ARE YOU UNDER THE INFLUENCE?

Three 40-plus content creators explain their success

- ELLIE FENELL

Have you and all your friends bought the same 'must-have' neck cream or an identical dress? The odds are that you've been 'influenced'. There's a growing crop of 40-plus influencers - people who've built a reputation online for their expertise - who are shaping our purchasing habits, many partnering with brands that pay them to promote products on social media.

According to Statista, 25% of UK consumers say influencers have impacted their buying decisions. 'We've seen a significant increase in content creators forging successful second careers aged 45 plus,' says Lily Taylor, influencer manager at Dopamine Studios. 'It's great that brands recognise their credibility and impact.' But can a hobby become a career? Meet a trio of women who have shown it can.

'My following has grown to over 500,000'

Mum of three Kat Farmer, 51, lives between homes in Suffolk and London.

I tell people I work in marketing, as I hate the term 'influencer' and the negative connotations of 22-year-olds desperate to get on to Love Island. That said, I feel lucky to have such a flexible, enjoyable job. I work full-time, posting seven days a week and spending two to three hours a day responding to messages.

My kit is very basic - an iPhone and a tripod. It wasn't a conscious decision for my feed to be 'real' and not a glossy, curated page. That's just how it started and how I've continued. I occasionally rope in friends to help with pictures, but if none of them are any good, I'll just post a loo selfie!