New Delhi: No matter how you see it, you cannot ignore it. It offers an unprecedented level playing field that pits the likes of Apple and Samsung amongst upstarts like Xiaomi and boAt. Social media has become the only viable battleground for marketing, where buying decisions are based on the views of idolized influencers more than annoying and repetitive ads. Facebook, Instagram and YouTube now have countless influencers from all walks of life, each of them looking to share their views, experiences and ideas through the ever-popular 90-second reel.
An affordable smartphone, a friend to shoot the video and some basic editing skills is all that’s needed to create a reel, story or short to share your tips or views of any product or experience.
Indians spend about an hour and a half online everyday, making the competition for their attention intense. Even if they are highly targeted, paid ads don’t offer the authenticity that influencers do. Recommendations have always held more weight than generic ads for most buying decisions, driving brands to allocate more resources to influencer marketing.
The key reason for this? Authenticity. And accessibility. An idolized influencer could be a successful rapper in your neighbourhood, a beautician who works with celebrities or even your college acquaintance who creates how-to videos from his dorm room. Many of these self-taught influencers routinely engage with their audiences, replying to comments or creating content that their followers want to see. This personal rapport helps them get endorsement deals from diverse sources- from upcoming brands to local establishments.
Content creators who understand their audience right have seen their incomes skyrocket within just a few years. Many started creating content as a hobby during the lockdown, and have since become full time content creators with tens of thousands of followers across social media. Others used their social media accounts to offer professional advice, eventually becoming social media sensations in their own right.
Over the years, the sheer number of influencers promoting everything from makeup to real estate, has become an industry worth more than $150 billion. This creator economy has now become organized, with agencies spotting and grooming niche influencers for marquee brands.
For working professionals, this has helped them create a second source of income, and helped brands get endorsements from trusted reviewers. Aman Agarwal, a mechanical engineer, reviews newly launched cars and bikes through his Instagram handle fuelinjected18. Many others have quit their regular jobs to become digital creators full time. For instance, Aakanksha Monga, a corporate professional turned travel influencer routinely endorses everything from travel accessories to cosmetics to digital content creation workshops with her weekly reels.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Across rural India, there are thousands of influencers who create content in their mother tongues, gaining them a niche rural following that brands are eager to tap to increase market penetration. Instagram, Facebook and YouTube offer everyone a level playing field to express themselves- giving even the most unassuming person a chance to become a celebrity.
Brands who have understood this have successfully scaled up with the right influencers. Sugar Cosmetics, led by Shark Vineeta Singh, became a household name in 9 years as it recruited influencers from across the country to show women the right way to use makeup. Small town girls like Madhumita Acharya and Riya Singh were a few of the influencers whose makeup videos helped the brand reach women across small towns and boosted their sales numbers.
With this successful marketing campaign, Sugar cosmetics has amassed almost 3 million followers on Instagram alone, with more than 4 billion views on its owned media handle till date. Sugar cosmetics is widely regarded as the pioneer in influencer marketing in India, with established brands taking notice. L’Oreal-owned Maybelline New York has signed popular Sikkim-based police officer cum influencer Eksha Gurung as a brand ambassador to protect its market share. How well has it worked? Only time will tell.
