Unlikely influencers: From naked farmers to poets, here’s who you didn’t expect to be socials stars
Watch out WAGS, farmers are making hay in the social media world - alongside poets, families and grannies — proving anyone can be an “influencer”.
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In the burgeoning and increasingly lucrative world of social media, ‘influencers’ are undoubtedly kings and queens.
It’s no surprise to most that WAGS and sportspeople (former and current), ex reality TV contestants, the children of celebrities (or nepo babies) and fitness, beauty and fashion industry types are raking in the coin by sharing the minutiae of their lives and spruiking all manner of products, services and events — but more and more Australians from all walks of life are getting in on the influencer act and seizing a slice of the pie.
From poets to pet owners, equestrians to farmers, young children and families, to the very elderly – these social media movers and shakers are proving anyone can become an ‘influencer’ – at any age and from any background – in the free-for-all age of Insta.
So watch out Nadia Bartel and Bec Judd, naked farmers, poets and pooches may be coming for your influencer crowns.
INSTA STAR FARMERS
The Naked Farmer, Ben Brooksby.
Fifth-generation sheep and crop farmer, Ben Brooksby from Western Victoria founded The Naked Farmer in mid-2017. After struggling with his mental health, farmer Ben started a social media career “after a light bulb moment” while sowing lentils. He created the Instagram account, which has now been moved to Facebook, and called it The Naked Farmer, posting a near naked photo of himself, for a bit of fun. The post went viral and it became the framework for his business, highlighting agriculture through photos of naked farmers with strategically placed props. The page promotes Australian food and fibre, as well as advocating for improved mental health in the farming sector. Ben develops and sells calendars each year using images from The Naked Farmer social media and has also written a book.
He now has 72,000 Facebook followers. Some of the images sent in his for annual calendar (below) are extraordinary.
Zayne Hall
Zayne Hall, or Farmer Zayne, from near Stawell in Victoria has more than 335,000 TikTok followers, with a staggering 10.6m likes. He describes himself “just a farmer’s son having some fun” and shares everything from “crutching up” the sheep, to delivering lambs and is now the beneficiary of gifted farming workwear, or “merch”, for his efforts.
Zayne has said he started TikTok for a laugh with his friend to see who could get to 5000 followers first. The young man is a fifth-generation sheep and cropping farmer and shares plenty of comedic videos, as well as sharing his daily life on the farm and answering questions about farming.
Peter Vallance, Mallee Boy.
Ouyen farmer Peter Vallance started posting to TikTok as a way to save memories with his old dog Spud, and now has an extraordinary 784,000 followers on TikTok – with 13.7m likes – posting on everything from his crop paddocks at dark to new stock ramps, to his kelpie Pip and the sun rising over bare Mallee broadacres, as well as introducing new bulls to the herd and filling grain bins and bags. Picture evocative rural landscapes, often set to music, with a stereotypical Aussie farmer behind the wheel of a harvester, and you have the idea.
INSTA POET
Beau Taplin
With 634,000 Instagram followers and 169,000 on Facebook, Melbourne’s Beau Taplin is an ex songwriter who turned his passion for words to poetry and prose via social media and now has an online store selling his own books of prose.
He also writes custom poetry on commission for special occasions and for the loved-up or heartbroken, and has collaborated with the likes of Carlton Football club, a winery (with labels) and jewellery maker, among others on special projects.
INSTA ANIMAL OWNERS
Equestrian Amy Gotts-Wheeler.
Amy, 19, is a Victorian event rider and showjumper who refers to herself an “equestrian influencer”, and with more than 44,000 followers on Instagram, more than 20,000 on TikTok.
Nella Cage and her Bender the Chonky Cat
Nella’s fat cat Bender has become a Russian celebrity, thanks to his “chonkiness”.
The larger-than-life feline lives in a public housing flat in Tecoma with his Russian owner, Nella Cage, but is no ordinary Melbourne moggy. Over Covid lockdowns, Bender The Chonky became a social media sensation in the Eastern Bloc, with more than a million international followers and counting.
Pictures of Bender have adorned billboards outside the Russian city of Tula, with captions of him as an unofficial mascot, encouraging tourists to try the city’s famous gingerbread. In Ukraine, Ukrainian the fat cat has become a cultural icon, with videos urging people to visit the country and “don’t forget to try the borscht”.
Emma and Eve
West highland white terriers Emma and Eve have amassed a social media following of 83,000 with their cute videos and photos.
Hugo the hound
Known as a friendly 70kg bundle of black fluff, huge Hugo is a Newfoundland that loves anything that humans eat including cheese, meat, salmon and yoghurt.
With nearly 60,000 followers, Hugo is big in the rising world of canine insta.
OLD
Daffy’s wise words
From her wheelchair or bed, 94-year- old great-grandmother Dorothy, or Daffy, shares worldly advice with humour (sans false teeth) on everything from her views on life, current affairs and the changing world, to old-fashioned recipes and housekeeping tips.
She lives with her granddaughter, Melissa, and her family. Daffy’s Wise Words was started by Melissa – who films and typically interviews Daffy – on Facebook in August 2021 and Daffy now has 263,000 followers on that platform and 1.8K subscribers on YouTube.
YOUNG
Melbourne teen Grace Mulgrew grew to social media fame in 2012 by producing storyline videos of Barbie dolls. The teen has now branched out to vlogging with her two YouTube channels Grace’s World which has 2.78 million subscribers and Grace’s Room which has about 900,000 subscribers. She has more than 81,000 followers on her Grace’s world official Instagram site.
FAMILY
The Norris family of mum, dad and six kids – that goes by the social media handle #norrisnuts – has become a global social media sensation with millions of followers over multiple platforms. With one million Instagram followers and nearly six million YouTube subscribers on its main channel, the Norris family is reported to have an estimated net worth of $28m. The family is believed to earn about $10,000 per day ($3.7m a year) from the ads that appear on its videos.
Young Sabre Norris is a professional surfer and skateboarder who went viral on YouTube as the first Australian female and third female in history to land a 540 on a half pipe. She was also the second youngest surfer to ever compete in a World Surf League event when she competed as a wildcard at the Sydney International Pro.
Her star quickly rose after an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Parents Brooke and Justin Norris are also from professional sporting backgrounds, with Justin a former Olympic swimmer. The Norris children Sabre, Sockie, Biggy, Naz Bea, Disco and toddler Charm all have their own Instagram accounts, with baby Charm’s account already amassing 371,000 followers. Collectively, the family has nearly five million followers on Instagram.
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