thing, so we didn't get those followers initially.

"There's been a bit of a resurgence of H20 that's come from Tik Tok, and it's on Netflix now. I get recognised now more than I did back in the day which is super strange.

With the show now being exposed to a new generation of audiences, the actress said she has learned to understand that young fans may not know how to approach her.

"Sometimes I'll have kids trying to film me and take photos of me and it's kind of uncomfortable, but then I'll have the fans that come up to me and just let me know how much they love the show.

"I love meeting fans, it's just you have two types of fans."

Ms Massey said the majority of people who normally come up to her were in their late 20s.

"They're coming off and they're like, 'that was my childhood'. It really was such a magical show that gave kids this escape and I think it went so well overseas because of the scenery of the Gold Coast and Australia.

While living back and forth between LA and the Gold Coast, Ms Massey said she found the industry to be full of rejection and negativity which started to bring her down.

In search of creativity and hope, she started to read books and learn about the laws of attraction and the power of positivity and self love and wanted to share the word of positivity.

In 2015 she decided to start a blog called "Pass around the smile" to help herself go through the negativity she was facing.

"Sooner or later, people started reading it and enjoying it and it became a passion so quickly.

"It was never meant to be a business. It was literally a blog, because I was loving learning about manifestation and things like that. I never ever thought it would turn into anything."

The actress/blogger has also been asked to give talks in workplaces and schools about how her business promotes positivity and said she was craving guidance as a result of the rejections she would face.

"I was in this industry where you would work so hard on an audition. I used to fly down to Sydney for literally two minute auditions and get told 'yeah, okay, thanks' and I was spending so much money and not hearing back from these auditions.

"I was craving guidance so I'd asked my angel cards, like, what's coming up for me? Like, what do I need to know? And they gave me so much hope and motivation.

"I thought, I'm gonna give these out at my events and people loved getting a card and they would love the guidance and the reassurance and validation that the cards would give them. "I thought, why am I giving someone else's cards out? Like, I should create my own? and I'm so glad I did. because now I have thousands spread around the world."

Ms Massey shared some advice for bloggers who were interested in creating an upstart business.

"I think staying true to you,I know it sounds cliche but as long as you are yourself and you're enjoying what you're doing and you're doing it for you, you're not doing it for external validation or instant gratuity, you're doing it because it feels good for you."

Ms Massey is currently working alongside her mum in the Network 10 show, "Stage Mums" which is currently in pre-production.

"At the moment, I'm just really focusing on only saying yes to acting projects that feel really good and right and mostly interested in comedy now, so it's all nice and fun," she said.

Handle: samcawthorn Followers: 4.8k

Sam Cawthorn is the CEO and Founder of Speakers Institute and Speakers Tribe, and is also the author of 11 books, including five International Best Sellers and has also previously been voted Young Australian Of The Year and the Entrepreneur of the Year.

In 2006 his life changed forever when he was involved in a major car accident which left him with an amputated right arm and a permanent disability in his right leg.

Cawthorn went on to become one of the worlds most in demand global professional speakers and in 2013 he became an entrepreneur and built his training company that now runs events globally, teaching people how to master communication for influence.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3bHv7PX

Handle: pipjanecourtney Followers: 5.1K

Launceston Grammar alumna Pip Courtney was the recipient of the 2021 Peter Sculthorpe Alumnus Award and is a well known journalist for the ABC.

Courtney became the host of Landline in 2012 after joining the program in 1993.

She has won numerous awards for her agricultural journalism including a Queensland Media Awards for Excellence in Rural Journalism, the Radobank Star prize for rural broadcasting (QLD) as well as a number of other accolades.

In 2018 Pip was inducted in the Queensland Press Club's Rural Journalism Hall of Fame.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3P9q7RK

Handle: amandaj0hnstone Followers: 5.5k

From being featured in TIME Magazine alongside Greta Thunberg as a Next Generation Leader, and write-ups in CEO Magazine and WIRED, Launceston-born entrepreneur Amanda Johnstone has an impressive resume.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3NkxFkr

Handle: taye_taye__ Followers: 5.6k

Petterwood created her blog, "So She Says" on the basis that everyone should support one another, and look to each other for advice.

She writes about a variety of topics from fashion, music and dating.

Handle: Danielgealeofficial Followers: 5.7k

Geale is a retired Australian professional boxer who has held three world titles and currently runs the Bujutsu boxing program out of the Smeaton Grange centre.

He is a former middleweight champion, having held the IBF middleweight title from 2011 to 2013, and the WBA (Super) title in 2012. He has also held the IBO middleweight title from 2007 to 2009.

As an amateur, Gaele won a gold medal in the welterweight division at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and is also a former Olympian having represented Australia at the Olympic games that were held in Sydney in 2000.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3dh6REB

Handle: cookingwithjozie Followers: 6k

Jozie is a thermomix consultant who regularly posts her homemade meals on Instagram.

Handle: sorayahamber Followers: 7.2k

Woods is an actor and a model with over five years experience and has training in catwalking and photoshoots. In 2019. Woods competed in the world teen supermodel event in Fiji, and made the top 12 in the senior division.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3QfrjnP

Handle: adamgibson_1 Followers: 8.7k

Gibson played in the NBL for over two decades and had over 450 appearances.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3wR12EM

Handle: jasonlstephens Followers: 9.1k

Stephens is a Landscape/Nature Photographer residing in Launceston. Having no background in art, he took up photography in late 2011 after retiring from sport.

He has explored some amazing areas of Tasmania, seen some incredible scenery and met people that share a similar passion for landscape photography.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3dq34ok

Handle: soph__skipper Followers: 9.6k

Sophie is a Launceston blogger/influencer who posts about mother hood and mental health. In 2017, she helped to raise funds funds for those devastated by war in Aleppo, Syria.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3RyqUNF

Handle: nattyakka Followers: 11k

Atkinson, a prominent football player, recently helped to guide Australia to the finals of the World Cup. Atkinson has cemented himself as a right back for the national team plays for, Heart of Midlothian. The former Riverside-Olympic product, also helped guide Melbourne City to an A League premiership.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3bSfG7n

Handle: kimmyrhiau Followers: 11.2k

Season 8 winners of House Rules, Launceston's own Kimmy and Rhi Harris received $100,000 from winning the competition, on top of $30,000 which they had already won through weekly mini-competitions.

Kimmy and Rhi said having the whole of Tasmania behind them was a humbling experience.

"It's so lovely, you can't even describe what it feels like it's just like everyone's got your back and it's so nice," Rhi said.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3CtgU3O

Handle: twinning.with.tegan Followers: 17k

Tegan Hawes, a mother of two twin boys, decided to share her journey with IVF in 2018. Little did she know that the decision to share her personal life on social media would result in a mass social media following.

Speaking to The Examiner, Ms Hawes described her journey with IVF and revealed why she wanted to share her journey on Instagram.

After struggling to conceive for 11 years, she said she wanted to document her life on Instagram as it was easier to let family and friends keep up to date with her journey.

"In late 2019, the boys were born at 31 weeks down in Hobart. At 29 weeks when I was flown down to Hobart, I started sharing on Instagram to keep my family and friends updated, which was easier than texting everybody.

"It was probably about that time that we started getting followers that were not just our family and friends.

"It was never something I intended to do, it just kind of happened," she said.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3QuvNGN

Handle: matthewgarwood Followers: 26.8

Garwood is an award-winning actor/musician born and raised in Launceston, Tasmania.

After studying musical theatre and working professionally in Melbourne, Garwood found national and international profile teaming up with Ricky Martin on The Voice Season 3 and was one of only nine contestants invited back as an All Star for The Voice Season 8.

Having been signed to Universal Music, Matthew travels Australia performing as well as working in TV and Radio.

You can hear Matthew broadcasting all around Australia hosting his national radio show OZ MADE and locally on Chilli FM.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3KFYTkY

Handle: brogankate Followers: 35k

Brogan is a digital creator and a mother of three children.

Handle: lovethywalrus Followers: 52.4

Fleming is a Tasmanian photographer and writer, known for his flair for captivating travel and visual-storytelling photography and quality engaging writing. Originally from Launceston, he now lives in Hobart.

He is well-regarded for his knowledge of the island and ability to present its charms and stories on the world stage through his social media channels.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3B6swZt

Handle: brooklynokeefe Followers: 64.4k

O'Keefe began posting on Instagram in 2011 and started to gain social media followers after she began uploading pictures of things that caught her eye.

Speaking to The Examiner in 2012, she said "I upload pictures of fashion, outfits I wear, fitness inspiration, my pets and Victoria's Secret Angels - just things that I like".

Handle: cleomassey Followers: 95.7k

The former H20 actress, has over 95k fans on Instagram, and she said the majority of her followers were fans of the show.

"It's quite funny actually, because when we were filming H20, Instagram and Facebook weren't really a thing, so we didn't get those followers initially.

"There's been a bit of a resurgence of H20 that's come from Tik Tok, and it's on Netflix now. I get recognised now more than I did back in the day which is super strange," she said.

Handle: clean.kweens Followers: 106k

Lily Leyton, a former Launceston Grammar Student is an accredited practising dietitian and nutritionist who has a passion for all things food and a major sweet tooth.

Along with her friend Abbey, they are huge believers in making healthy diets balanced and sustainable.

Handle: ariarnetitmus_ Followers: 148k

Ariarne Titmus said a lack of pressure was behind her finally claiming the 400-metre freestyle world record.

Having beaten her rival Katie Ledecky over the distance in the Olympic final, the Tasmanian swimming star added the American's world record on an emotional night at the Australian championships in Adelaide.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3CWgDGU

Handle: rowdybec Followers: 217k

Launceston's bare-knuckle world champion, posts a variety of content on her Instagram. She has competed in numerous promotions and also has an only fans page.

Handle: rachaelmaytaylor Followers: 273k

Former Riverside woman, actress Rachael Taylor has enjoyed success on the small screen in the US. She had a prominent role in the Netflix television show "Jessica Jones".

Read more here https://bit.ly/3ReZPiF

Handle: richie_porte Followers: 287k

In early 2021, Porte was handed the keys to the city of Launceston and has a number of cycling accolades.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3QdPlyH

Handle: jfaulkner44 Followers: 304k

Faulkner, a prominent cricket player from Launceston, is known for his aggressive batting in the middle order, and for his bowling at the end of limited-overs inning Earlier this year he walked away from the Pakistan Super League over a pay dispute which dissolved in a war of words between the Tasmanian and the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3RivorV

Handle: rickyponting Followers: 472k

Considered to be one of the greatest ever Australian cricket players, he scored 56 on debut for Tasmania at seventeen, and played his first one-day international at twenty and first Test at twenty-one.

The 47-year-old former Australian cricket captain signed a three-year deal with the Hobart Hurricanes in a newly-created Head of Strategy role which will have him overseeing the search for a coach and have him work on list and match strategy with the selected applicant.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3wRbvjp

Handle: snappytoes Followers: 535k

The Launceston born actor found mainstream success in the hit television show "The Mentalist".

Simon Baker has travelled a remarkable journey during the past three decades, from teen hearth-throb on the television soap E Street to the pinnacle of the industry.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3RywnE1

Handle: worldwanderlust Followers: 537k

Hailing from Launceston, the influential blogger has been able to make a living through social media marketing.

The University of Tasmania alumna is the founder of World of Wanderlust, an online source of travel tips and inspiration followed by millions from all corners of the globe.

Read more here https://bit.ly/3cITwVE