The Times Australia
Google AI
The Times Australia
.

The Influence Index revealed





WORLD-FIRST INFLUENCE INDEX NAMES THE NATION’S MOST POWERFUL PERSUADERS 

A world-first list of Australia’s 100 most truly influential social media stars has been revealed, and it promises to shake up the industry. 

The Influence Index, published exclusively by theoz.com.au today, reveals those who are shaping the purchase decisions, conversations and opinions of the next generation at an unprecedented scale and pace. 

The top 10 alone have a collective audience of more than 140 million followers, a staggering five times-plus Australia’s population. 

Celeste Barber, Abbie Chatfield, Tammy Hembrow, Robert Irwin and the Inspired Unemployed all make it onto The Influence Index, but they’ve been eclipsed for top billing by some highly influential lip syncers, dancers and gamers. 

Editor of theoz.com.au, Elyse Popplewell, said the absence of some of these household names was due to the Index delving beyond vanity metrics, like the number of followers, to unearth those who are truly powerful persuaders. 

The top three influencers are: 

1. Sarah Magusara 

TikTok, Instagram, YouTube @sarahmagusara 

Follower Count: 19.3m 

Industry: Health & Fitness This bubbly Gen Z mother’s dancing and workout videos make her number one.

2. Caleb Finn 

TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook 

@Caleb.finn 

Follower Count: 16.5m 

Industry: Lifestyle 

Family-related posts with his partner, Lil Soup, also popular.

3. Hannah Balanay 

TikTok, Instagram, YouTube 

Handle: @thexhan 

Follower Count: 18.6m 

Industry: Entertainment 

Friendly and approachable, Balanay is one of TikTok’s most popular lip syncing and dancing stars.



The Influence Index has been built for theoz.com.au using bespoke technology in partnership with global behavioural science experts The Behavioural Architects, and the world’s leading social intelligence monitoring, Storyful. 

The Index also reveals: 

  • * More than 10 per cent of Australia's most effective influencers live on the Gold Coast ● More than 30 per cent are people of colour
  • * TikTok is king - those on the Index need to have at least 1 million-plus followers on the platformTikTok accounts for 62 per cent of the total audience of the Top 50 influencers, showcasing how integral the platform is to driving reach and engagement for Australian influencers
  • * Some of the most powerful influencers in Australia are under 18 years old 

Popplewell said the incontrovertible methodology used in the Index affirmed the validity of the industry and identified that audience size and cross-platform followings only go so far to truly influence people. 

“The Influence Index legitimises those in the industry who are having such a big impact on our lives - until now there has been no way to actually measure the effect they have on our decision making,” she said. 

“For the first time, we are also measuring trustworthiness and relatability to understand what really makes an audience move. We follow social media creators who are like the people we aspire to be and even consider them as people we want to include in our circle of friends.” 

The Influence Index determines effectiveness by analysing six weighted indicators - trustworthiness, attraction, relatability, expertise, content prominence and content frequency - using behavioural science measures in a new way. 

Number #1 influencer in each Australian State and Territory: 

Name 

State 

Overall 

Name State 

ranking # 

Overall 

ranking #

Sarah Magusara 

Qld 

1 Junpei Zaki NSW 

9

Caleb Finn 

Vic 

2 Jiemba Sands Tasmania 

24

Hannah Balanay 

WA 

3 Matt Wright NT 

35

Mully 

SA 

6 Hannah Pengilly ACT 

37



The Influence Index is available today at theoz.com.au/influenceindex.

Banning kids from social media doesn’t make online platforms safer. Here’s what will do that

The tech industry’s unofficial motto for two decades was “move fast and break things”. It was a philosophy tha...

Times Magazine

With Nvidia’s second-best AI chips headed for China, the US shifts priorities from security to trade

This week, US President Donald Trump approved previously banned exports[1] of Nvidia’s powerful ...

Navman MiVue™ True 4K PRO Surround honest review

If you drive a car, you should have a dashcam. Need convincing? All I ask that you do is search fo...

Australia’s supercomputers are falling behind – and it’s hurting our ability to adapt to climate change

As Earth continues to warm, Australia faces some important decisions. For example, where shou...

Australia’s electric vehicle surge — EVs and hybrids hit record levels

Australians are increasingly embracing electric and hybrid cars, with 2025 shaping up as the str...

Tim Ayres on the AI rollout’s looming ‘bumps and glitches’

The federal government released its National AI Strategy[1] this week, confirming it has dropped...

Seven in Ten Australian Workers Say Employers Are Failing to Prepare Them for AI Future

As artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates across industries, a growing number of Australian work...

The Times Features

I’m heading overseas. Do I really need travel vaccines?

Australia is in its busiest month[1] for short-term overseas travel. And there are so many thi...

Mint Payments partners with Zip Co to add flexible payment options for travel merchants

Mint Payments, Australia's leading travel payments specialist, today announced a partnership with ...

When Holiday Small Talk Hurts Inclusion at Work

Dr. Tatiana Andreeva, Associate Professor in Management and Organisational Behaviour, Maynooth U...

Human Rights Day: The Right to Shelter Isn’t Optional

It is World Human Rights Day this week. Across Australia, politicians read declarations and clai...

In awkward timing, government ends energy rebate as it defends Wells’ spendathon

There are two glaring lessons for politicians from the Anika Wells’ entitlements affair. First...

Australia’s Coffee Culture Faces an Afternoon Rethink as New Research Reveals a Surprising Blind Spot

Australia’s celebrated coffee culture may be world‑class in the morning, but new research* sugge...

Reflections invests almost $1 million in Tumut River park to boost regional tourism

Reflections Holidays, the largest adventure holiday park group in New South Wales, has launched ...

Groundbreaking Trial: Fish Oil Slashes Heart Complications in Dialysis Patients

A significant development for patients undergoing dialysis for kidney failure—a group with an except...

Worried after sunscreen recalls? Here’s how to choose a safe one

Most of us know sunscreen is a key way[1] to protect areas of our skin not easily covered by c...