Is Tennessee really among states with most Instagram influencers? It's true, study says

Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read

In the digital media age, becoming an influencer has evolved past just having lots of followers. The coveted social media status has transformed into a lucrative business which explains why more and more are desiring to follow in the footsteps of creators like Charli D'Amelio, Lele Pons, Jackie Aina and others.

A new study by casino.org, reveals that the Volunteer State is among the state with the most Instagram influencers per capita (per 1,000,000 population.) Tennessee ranks 4th, just behind Washington D.C., California and New York, with 49.3 Instagram influencers per capita.

"A large number of influencers (353) reside in Tennessee as it’s one of the eight states where influencers can avoid state tax income," the study states.

With endless, creative food options, luxury hotels, and electric nightlife, it makes sense why so many would want to make a career of Instagramming themselves in Nashville alone.

That's a whole lotta photos of murals and 5th + Broadway. #Blessed

Who are some of the most followed Nashvillians on Instagram?

Nashville's most followed influencers range from country singers, skin care gurus, lifestyle content creators and even an Olympic gymnast.

The Home edit, the organizing duo of Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, have over 6,000,000 Instagram followers. They took their love of design and interior styling and transformed it into a Netflix Show, 'Get Organized with The Home Edit.'

Shawn Johnson East is a 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist with 4,000,000 followers. She frequently posts lifestyle content, giving her followers an inside look into her life as a wife and mother. Lana Scott, a contestant during season 21 of NBC’s “The Voice," has 18,000 followers on the platform. Her content ranges from acapella videos, music videos and other performances.

Other follow-worthy Instagram accounts

He's a legend and he's the most followed pug on the internet. Doug's content varies from adorable 'selfies', lifestyle content and photos of him living his best life in Nashville and across the globe. He's an icon and we're here for it.

An  independent bookstore owned by novelist Ann Patchett, Parnassus uses its social media platform to regularly update its followers about new book releases, books recommendations, book club meetings as well as author events.

Looking for a new restaurant to try? Want to impress some out of towners? Look no further than Nashville Hidden Gems. Anas Saba takes his followers through a trip of Nashville's diverse and expansive culinary scene offering options from some of Nashville's most popular eateries to it's lesser known hole in the wall spots.

Josh Lipscomb, also known by his stage name Joshua Black, is a comedian and former firefighter. In 2022, he was involved in a high-profile lawsuit against the city after he called Metro Council members "white supremacists" in a social media post following the approval of license plate readers.

Curated by ninth generation Nashvillian and historian, David Steele Ewing, The Nashville I wish I knew account is a digital time capsule. Each post offers photos and tidbits of history, presenting a new way to learn more about the city.

Methodology

The research was conducted using an influencer marketing platform called Influencity. Instagram users were determined to be influencers by having a minimum of 10,000 followers, being 18 or over, having a 'creator' account type, being a credible, verified account and having an engagement rate of the industry average, 2.0%.

Diana Leyva covers trending news for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee among states with most Instagram influencers, study says