Meet Mike Sharman: Advertising visionary helping to spark a revolution.

Marketers have long known that we listen more carefully to the advice of those we trust than messages from corporates trying to sell us their wares. So, for decades they’ve drawn on endorsements by celebrities, primarily movie stars and athletes, to generate additional sales for their clients. The digital age has ushered in a fresh army of influencers, authentically independent individuals including previously unknown youtube video heroes or twitter superstars (think Joe Sugg of Strictly Come Dancing). As their influence mushrooms, so has their ability to turn their newfound fame into full time careers.  Some South Africans were among the world’s first to spot what has now become a global trend. Five years ago, Webfluential was launched in Johannesburg – a business which now represents 35 000 global influencers with a reach into well over a billion people - including eight from SA who have become millionaires through their influencer marketing efforts. To find out how it all happened,  I caught up with Webfluential's Mike Sharman - who co founded the business with Murray Legg and David Philip.