Influencer marketing has taken over the world of social media. According to a survey, 80% of marketers believe influencer marketing is effective, and 71% believe the quality of customers and traffic from influencer marketing is superior to other marketing channels.
Furthermore, 93% of marketing professionals used influencer marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy. Influencer-related services are expected to grow by 26% in 2021 alone, as more than two-thirds of marketers consider influencer marketing to be a strategic priority.
It's no surprise that nearly every business now has an entire section within their advertising approach for influencers. Influencers can be a very effective way to convey your brand's key messages, showcase your products and services, and gain brand awareness to a larger audience that you might not otherwise be able to reach.
From travel influencers inspiring us to travel, lifestyle and interior influencers inspiring us to revamp our homes, to fashion influencers and beauty influencers inspiring us to get creative, read on to see a list of our top UK-based influencers.
How We Rated and Discovered the Top Influencers in the UK
We've used our Meltwater influencer marketing suite to find the top British influencers based on their Instagram follower count, influencer score, and engagement.
Who Are the Top Influencers in the UK?
Instagram is undoubtedly the most popular social media platform for influencer marketing. Many of our top 18 also gained their start on YouTube, and it is still their primary internet presence. While some, such as One Direction and Dua Lipa, are unquestionably celebrities, the majority of the individuals on this list are macro or micro-influencers, well-known within a certain niche.
Now, without further ado, let's dig right into the list of the top 18 influencers in the UK:
Jude Bellingham
Mohamed Salah
One Direction
Adele
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Cara Delevingne
Bukayo Saka
Virgil Van Dijk
Molly-Mae Hague
Dua Lipa
Niko Omilana
Daniel Howell
Joe Sugg
Mason Mount
Phil Foden
Mesut Özil
Mr Hinch
Henry Cavill
Jude Bellingham
- Instagram follower count: 26.5M
- Influence score: 98/100
- Engagement: 3.3M/Post
Jude Bellingham is an 18-year-old professional football player for Borussia Dortmund and the England national team. With world-class technique, physical prowess beyond his years, and leadership on the pitch, Bellingham is considered one of football's top young talents. His influence at 18 saw him break the record for the youngest-ever player to appear at the Euro championships.
Are you looking for similar influencers? Take a look at the top sports & fitness influencers and at top South African sports influencers to inspire you.
Mohamed Salah
- Instagram follower count: 63.4M
- Influence score: 99/100
- Engagement: 1.2M/Post
Mohamed Salah is an Egyptian forward for Liverpool FC and its current top goalscorer. Since joining Liverpool in 2017, Salah's speed, goalscoring, and creative abilities have made him a fan favorite while leading the club to Champions League and Premier League glory. Voted African Footballer of the Year twice, Salah is renowned for his attacking influence, goal celebrations, and charitable efforts in his home country.
One Direction
- Instagram follower count: 22.7M
- Influence score: 99/100
- Engagement: 1.3M/Post
One Direction is one of the most influential boy bands globally. Formed on The X Factor in 2010, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan (later Zayn Malik) appealed to a devoted teenage fanbase with their pop songs and heartthrob image that saturated social media. During their 5 year run, they set records including becoming the first band to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 with their first four albums.
Adele
- Instagram follower count: 56.1M
- Influence score: 99/100
- Engagement: 2.6M/Post
Adele is arguably the UK's most influential contemporary music artist with record-breaking album sales, numerous awards, and over 100 million records sold. Lauded for her powerful vocals and vulnerable songwriting focusing on heartbreak and self-reflection, Adele's relatable persona and resonance with wide audiences solidified her place among the all-time great British music artists.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
- Instagram follower count: 9.2M
- Influence score: 93/100
- Engagement: 505.6K/Post
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have hugely influenced public discourse through their historic union, royal family exit, and outspoken activism on mental health, women's empowerment, and social issues. While controversial at times, their global name recognition gives them an influential platform to drive change. As their careers progress post-royal exit, their influence is likely to grow.
Cara Delevingne
- Instagram follower count: 42.2M
- Influence score: 99/100
- Engagement: 299.5K/Post
Cara Delevingne is an English actress and model who has become a prominent figure in the entertainment and fashion industries. Delevingne's successful modeling career, walking in major shows and campaigns, as well as her high-profile acting roles in acclaimed movies like "Paper Towns" and "Suicide Squad," have made her a cultural force and paparazzi favorite thanks in part to her unique style and trendsetting image.
Bukayo Saka
- Instagram follower count: 5.8M
- Influence score: 100/100
- Engagement: 1.1M/Post
Bukayo Saka is a 21-year-old English professional football player for Arsenal FC and a starter for the England national team. Saka has burst onto the scene with his skilled and fearless play, versatility across positions on the pitch, and crucial goals/impact for both club and country. His Premier League and European match-winning performances at just 20 years old established him as one of world football's most exciting rising young stars.
Virgil Van Dijk
- Instagram follower count: 15.3M
- Influence score: 97/100
- Engagement: 353.9K/Post
Virgil Van Dijk is the Dutch captain of Liverpool FC, viewed as one of the best defenders in the world. Since joining Liverpool in 2017, Van Dijk's leadership, physical dominance, astute defending, and scoring have driven Liverpool to Champions League and Premier League titles while seeing him named UEFA's Best Player and Premier League Player of the Season. He is widely regarded as a commanding on-pitch force for both club and country.
Molly-Mae Hague
- Instagram follower count: 7.9M
- Influence score: 99/100
- Engagement: 1.3M/Post
Molly-Mae Hague is a hugely successful British media influencer and businesswoman who achieved fame as a contestant on the popular reality show Love Island. Capitalizing on that fame, Hague has become an elite-tier fashion and cosmetics social media influencer with millions of followers, lucrative sponsorship deals, and her brand, Filter by Molly-Mae. Her visibility and business acumen make her one of the most influential young UK media figures.
Tip: Take a look at the top beauty influencers and the top fashion influencers to inspire you.
Dua Lipa
- Instagram follower count: 88.5M
- Influence score: 100/100
- Engagement: 2.3M/Post
Dua Lipa is a British pop singer who has become one of the world's reigning hitmakers and won three Grammys thanks to her chart-topping singles and arena pop anthems. Known for her powerful voice, island-infused music, and support of women's empowerment, her album Future Nostalgia and its disco-inspired dance tunes solidified her as a trailblazing British pop artist. With 73 million monthly Spotify listeners, Lipa shapes pop trends.
Niko Omilana
- Instagram follower count: 2.8M
- Influence score: 99/100
- Engagement: 680.5K/Post
Niko Omilana is a wildly popular YouTube personality and comedian known for his public prank videos and stunts. By pulling hilarious and bizarre public pranks that frequently go viral online, like running for mayor or attempting to invade FIFA's headquarters, Omilana has built a young social media fanbase in the millions that find his brazen brand of disruptive comedy highly entertaining.
Daniel Howell
- Instagram follower count: 3.3M
- Influence score: 98/100
- Engagement: 322.4K/Post
Daniel Howell is an influential British YouTuber, comedian, author, and mental health advocate. Originally gaining fame through his comedy YouTube videos as one half of Dan and Phil, Howell has matured into a voice for the LGBTQ community and promoter of positive mental health, authoring a bestselling book on his struggles. His authenticity fostered an engaged young online fanbase.
Joe Sugg
- Instagram follower count: 6.9M
- Influence score: 98/100
- Engagement: 295.5K/Post
Joe Sugg is a British YouTuber, vlogger, comedian, and author who first built a massive online fan base through his friendly personality and humorous challenge videos. Expanding into new mediums like stage acting and novels while collaborating with celebrities introduced Sugg to wider fame. His online influence now spans books, tours, and TV — including a popular stint on Strictly Come Dancing.
Mason Mount
- Instagram follower count: 6.2M
- Influence score: 100/100
- Engagement: 732.1K/Post
Mason Mount is a 24-year-old English attacking midfielder and a rising star for both Premier League giants Chelsea FC and the England national team. Since joining Chelsea's senior team, he has showcased elite-level creativity, playmaking passing skills, and set-piece ability at just 23. Widely seen as an influential young leader on Chelsea's ascent back to the top of English and European football, Mount's future appears extremely bright.
Phil Foden
- Instagram follower count: 10.2M
- Influence score: 100/100
- Engagement: 1.6M/Post
Phil Foden is a 22-year-old English footballer hailed as one of world football's top young talents playing for record-breaking Manchester City and England's national team. A creative attacking midfielder capable of game-changing moments, Foden is praised for his ball control, incisive passing, and ability to dictate elite matches, despite his young age. Guided by coach Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, he influences matches at football's highest levels.
Mesut Özil
- Instagram follower count: 27.3M
- Influence score: 99/100
- Engagement: 826.9K/Post
Mesut Özil is a German-Turkish footballer who played as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal from 2013-2021. Özil was considered one of the world's best playmakers known for his creativity, vision, and passing range leading to assists and goals. At his peak, he was viewed as an elite offensive influencer. However, the latter part of his career was marked by disputes, inconsistency and his becoming marginalized at Arsenal before moving to Istanbul Basaksehir.
Mr Hinch
- Instagram follower count: 817.1K
- Influence score:93/100
- Engagement: 80.5K/Post
Mr Hinch is the social media persona of influencer Jamie Hinchliffe. Jamie met his wife Sophie Hinchliffe (Mrs Hinch) when they were both working in sales before they tied the knot in 2018. They have over 4M followers, with Jamie’s bio reading ‘Mrs Hinch’s number 1 fan’.
Through viral cleaning tips, product recommendations, and home organization content, Sophie Hinchliffe has built a powerhouse lifestyle brand called Hinch Army with millions of engaged social media followers and bestselling books. Her cleaning videos and sparkling house images provide inspiration and advice to an enthusiastic online fanbase seeking cleaning motivation amid the satisfaction of household tasks.
Henry Cavill
- Instagram follower count: 27.1M
- Influence score: 97/100
- Engagement: 877K/Post
Henry Cavill is a British actor best known for playing Superman in several blockbuster films. Beyond on-screen roles, he has cultivated an image as an affable yet brawny leading man through public appearances and social media. Blending box-office success in action movies with a swelling fandom drawn to his charisma and fitness regimen results in Cavill wielding influence as a bankable star able to drive film and pop culture trends. Frequently the subject of memes and online thirst, his star continues rising.
How to Work with the Top Influencers in the UK?
It's important to choose your Instagram influencers carefully if you want them to represent your brand. The influencers we mentioned above have all amassed sizable followings on Instagram and other social media platforms, potentially giving you massive exposure. However, it is also critical not to overlook macro-influencers, mega-influencers, or micro-influencers who can provide you with the engagement and conversions you require.
With a comprehensive database and multiple filtering options, the Meltwater Influencer Marketing Suite assists you in creating your own Instagram influencers list. Make a list of potential influencers who fit your target demographic, engagement demands, niche, and other criteria.
Connect with the right influencers directly to move your marketing effort forward, and monitor every detail along the way. Fill out the form below to request a demo and learn more:
