Online influencers don’t all look identical but we are enthusiastic.

What is an influencer?

That’s a big question. Here’s one definition.

An influencer is someone who exchanges goods or services promotion on social media or web channels for monetary or other reward.

Ten years ago when I was in charge of the careers curriculum at my local secondary school, the term ‘influencer’ was new, frowned upon, and not an acceptable career goal.

But young people were already aspiring to become influencers.

At the same time, I found myself an accidental influencer through the blog Two Blondes Walking and our associated social media channels. People, it turned out, wanted to hear about the exploits of two women who took their outdoor activities very seriously but knew how to laugh at themselves.

We were outdoor women in a male world and we were rocking it.

I was that (then) rare thing, a female outdoor influencer. At the time I didn’t anticipate how big the outdoor influencer world was going to get. We were slightly bewildered by the attention we were receiving. Things have changed since then. Brands, including outdoor brands, now rely on influencer marketing for sales. Here in the UK, an astounding spend of £1bn on influencer marketing campaigns was expected by the end of 2024.

But despite the funding available, earning money as an influencer is still something for the elite few. Especially in the outdoor world. This is partly because there are far more outdoor influencers now, and it is much harder to gain a large social media following than it used to be. In reality, most of us swap advertising and endorsements for outdoor gear or experiences.

And we usually see influencer work as a side hustle.

Are online influencers always looking for sales?

Mostly. Or at least the brands that support them are. Creating quality online content takes time and effort. Two things that neither influencers nor brands want to expend without seeing some return. The Advertising Standards Agency requires both parties to be open about goods and services received in return for published influencer content, and Instagram’s SEO Adam Mosseri has recently reassured us that Instagram will not downrank branded content.

So it should be easy to spot sales-oriented influencer recommendations.

But not all influencer campaigns are about sales. Charities use influencer marketing to raise awareness of issues. Politicians use it to gain voters and influencers can also have a huge impact on the promotion of values and lifestyles.

But as with everything in life, sometimes the lines get blurred.

So what do outdoor adventure influencers look like in 2025?

Quite possibly outdoor influencers do not look like the middle-aged woman at the top of this post.

Even in 2015, I didn’t look like what I would call the archetypal influencer. I was already in my forties, scared of heights, and desperately trying to find plus-size outdoor gear. I didn’t make any money with my blogging and social media work but was sent enough walking boots and waterproof jackets to stock our outdoor education cupboard.

And I got to share my values. As one of the original Ordnance Survey Get Outside Champions (now Ordnance Survey Champions), I had (and still have) plenty of opportunites to encourage other people to enjoy the benefits of an outdoor lifestyle.

Apart from my age, things haven’t changed much.

Except that these days I feel as though the influencer world might be leaving me behind. I can no longer meet social media follower number requirements, my physical body sometimes lets me down, and I lack the competitive drive that took me so far in my younger days.

I often feel I can’t keep up.

With my recent interest in all things sustainable, I’m not sure this is a bad thing, consumerism has its issues and isn’t necessarily something I want to chase. But I keep going because I don’t want to lose my ‘voice’ on topics about which I feel strongly.

• Women outdoors
• Sustainable adventures
• Access for all

Am I likely to change? Well, of course. I turn 57 at the end of January, and I am changing all the time. But I can’t see a future that includes thousands of Instagram followers and me bounding up cliffs on ropes.

Perhaps I am a different type of influencer.

Different types of social media influencers

The group we would call online influencers is now huge and could be broken down in any number of ways. When it comes to choosing who to work with, numbers such as follower numbers or website visitors are usually a big deciding factor for brands but other things such as personality and engagement also still matter.

If they didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing what I do.

Here are six often-used terms that describe influencers. All of them can be used to describe outdoor influencers and some influencers fit more than one description.

1. Bloggers (me). Loyal following, lots of engagement, perceived as experts.
2. Vloggers (not me). Video-centric, larger following, often activity-based.
3. Social Media influencers (me). Personal connections, ‘fellow consumers’.
4. Nano influencers (me). Fewer but more loyal followers, lots of engagement.
5. Micro-influencers (not me). 2K+ followers, seen as experts.
6. Celebrity influencers (not me). 10K+ followers, admired from a distance.

Why is influencer marketing so effective?

Influencer marketing works best when we see someone who looks like us or is doing things we like to do. Because of this, we often follow the lead of influencers whom we find aspirational. If we think, ‘I’d like to be like her’ or ‘he looks a bit like me’, we’re more likely to take note of what they say.

• ‘These walking boots keep my feet dry.’
• ‘Running is good for you.’
• ‘The menopause doesn’t have to stop you.’
• ‘A lightweight tent will help me.’

All of which means that different audiences are drawn to different influencers. Indeed on any list of ‘top’ outdoor influencers, you’ll see a much more inclusive range of people than you once would have.

But they will all have one thing in common.

They will all have really large social media follower numbers.

I don’t.

Which is probably the main reason I sometimes feel a bit left behind.

But that’s a topic for another conversation.