With the global influencer marketing industry worth US $32.6 billion, it’s no wonder so many influencers have been able to turn it into a full-time, profitable career. It’s a great career choice if you love social media and sharing your knowledge and experiences.
A number of Australian social media influencers, including Celeste Barber, Leah Halton, HowToBasic, Chloe Ting, and How Ridiculous, have grown far-reaching audiences across all kinds of niches and interests.
Sydney often steals the limelight, but Melbourne has a reputation for culture, gastronomy, and education – so it seems fitting to explore the influential individuals in this popular city. Let’s take a look.
1. Loserfruit
14.5 million followers: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X and Twitch
With over 3 million followers on livestreaming service Twitch, Kathleen Belsten, aka Loserfruit, is one of the most popular female gamers in the world and also has an incredible following for her social media content, personal vlogs, and collaborations with other creators. Through her personal brand of fun, irreverent humour, she skillfully creates engaging streams and long- and short-form content.
2. The Mik Maks
8.6 million followers: YouTube
This wholesome family band has grown a global following, clocking up millions of views for their children’s songs on YouTube. Their successful format revolves around songs inspired by the places they have performed and visited, as well as world events. One album, Songs to Help Us Grow, was written during the COVID-19 pandemic and aimed to provide positive, inspiring messages at a time of worldwide challenge. One of the four brothers, Dean, tragically passed away in 2018, but the band continues with one of the members’ daughters now part of the lineup.
3. Jazza
7.2 million followers: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X
Victoria-based artist and animator Josiah Brooks, aka Jazza, has achieved well over a billion views for his playful video content featuring art animations, online drawing tutorials, and challenges.
4. How to Cook That
5.2 million followers: YouTube, Instagram, and X
What started as a food blog in 2011 by food scientist, dietician, and former youth pastor Ann Reardon has since blossomed into viral videos of baking creations on her YouTube channel. The international success of her content has manifested in collaborations with brands such as the BBC and Breville, and Reardon has released an AR mobile app called Surprise Cakes.
5. Darren Levy
4.5 million followers: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram
This Uber driver delivers entertaining weekly videos featuring customers he chats with as he drives them around Melbourne. The relatable content gained almost half a billion views last year, and he has also filmed content across Australia and internationally.
6. Kelly and Habib Arvan
3.7 million followers: Instagram and TikTok
The couple has amassed a large following through their content about family life and Persian culture, as well as reaction videos. Kelly originally went viral for her TikTok fast food videos, which reached millions of views.
7. The Donut Daddy
1.6 million followers: Instagram
Melbourne chef Anthony Randello-Jahn was already running two local businesses (Levain Doughnuts and Jamm’d Dessert Bar) when he began making some, er, very hot and saucy content of himself making doughnuts. Within a year he gained hundreds of thousands of followers globally for his tongue-in-cheek innuendo-laced food videos.
8. Donya Dadrasan
2.9 million followers: Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube
The Iranian-born musician has developed a vibrant, youthful content feed focused on her music and lifestyle. She also drew media attention when she cut her hair in solidarity with protesters in Iran during the 2022 uprising.
9. AJ Clementine
2.6 million followers: TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram
The trans advocate, model, actress, and writer has built a following through sharing her experiences as a Filipino Australian trans woman. Her vlogs on fashion and beauty are laced with a sense of activism and expression. Since finding fame online, she has published a memoir, walked major fashion runways, and collaborated with major brands.
10. Mike’s Mic
1.9 million followers: YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram
Michael Messineo reached 1 million YouTube subscribers last year for his channel, which features TV show recaps and humorous pop culture commentary. As many creators shifted toward short-form content, Messineo went in the opposite direction, creating in-depth, often hours-long reaction and discussion videos that dissected popular shows such as Glee and Pretty Little Liars. The strategy sounds risky, but it clearly worked.
11. Stephanie Miller and Laura Henshaw
1.4 million followers: Miller’s Instagram
340,000 followers: Henshaw’s Instagram
The wellness entrepreneur duo co-founded the Kic (an acronym for “keep it cleaner”) wellness and fitness app, initially as a healthy recipe e-book. Over the past decade, the former models have published more books, their Kicpod podcast has achieved over 850,000 downloads, and they’ve nurtured a digital following through their relatable life conversations and feel-good, motivating advice for women.
12. Charlene Davies
2.3 million followers: Instagram and TikTok
This fashion-preneur has garnered attention thanks to her striking, uniquely absurd looks, such as rocking up to Australian Fashion Week with a full dinner table set balanced on her shoulders. The 40-something mother, model, artist, and founder of the jewellery brand Culturesse is, as her Instagram bio declares, “unclassifiable” – yet her influence has seen her invited to major fashion weeks around the globe and work with brands such as Mulberry, Givenchy, and Tory Burch.
13. Maria Thattil
282,000 followers: Instagram
This South Asian–Australian broke ground as only the third woman of colour to represent the country in the Miss Universe Australia pageant in 2020. Since then, she has branched out into being a social rights advocate, TEDx speaker, model, actor, and author. She has spoken openly about being bisexual whilst remaining a prominent public figure and the face of household brands such as Myer and Clinique.
14. Krystal Giardina
80,000 followers: Instagram
The founder of lifestyle blog House of Harvee, Giardina creates content about balancing parenting with running a small business, and her following has attracted paid partnerships with everyday brands such as Cadbury and Colgate.
15. Soju Gang
66,000 followers: Instagram
A successful deejay who has been a mainstay in the music scene as a promoter and host, Gang is passionate about community and connection. She is also a multidisciplinary artist and fashion designer with her own label, Sawft.
16. Aretha Brown
56,000 followers: Instagram
This Indigenous activist and artist credits Melbourne’s Western suburbs for inspiring her work, which has featured in national and international exhibition spaces such as the National Gallery of Victoria and the Australian Consulate General in New York City. More recently, her **Kiss My Art collective worked on a large-scale mural project at a major Tokyo railway station. She’s also one of the youngest artists to ever participate in the National Indigenous Art Triennial at the National Gallery of Australia.
17. Izzy Armitage and Sam Guggenheimer
110,000 followers: Armitage’s Instagram
177,000 followers: Guggenheimer’s Instagram
Aussie “it” girls Izzy Armitage and Sam Guggenheimer gained prominence through their Just for Girls podcast, on which they share honest takes on navigating life as 20-somethings – achieving 100,000 monthly downloads at their peak.
18. Loui Burke
500,000 followers: Instagram and TikTok
The lifestyle content creator shares home design ideas and inspiration, in particular bed-making skills. He has also collaborated with brands such as Fiat and Mecca, and launched his own podcast, Home & Hosting.
19. Julian O’Shea
300,000 followers: YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok
The educator and social entrepreneur creates video content about design and cities, with deep dives into weird, wonderful questions such as, “Why isn’t the Victorian-South Australian border a straight line?” It clearly connects with his audience’s curiosity about everyday things they don’t always understand. From his social media launchpad, O’Shea has ventured into standup comedy, performing a sell-out debut season at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2024.
20. Sneza Jovanovic
261,000 followers: Instagram and TikTok
The fashion influencer grew a significant following while homeschooling her three sons during lockdown, when she launched styling content to inspire fellow mothers and women ages 40 and up. It led to her winning best fashion and style creator at the 2022 AiMCO Awards, collaborations with brands such as Decjuba and Portmans, and launching her own leather belt label.
21. Jessica Nguyen
112,000 followers: Instagram and TikTok
The Vietnamese-Australian cook and creative grew her following when she posted recipes and videos whilst struggling to job hunt during lockdown. She became popular for her inspiring content that elevated the home dining experience to a large-scale entertainment-style event. Since then, she has started her own food brand, Chilli Oil on Everything, which launched off the back of one of her Instagram recipes.
