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Tag: influencer marketing industry

  • De-influencers Take Center Stage in Redefining the Future of Influence

    In a world where social media is supreme, number of followers and likes decide your identity and person’s worth, a new breed of influencers is emerging, wielding ‘nay’ sword, and criticism as their purpose to make their digital presence. They are no other but ‘De-influencers’.

    “Stop buying supplies, things you will regret buying’, ‘im de-influencing you’, ‘de-influencing you from the most viral makeup of 2023’, ‘what not to $$$’ are the kind of headlines and headers that are making trends on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok (banned in India). It is noteworthy that #Deinfluencing has over 1 billion views.

    This new breed of voices is making waves, disrupting the traditional norms of curated content and aspirational lifestyles in the world of consumerism. Meet the De-influencers – individuals who are shaking up the normal trend by challenging myths, debunking misinformation, and fostering critical thinking among their communities, peers, followers, and subscribers.

    The Birth of De-influence
    What Is Their Mission?
    Debunking Myths and Misinformation
    Promoting Critical Thinking
    Driving Social Change
    The Power of Connection
    What Is It That De-influencers Are Trying to Tell?
    The Essence of De-influence
    Shaping the Future of Influence
    The Future of De-influence

    The Birth of De-influence

    As social media platforms continue to dominate our digital landscape, concerns about authenticity and accountability have come to the forefront. In response, De-influencers have emerged as beacons of transparency, skepticism, and critical thinking. 

    What Is Their Mission?

    De-influencers are on a mission to peel back the layers of influencer culture and encourage their audience to think critically about the content they consume or about the cream that they apply on their tender skin and the appliances used in their kitchen.

    Debunking Myths and Misinformation

    At the heart of de-influence lies a commitment to truth and accuracy. De-influencers use social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (earlier called Twitter) to debunk myths, challenge misinformation, and provide evidence-based perspectives on a wide range of topics. 

    Whether it’s dissecting pseudoscientific claims, fact-checking viral trends, or critiquing misleading marketing tactics, these individuals are on a mission to separate fact from fiction in the digital realm.

    In the era of digitalization, a new term has been coined to encapsulate individuals who prioritize what not to do, what not to behave, what not to eat, what not to watch, or what not to opt for with an aim to creating genuine engagement, powerful thought process and meaningful impact by likes, subscriptions, and followers. 

    As traditional influencers fade into the background, de-influencers are stepping into the spotlight, reshaping the landscape of online influencer marketing and paving the way for a new class of intellectuals and experts who will decide what is not to be done in the digital arena.

    In recent years, influencer marketing has skyrocketed in popularity and effectiveness, becoming a go-to strategy for online promotion. With millions of internet users regularly browsing social media platforms for entertainment, inspiration, and product recommendations, it’s no surprise that marketers are leveraging the influence of social media’s most prominent figures.

    As of 2023, the global influencer marketing market has reached a staggering value of USD 21.1 billion, more than triple since 2019. This fast growth shows how influencer marketing has become a big industry on its own. And every year, influencer platforms are getting bigger and more valuable, allowing brands and creators to team up in ways never seen before.

    Promoting Critical Thinking

    In an age where clickbait headlines and viral content abound, de-influencers serve as ambassadors of critical thinking. They encourage their followers to question mainstream narratives, challenge societal norms, and approach information with a healthy dose of skepticism. By fostering critical thinking skills, de-influencers empower their audience to make informed decisions and navigate the complexities of the digital world more effectively and clearly.


    Driving Social Change

    De-influence is about more than just debunking myths and promoting critical thinking – it’s also about driving meaningful social change. De-influencers often use their platforms to raise awareness about important issues, advocate for marginalized communities, and amplify voices that are often unheard or overlooked. From promoting environmental sustainability, reporting the unknown, narrating what was unseen, or advocating for social justice, these individuals are harnessing the power of social media for good.

    Here are some Indian examples of de-influencers, who challenge the mainstream narratives and promote critical thinking on social media platforms:

    • Ravish Kumar (X or former Twitter): Ravish Kumar is a prominent Indian journalist known for his incisive reporting and critical analysis of current affairs. Through his X account (3.5 million followers) and Instagram (4.3 million followers), he often challenges misinformation, questions government policies, and encourages followers to think critically about social and political issues. 
    • Faye D’Souza (X, Instagram): Faye D’Souza is a journalist and former executive editor of Mirror Now, known for her no-nonsense approach to journalism. On platforms like Twitter (1.1 million followers) and Instagram (1.7 million followers), she addresses misinformation, calls out false narratives, and advocates for transparency and accountability in governance.
    • Dhruv Rathee (YouTube, X): Dhruv Rathee is a YouTuber and social activist known for his videos on politics, economics, and social issues. Through his YouTube channel (14.8 million subscribers) and X ( 1.7 million followers) account, Rathee challenges mainstream media narratives, debunks misinformation, and promotes critical thinking among his followers.
    • The Wire (YouTube, X): The Wire is an independent news and analysis platform in India known for its investigative journalism and critical commentary on politics, society, and economics. Through its YouTube channel ( 5.03 million subscribers) and X (1.3 million followers) account, The Wire provides in-depth analysis, fact-checks, and exposes misinformation to promote informed discourse among its audience.
    • Alt News (X, Facebook): Alt News is a fact-checking website in India that debunks misinformation and fake news circulating on social media platforms. Through its X (519 K followers) and Facebook accounts ( 242K followers), Alt News provides evidence-based information, corrects false narratives, and promotes critical thinking to combat the spread of misinformation online.
    • Revant Himatsingka or Food Pharmer (Instagram, X): Revant Himatsingka creates thoughtful, often humorous videos to educate Indians about health, social issues, and life. His main goal for the next few years is to stop FMCG companies from marketing junk food as healthy food. He is teaching Indians how to read food labels of packaged food. Revant, who is in favor of clean businesses, has 1.5 million Insta followers, 66,867 LinkedIn followers, and 290K YouTube subscribers.
      In April 2023, he went viral for critiquing Cadbury‘s Bournvita sugar content, suggesting a tagline change. Cadbury responded with a legal notice, stating their product contained 7.5 grams of added sugar per serving, within recommended limits. On December 23, the influencer announced on Instagram that Cadbury had reduced added sugar by 15 percent, calling it a ‘big win’.


    The Power of Connection

    In a world saturated with superficial content and shallowness, de-influencers are helping people by bringing reasons and thought-provoking answers to questions, that usually consumers neglect, fail to ask, or hesitate to question. 

    Unlike traditional influencers who measure success in likes and followers, de-influencers emphasize connection-building and thought-provoking exercises, to bring about a ‘difference’ in the commonly accepted views, and traditions of the society. 

    What Is It That De-influencers Are Trying to Tell?

    In essence, most of the ‘de-influencers’ on social media apps are real influencers in sheep’s clothing. This is the real-time question one needs to ask as readers, viewers, consumers, and clients. Are they really helping us decide what is right or wrong or are they telling us to opt for what they feel is just and correct?

    People rather than, consumers have consumed enough data, marketing campaigns, and advertisements, wherein they have been always asked or lured to buy a certain product, service, or strategy in a subtle or loud manner. 

    People have overconsumed positive marketing strategies. The marketing industry has reached a saturation point, where ‘influencing’ charisma is fading away. Now, people don’t want to be in a trap of consumerism and haste to buy any product to be fashionable and maintain social status.

    De-influencers are trying to achieve more with fewer resources, achieve sustainable goals, and try to be away from the crowd and create a new niche for themselves. This strategy of saying ‘no’ is being applied by marketing ‘gurus’, and influencers, to look unique and attract buyers. They feel that stopping people from buying an item or policy will attract more consumers and increase the sale of other related items. 

    According to a recent Statista survey, Instagram remains the most popular platform for influencer marketing worldwide.

    As per Statista, India emerged as the global leader in Instagram users, with a staggering 362 million individuals on the platform, as of January 2024. The United States and Brazil trailed behind with 169 million and 134 million users, respectively.

    Value of Influencer Marketing Industry in India From 2021 to 2022, With Projections Until 2026
    Value of Influencer Marketing Industry in India From 2021 to 2022, With Projections Until 2026

    The Essence of De-influence

    So, what exactly sets de-influencers apart from their predecessors (influencers)? 

    One can say that at the core of de-influence lies a commitment to authenticity,  clarity, criticism, and transparency for the common good. 

    But it’s not just about being clear – De-influencers are on a journey to make a difference. They want to bring about a change by telling what is not to be done. 

    Whether advocating for social justice, promoting the environment, or raising awareness about natural skincare products, mental health, or knowledge about the side effects of beauty products, these influencers leverage their platforms to bring awareness. 

    Their content isn’t just about aesthetics or abstract theory; it is about sparking meaningful conversations, questioning the normal, challenging the old narrative, and inspiring action.

    Shaping the Future of Influence

    As the influence of de-influencers continues to grow, brands and marketers are taking notice. Gone are the days of superficial endorsements and scripted sponsorships; instead, brands are seeking out de-influencers who align with their values and embody their ethos. 

    In a 2024 global survey of PR agencies, marketing firms, brands, and professionals, 37.6 percent reported working with up to 10 influencers, while 14.7 percent collaborated with over a thousand influencers.

    In their unique ways, de-influencers are asking what not to go for and silently telling you what to do, what to buy, what to grab, and what to consume.

    One can say it is another format of influencer marketing. Earlier, it used to be about ‘pushing’ audiences towards a better brand but nowadays it is about ‘pulling’ people towards a brand.

    At present, collaborations are no longer just about product placement, they’re about telling stories, sparking meaningful conversations, and driving change in the system. 

    But perhaps the most profound impact of de-influencers lies in their ‘ability to inspire and spark others’ thoughts and actions’.

    The Future of De-influence

    As the influence of de-influencers continues to grow, their impact on online discourse and culture cannot be overstated. By challenging the current norm, promoting critical thinking, and driving social change, these individuals are reshaping the way we engage with content on social media. 

    Given the capacity of online influencers to high brand visibility, engage audiences, and sway purchasing decisions for millions of users, it’s no wonder that expenditure on influencer or de-influencer partnerships is anticipated to surge even more in the digital future.

    In an era of increasing digital noise and misinformation, the rise of de-influencers offers a representation of hope – a reminder that authenticity, transparency, and critical thinking still have a place in the digital world.

    FAQs

    What are De-influencers?

    De-influencers are the individuals who are shaking up the normal trend by challenging myths, debunking misinformation, and fostering critical thinking among their communities, peers, followers, and subscribers.

    What is the market size of global influencer marketing?

    As of 2023, the global influencer marketing market has reached a staggering value of USD 21.1 billion, more than triple since 2019.

    Who are the De-influencers in India?

    Some of the De-influencers in India include Ravish Kumar, Fay D’Souza, Dhruv Rathee, Alt News, The Wire, Revant Himatsingka or Food Pharmer, and others.

  • The Influencer Marketing Industry – How It Started and What Is Its Future?

    Endorsing or promoting a brand or a business using celebrities or well-known public figures is a well-established practice for decades. Recently, brands have shifted and turned their focus to influencer marketing. The captive audience those influencers enjoy has not gone unnoticed by savvy businesses.

    At a fundamental level, influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that uses endorsements and product mentions from individuals who have a dedicated following. These individuals are viewed as experts within their niche.

    These influencers have a loyal fan base that believes in their suggestions for particular products and services. Brands can utilize this popularity to influence purchase decisions and increase conversion rates.

    The Beginning of Influencer Marketing
    The Modern Concept of Influencer Marketing
    The Spotlight on Influencers
    The Future of the Influencer Marketing Industry

    How to Launch an Influencer Marketing Campaign?

    The Beginning of Influencer Marketing

    Although in its present avatar, the influencer marketing industry is social media-oriented, fast-paced and globally inclusive, the industry itself goes back to the time of the Queen and the Pope in the 1800s. In fact, they were the very first influencers promoting the use of medicine to people who weren’t believers yet.

    1890 – Nancy Green is the face of ‘Aunt Jemima’

    Nancy Green - The Face of 'Aunt Jemima' Pancake Mix
    Nancy Green – The Face of ‘Aunt Jemima’ Pancake Mix

    Hired by R. T. Davis Milling Company, Nancy Green was to be the face of their pancake mix called ‘Aunt Jemima’. She was playing the popular character of Aunt Jemima from a local minstrel show. She is considered the first African-American model to have influenced an entire generation of buyers of the pancake mix.

    1905 – Fatty Arbuckle and Murad Cigarettes

    Fatty Arbuckle and Murad Cigarettes
    Fatty Arbuckle and Murad Cigarettes

    This renowned actor, director, comedian and screenwriter was roped in to endorse Murad, a Turkish brand of cigarettes.

    1931 – Coca-Cola gets Santa Claus

    Santa Claus in Coca-Cola's Advertisements
    Santa Claus in Coca-Cola’s Advertisements

    The basis of influencer marketing as we know it today was established when Coca-Cola introduced the image of Santa Claus in their advertisements. People loved this white-bearded, friendly, plump grandfather-like figure dressed in a red outfit and hence, they liked the product too.  

    1950 – The Marlboro Man Era

    The Marlboro Man
    The Marlboro Man

    The Marlboro man was one of the biggest influencers of that era, showcased as the masculine, macho man. This icon was portrayed by various actors to make smoking look trendy. This campaign ran till 1999.

    The Modern Concept of Influencer Marketing

    The influencer marketing industry as we know it today came into existence in the year 2005 with the advent of YouTube.

    Influencer Marketing Effectiveness Worldwide 2021, by Industry
    Influencer Marketing Effectiveness Worldwide 2021, by Industry

    2005 – YouTube was Established

    This was the year when social media was just beginning to take root and YouTube was formed. Initially launched as a video-sharing platform, it quickly grew to have more than 2 billion users each month. As its popularity soared, many hopeful artists and musicians began posting their creative works in videos in the hope of kickstarting a career. Prime examples of the success through YouTube videos are Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber.

    2009 – The Phenomenon of an Influencer

    YouTube saw a huge influx of bloggers and vloggers in 2009. People like Alfie Deyes, Zoella, Tanya Burr and PewDiePie kickstarted the influencer phenomenon. It started as a hobby and quickly led to highflying careers making them industry leaders.

    2010 – Instagram’s Arrival

    Instagram was the game changer for influencers, brands and customers. Influencers were able to move their social standing onto a newer platform, cross-promote their social media platforms and reach a wider audience.

    Instagram, itself, also evolved from initially being used to post images of food and scenery to allowing brands to tap into influencers’ following. It allows brands to pay influencers and create sponsored posts and content. Instagram has allowed followers and consumers to gain insight into influencers’ lifestyles. It has also allowed followers to get product recommendations and inspirations – all at the click of a single button.

    Instagram has grown as an influencer-led platform and evolved into an industry of its own. It has deepened its audience penetration and engagement by introducing features like Instagram stories, Instagram Live and Instagram Reels, which allow the consumption of content and shoppable ads in a variety of different forms.

    2013 – The Growing Power of Influencers

    Influencers had gained a massive and active fandom over social media. So strong was their presence that their posts had the power to substantially impact brand sales. When Kylie Jenner mentioned how little she used Snapchat, the company shares dropped by 6% on the same day – an estimated loss of nearly USD 1.6 billion. Known as the ‘Queen of Skin care’, any mention of a product by Caroline Hirons on her blog, YouTube Channel, or Instagram post can result in either a total sell-out of the product or a marked increase in the sale figures.

    2014 – 2016 – The Rise in the Influencer Marketing Stats

    Such was the power of influencers and social media marketing on consumers that 71% of the marketers believed that ongoing ambassadorships were the most effective form of influencer marketing. Approximately 70% of the influencers were convinced influencer marketing platforms were the most effective way to collaborate with brands. 74% of the people turned to and relied upon guidance and recommendations from influencers on purchase decisions. 40% of the people purchased items after seeing them being promoted by an influencer on various social media channels. And all this was during the time, the influencer marketing industry was just getting started.

    It has since then become one of the most impactful forms of marketing.

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    The Spotlight on Influencers

    There are several arguments ongoing with regard to influencers and their paid endorsements. Some feel that the role of influencers in promoting brands, products and services deserves closer attention due to their influence on young adults. Others feel that influencers should be required by law to disclose when they are being paid to promote by brands via #ads.

    There is no doubt that social media, however fleeting, has a powerful influence on people. Influencer marketing already has millions of followers and sells a variety of products and services. There is, currently, no difference between an authentic voice and paid sponsorships.

    There is an immediate need to bring regulation to this industry in terms of functionality, operational discipline, and financial transparency.

    The Future of the Influencer Marketing Industry

    Influencer Marketing Market Size Worldwide from 2016 to 2022
    Influencer Marketing Market Size Worldwide from 2016 to 2022

    Influencers are here to stay and not going anywhere, anytime soon. It is a rapidly growing industry, set to reach USD 16.4 billion by the end of this year. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is working towards standardising the functions by setting up guidelines and amending older ones. With more and more influencers emerging on social media platforms, businesses have realized their value and are queueing up to work with them in this futuristic form of marketing.

    How‌ ‌to‌ ‌Prepare‌ ‌for‌ ‌Influencer‌ ‌Marketing‌ ‌in‌ 2022?
    Founder of Glad U Came shares how to prepare for influencer marketing in 2022. Check out to know more.
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    Conclusion

    What began as a value addition to the world of advertising in terms of cost-effectiveness and support to mainstream marketing has taken over as one of the main forms of promotion. What does the future of influencers look like? Bright, successful and busy.

    FAQs

    What is influencer marketing?

    Influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that uses endorsements and product mentions from individuals who have a dedicated following on social media platforms. These individuals are viewed as experts within their niche.

    Is influencer marketing a growing industry?

    The influencer market has already grown from USD 1.7 billion in 2016 to USD 9.7 billion in 2020 and USD 13.8 billion in 2021. It is a rapidly growing industry, set to reach USD 16.4 billion by the end of this year.

    What is the role of influencer marketing?

    Influencers have a loyal fan base that believes in their suggestions for particular products and services. Brands can utilize this popularity to influence the purchase decisions of customers and increase conversion rates.

  • Finnet Media – Helping to Drive Growth Through Influencer Marketing

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Finnet Media.

    Digital transformation and the use of technology are evolving in all business aspects. All businesses are leveraging new trends to optimize their marketing efforts. Businesses are changing their marketing mix to more digital channels and social media marketing, especially influencer marketing is the future-proof marketing trend.

    Finnet Media, is a Bangalore-based startup founded by Ayush Shukla who himself is an influencer on social media channels. Read the story of Finnet Media about how it helps in managing influencers and content promotions.

    Finnet Media – Company Highlights

    Startup Name Finnet Media
    Headquarters Bangalore
    Industry Influencer Management
    Founder Ayush Shukla
    Founded 2020
    Website finnetmedia.com

    Finnet Media – About
    Finnet Media – Founder and Team
    Finnet Media – Startup Story
    Finnet Media – Name, Tagline, and Logo
    Finnet Media – Services
    Finnet Media – Challenges Faced
    Finnet Media – Customer Acquisition
    Finnet Media – Marketing Strategy
    Finnet Media – Growth
    Finnet Media – Advisors and Mentors
    Finnet Media – Future Plans

    Story about How Ayush Shukla started Finnet Media

    Finnet Media – About

    Finnet Media provides services like influencer marketing, content production, ad production, for brands and influencers. Their short-term vision is to build a strong core team and build a brand based on trust and credibility. Their core belief is to build an environment of trust, credibility, reliability, and growth.

    Finnet Media – Founder and Team

    Ayush Shukla - Founder of Finnet Media
    Ayush Shukla – Founder of Finnet Media

    Ayush Shukla is the Founder of Finnet Media. He is a digital creator, marketer, a podcast host, and entrepreneur.

    The current company size is 7 people- 5 full times and 2 interns. It’s a great work-from-home opportunity which makes it flexible. They are assigned tasks that they can complete according to their convenience.

    When hiring, they look for 3 things – you must be keen on the content economy, good at communication, and you must have some content idea.

    Finnet Media – Startup Story

    Ayush Shukla has been a creator himself. He started off by hosting his podcast, because of which he made quite a few connections. His network of creators kept growing. So he thought of leveraging it and making it easy for the creators to produce content. He connected with brands, linked them up with creators, small or big. He feels small creators lack the connections at ground zero. They try looking for the right people with the right skills but again, there has to be an ice breaker. That’s where Finnet Media comes. Their skills and expertise help in scalability. Ayush Shukla started with Anushka Rathod, Vedant Rusty, Sharan Hegde initially. Pitched about them to the brands like Groww, Smallcase, Amazon, and the conversions happened.

    Finnet Media Logo
    Finnet Media Logo

    Finnet stands for Finance Network. They mostly work with the finance influencers of the country. The logo is half of a rupee sign.

    Finnet Media – Services

    The service they provide is to bridge the gap between creators and brands in producing content. They feel putting in tons of effort in creating content is not enough for a creator. Scalability comes from brand collaborations. It makes your content more credible and substantial. Creators lack those connections at ground zero. They try looking for the right people with the right skills but again, there has to be an ice breaker. That’s where we come.

    Like it or not, influencer marketing is the future of marketing. It is now replacing celebrity endorsements because now people connect more with influencers. We spend more time with phones than with anything else. We connect more with influencers, their growth feels personal. It is like you know them up close. This is why we tend to follow them. This is what adds credibility and trust between the creator and the audience.

    Finnet Media – Customer Acquisition

    Finnet Media is a service business. They reached their brands through LinkedIn. Ayush has always been a cold emailer. He always focused on expanding his network and making valuable connections. Because he was a performance marketer and freelancer before, he had made connections with creators/brands and it was all organic. When he started off he reached out to 10-15 brands and barely 3 people responded. He immediately set up the meetings and that’s how the conversions started compounding later.

    Finnet Media – Marketing Strategy

    What worked out really well for them is maintaining brand relations. There are many marketers who convert the brand, collaborate, and don’t maintain the same relations anymore. Ayush tries to look at the long run because ultimately it is the growth of both the parties that matters. Only if both parties grow, we know that the audience is growing. Making both brands and creators win in the long run is important. No compromise on that front.

    Finnet Media – Challenges Faced

    The most challenging part has been dealing with the creative boom. Since the founder himself creates content, he understands how overwhelming it is when thousands and lakhs of people trust you with content. He exactly understands what a creator goes through while creating content and what a brand wants. They want to keep going, keep coming up with ideas, keep providing value. So refreshing themselves in this people to people business has been quite a challenge.

    Ayush makes sure to not overdo it. He takes breaks and meditate when necessary. They try to keep the spirit of the team high and focus more on relationship building.

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    Finnet Media – Growth

    The startup has achieved GMV of 8-10 crores (Jan 2021 to December 2021).

    Finnet Media – Advisors and Mentors

    They have been mentored by a lot of brand stakeholders from different companies. Creators like Akshit Srivastava mentors the team often.

    Finnet Media – Future Plans

    Their long term vision is reliability. They want to make sure that any and every creator who is connected to Finnet Media doesn’t have to worry about financial freedom or monetization and distribution of their content. They want to build a brand name that implies extreme reliability. Both the parties must be feeling at peace when they hold the job.

    FAQs

    Who is the founder of Finnet Media?

    Ayush Shukla is the founder of Finnet Media.

    When was Finnet Media founded?

    Finnet Media was founded in 2020.

    What is the age of Ayush Shukla?

    Ayush Shukla is 22 Years old (2022).

  • Leading Agencies for Influencer Marketing in India

    Marketing and businesses go side-by-side. It is something that can make a business from nothing to everything.

    Be it products, services, movies, or others, everything needs marketing to prosper. Many strategies are now available in the markets. For example- Email, ads, social media, co-branding, etc.

    One of the most popular marketing strategies nowadays is Influencer marketing. It was not long ago when it was a budding concept. But now, this strategy has more power in it than one can think of.

    This strategy seeks people having influencing personalities and takes advantage of it. Since it is now super lucrative, many agencies help businesses with this.

    What is Influencer Marketing?
    Benefits of Indulging Influencers in Marketing
    Agencies for Influencer Marketing in India

    1. Buzzerati
    2. Plixxo
    3. Influencer
    4. Grynow
    5. Pulpkey
    6. Eleve Media Pvt. Ltd.
    7. Blogweet

    What is Influencer Marketing?

    It is a strategy that takes advantage of the influence that certain individuals hold to meet business goals. This strategy can take place on the basis of payments and sometimes on the barter system.

    An influencer is someone who produces content for platforms to gain an audience. With an increasing audience, they are able to develop a sense of trust among them. This gives them the capability to create a big impact on people’s buying decisions. They can help a business to target a wide audience that is beyond their target category.

    The influencers involve three main types. These are celebrities, bloggers, and micro-influencers. Celebrity marketing has been in existence for a long. It is the rapid rise of the digital world that paved the way for bloggers and micro-influencers.

    In this type of marketing, influencers get paid by businesses to showcase their brand. Since they have a close relationship with their followers, they are able to develop their trust in the brand. Hence, businesses get to reach a large audience with this strategy.

    Benefits of Indulging Influencers in Marketing

    Influencer marketing is the latest and the most popular trend for marketing currently. Here are some of its benefits:

    • The first advantage is that this helps a business to reach more audience. A brand may or may not have strong followers of its own. So, this strategy enables them to reach a wide audience towards them.
    • Another important benefit is the development of trust. People feel more related to the influencers of today. So, this helps a business to integrate trust among the audience.
    • This strategy has the ability to influence people’s decisions. Stronger the influence, the more they trust, and thus, more sales.
    • It is cost-effective. A business does not have to make any huge investment for this method of marketing.
    • It can help a business to increase its engagement. This can also enable a brand to become the talk of the town.

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    Agencies for Influencer Marketing in India

    Today, we all can understand the value and importance of this marketing strategy. But putting this into practice can be a bit hard. There are times when brands are not able to find the perfect person for their business. It is likewise for the influencers. So, to solve this gap, many agencies are now present to act as a bridge.

    Here are some of the agencies present in India:

    Buzzerati

    Buzzerati is a platform for influencer marketing, founded in the year 2016, by Samar Verma. It has a wide network of bloggers, celebrities, popular personalities, and more. This network spreads across all the social media platforms.

    It collects and analyzes the data of top influencers, their followers, engagement rate, and more. This helps the brands to create appropriate messaging and find the best relatable influencer. This also enables them to create network campaigns.

    Plixxo

    One of the largest platforms in this field is Plixxo, founded in 2017 by Priyanka Gill. It is powered by the super popular name in the industry, POPxo. It acts as a bridge between brands and influencers.

    This enables them to connect with each other and produce the desired content. To avail of its services, both can register themselves here.

    They have top influencers on board like Kritika Khurana, Aashna Shroff, and more. Also, the platform has worked with top brands like Westside, Maybelline, etc.

    Influencer

    Influence.in is another agency, founded in 2015 by Suneil Chawla and Vikas Chawla. This platform has a huge base of influencers over various social media channels. With such a wide range, it becomes easier for a business to find the most appropriate person for their brand.

    The catchy name, regular campaigning and, great services have made the platform a popular choice of many. They have worked with renowned brands like Nykaa, Himalaya, etc.

    Grynow

    This is another popular platform in India. It was founded in 2018 by Washib Khan. This provides the data about the influencers to the brands that help them save a lot of time in researching.

    Here, the brands can make requests about their preference of content and channel. Then the interested influencers can send their proposals for the same. The platform helps with the entire process. It takes care of apt video creation, uploading and also tracks engagement and, sales.

    Pulpkey

    Another popular name in the list of agencies is Pulpkey, founded in 2017 by Amit Mondal. It is a great platform, where both brands and influencers can find each other and work together.

    They help the brands to find an ideal creator for their marketing. They have worked with prominent brands like amazon, ZARA, Nestle, etc.

    Eleve Media Pvt. Ltd.

    It is a compelling agency that helps brands to make the most of their marketing through popular content creators or influencers. It was founded in the year 2012. The founders of the agency are Rohit Khanna and Prince Khanna.

    The platforms help the brands with their campaigning strategies and also ensure top-notch engagement. Both brands and influencers can sign up on the platform to give and get the work. The agency has worked with big brands like BMW, hp, Cadbury, Adidas, etc.

    Blogweet

    It is an agency based in Delhi, founded in 2016 by Darshan Kumar and Satish Arya. It provides the brands’ access to many influencers over social media. The brands can find the ideal person for their promotions.

    The agency has worked with popular brands like gaana, BlackBerrys, etc.

    Conclusion

    The rise in the demand for influencers gave birth to many agencies. These help the brands to connect with the ideal persons. The widening of the digital world during the pandemic helped budding creators develop into established influencers. They were able to create a big impact on people’s mindsets.

    These people have earned a huge audience over their social media channels. This makes them a perfect medium for brand marketing. Thus, this marketing strategy has grown well, is growing, and continues to grow even more in the future.

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    FAQs

    Which are the leading agencies for Influencer Marketing in India?

    Leading Agencies for influencer marketing in India are:

    • Buzzerati
    • Plixxo
    • Influencer
    • Grynow
    • Pulpkey
    • Eleve Media Pvt. Ltd.
    • Blogweet

    What are the benefits of Influencers marketing?

    Some of the benefits of influencer marketing are:

    • Increase brand awareness
    • Increases audience reach
    • Builds trust
    • Drives purchases decisions
    • Saves marketing time

    How does influencer marketing works?

    Influencer marketing uses influencers to promote a brand to a larger market. Influencers are public personalities with a huge fan following base. They help in increasing brand awareness to a large audience.

    Are influencer marketing agencies worth it?

    Influencer marketing agency helps in finding and managing your influencers. It saves the time associated in marketing. They are professionals to make proper strategies as per our business needs.

  • Why Influencers Are An Integral Part Of Instagram: A Case Study

    Before Instagram Influencers became an essential part of Instagram, it was one of the most recent social media platform as it was established in 2010 and is a multi-channel platform that is available on both a mobile application and a desktop site. The website was created by Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom and launched on the 6th of October 2010, however in April Facebook brought Instagram for $1 Billion.

    The photo sharing app allows its users to have their individual profile which is a user can make public or private based on their preference. The instagram users are able to post their photographers and videos on their profile, follow other users and gain followers in return. When Instagram was first launched it became sensation and garnered a million user within the first two months.

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    Instagram Influencers

    Now the platform has over 800 million active user on the platform from which 30 million brands and advertisers on the platform and around 500,000 active Influencers and 60% moving toward becoming an influencer. Most social media Influencers make a huge sum of money thorough this platform.

    Some of the top Earning from single post by Kim Kardashian who has grown into a millionaire and created an empire through Instagram. Influencer marketing allows brands to reach their target audience in a way that feels far more genuine than traditional advertising Instagram influencer have a strong and loyal relationship with their followers as they share many aspects of their lives with them.

    social media apps that people predominantly choose for influencer media campaign
    social media apps that people predominantly choose for influencer media campaign 

    Influencer’s posts have made users decisions much simpler by providing information of new product information, helping them researcher the product and finally buy them as well. Most people on Instagram spend at least 60% or more of their time trying to engage in content created by brands and influencers.

    A survey stats that after seeing these products on Instagram at least 79% of the people searched for these products online, 65% looked up the app or the website and 46% brought the product. These statistics makes the influencers a vital part of instagram revenue. Below here are the different ways the Influencers benefit from instagram

    Followers and Following of Instagram Influencers

    The distribution of the number of followers is incredibly skewed, so it’s very difficult to visualize it in a readable manner. This is because the great majority of profiles have a low number of followers (less than 1000) whereas there are profiles with hundreds of millions of followers. Profiles with a high number of followers are very rare as only 10 profiles have more than 100 million followers and 420 of them that have between the range of 10 and 100 million.

    There are 4.5 million profiles with less than 100 followers as, on average instagram accounts have 296 more followers than following, but for verified profiles this ratio is 17,910. Another important distinction is between micro and macro influencers. Micro influencers have lesser than 100,000 followers, while major influencers have more than 100,000 followers.

    The average followers to following ratio for micro influencers is 37,000 whereas for major influencers it is 18,104. This tells us that if a brand is trying to run a campaign across niche markets they should go for micro influencers while if the campaign needs major influencers you should search for profiles with a ratio greater than 20,000 which accounts to 8% of the total number of major influencers.

    Target Audience

    Finding or identifying the right set of users is an important step for most influencers as even the brands expect the influencers to find a niche audiences to identify the right set of users. It is important to narrow down the user base as much as possible because once you narrow down, find the users that would appreciate product. Once the target audience is found then they try to reach them through multiple modes.

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    Engagement with target audience

    This is an important metric as it can reasonably summarize an Instagram profile and its engagement rate. For each unit of content published by the profile as the ratio between the sum of the number or likes and replies and the number of followers of the profile. This helps in identifying the quality of a profile.

    A chart must be creates as it is useful to get an idea of which values of the engagement rate are average or better in order to make changes next time. There are considerable differences between micro and major influencers. For the former group, 11% is the average engagement rate, while for major influencers values are of course lower and the average is 3%.

    Problems faced by Influencers and the brands

    While everything will be working out in number there are still seem to be multiple problems that brands and influencers are facing. Some of these issues include is not having a platform for payment and tracking the campaign which is happening through other companies like ifluenz, scrunch, etc.

    The biggest challenges for managing influencer campaign
    The biggest challenges for managing influencer campaign

    This is one of the gaps that can be filled to make things a little simple for Business users. Other problem are on managing contracts as if they are too many accepted by the influences it is difficult to fulfill them all at once. Which is why the Influencers also face problems to time manage their contracts.

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    Images or Videos

    There is a noticeable difference in engagement between image posts and video posts, and the contrast is even more pronounced for major influencers. The post have a higher engagement than video posts. on average for a micro influencer image posts have 1.5 times more engagement than video posts, while for major influencers this multiple increases to more than 2 times.

    On Instagram, the number of likes is much higher than the number of replies. On average the profile of a major influencer will have 237 times more likes than compared to replies, while for micro influencers the multiple is lower at 42 times. Replies are usually considered stronger engagement than simple likes so this should be considered before deciding which influencer the brands should patner up with for sponsored campaigns.

    Some of the influencer marketing facts
    Some of the influencer marketing facts

    Locations and languages

    The geographical location of a profile is estimated by taking into account a variety of factors like the biography of the profile the posts and the location tags on each post. The countries with the highest number of instagram profile are USA, Canada, Australia, UK, and Indonesia. Followed by Russia, India, The principal European countries and South American countries like Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia.

    Location data can also be used to infer the language spoken be Instagram users. Languages like English and Spanish are the most common by a wide margin. French is in third place to Canada and all the African where it is the official language followed by Portuguese, Arabic, Russian and Indonesian and Hindi which are in the top ten.

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    Hashtags

    Hashtags are important part of an instagram post especially for an influencer because it is a way to connect social media content to a specific topic, event, theme or conversation. They also make it easier to discover posts around those specific topics because hashtags aggregate all social media content with the same hashtag.

    The most frequent ones in our database are also the most frequent ones on Instagram: #love, #instagood, #photography, #summer and #repost are the first five. In this analysis we focus our attention to the tags that signal sponsored or promoted content. With hashtags one can observe which topics are most frequent with the most common promotional hashtags.

    The blue circles represent the most frequent hashtags used in combination with the one that indicate sponsored content, but there is not enough space to label them all, so we just summarized the most common topics. The #ad hashtag is used in pretty much all contexts, and the same is true, to a lesser degree, for the #collaboration hashtag.

    In the beauty and cosmetics sector we see a predominance of the #collab and #collaboration hashtags. The #ambassador hashtag seems to be used almost exclusively for fitness, sports and summertime topics. The #partner hashtag appears for the most part in posts related to photography, nature and fitness again.

    Posting Frequency

    The great majority of the profiles post a few times a week on average. One may wonder if major influencers post more than regular profiles. That is indeed the case the biggest influencers post 4.2 times per week on average, while smaller profiles have an average of 3.2 posts per week.

    As to why a higher posting frequency correlates with a lower engagement rate there could be several factors at play, like more posting corresponds to lower quality overall; too much posting is penalized by Instagram’s feed algorithms.