Blog by Kaira Bhasker Sawhney
In the ever-evolving digital landscape of India, social media influencers have emerged as pivotal figures. As India’s digital footprint expands, so does the role of Indian influencers who are nimble enough to understand and echo global trends as well as innovate uniquely local narratives. The presence of these role models, influencers, opinion shapers and entertainers is reshaping cultural dialogues, bridging traditions with modern aspirations, and catalysing national as well as local voices, concerns, dreams and economy.
The influencer economy and social media engagement are not just limited to fans with Bollywood celebrities, politicians and cricketers but also of users with their local role-models. Within grassroots and sometimes remote communities these self-made and digital-first influencers bring voice to marginalised communities, rural housewives and diverse, hyper-local businesses. By creating new-age job roles such as content strategists, videographers, editors, brand managers, community managers, influencers today are not just creating wealth for themselves, but they’re also building micro-enterprises across the country. While fashion, gaming, and arts & entertainment have been the content that Indians prefer to engage with and learn about, content on travel, family, and parenting is also experiencing remarkable growth. Similarly, ed-tech influencers are bridging the skill gap by promoting upskilling platforms and career-building tools, thus contributing to a more employable and financially literate youth – with influencers like Rachana Ranade, Sharan Hegde and Pranjal Kamra are transforming how Indians—especially Gen Z—understand money, investing, and career growth. Similarly, topics on culture, local festivals and the need for societal change and community-related content continue to see a lot of engagement, e.g., the @voicesofmunsiari Instagram channel is run collectively by a village, who are sharing their everyday lives with the outside world-hoping to attract tourists in the area.
According to a recent Comscore report, India’s digital population stands at 993M internet users actively engaging on at least one social media platform – with the time Indians spend on social media having increased compared to four years ago, now averaging around 10,000 million hours per month in the first two months of 2024. India’s influencer marketing industry is also projected to reach ₹2,800 crore (~$340 million) by 2026, growing at over 25% CAGR.
With millions of creators monetising content across platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Moj, and more, the ecosystem is thriving—and it’s not just about brand collaborations and high-level visibility anymore. Brands today are increasingly turning to macro and micro creators who have higher engagement rates – correcting the common mistake made by many brands in the past on solely relying on the influencer’s total number of followers while overlooking their engagement rate. A higher engagement signifies a stronger trust factor among the influencer’s followers and helps brands measure and monetise impact quickly.
Influencers today often also promote products or services using unique affiliate links, which helps influencers earn a commission on the sale and is also a strong measure of the impact on sales of these content consumers. Many influencers today are leveraging their personal brand and audience to sell their own merchandise, digital products, or services – creating economic opportunities for these individuals who specialise in niche sectors and are CEO/Influencers/Co-founders. Many top influencers may continue to choose to stay on as brand ambassadors, representing a company for a longer period with exclusive content and appearances and helping drive consideration and niche association with select brands.
In conclusion, Indian influencers have a diverse range of strategies to monetise their online presence and will continue to see a huge impact in purchasing decisions for the Indian subcontinent. The key to successful monetisation, however, continues to lie in creating valuable content, building a strong and engaged community, maintaining authenticity, and strategically exploring various income streams. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, new and innovative ways for influencers to earn money will likely emerge, and the manner in which the coming generations discuss, consider and buy products via hyper-personal recommendations evolves.
Blog by Kaira Bhasker Sawhney
In the ever-evolving digital landscape of India, social media influencers have emerged as pivotal figures. As India’s digital footprint expands, so does the role of Indian influencers who are nimble enough to understand and echo global trends as well as innovate uniquely local narratives. The presence of these role models, influencers, opinion shapers and entertainers is reshaping cultural dialogues, bridging traditions with modern aspirations, and catalysing national as well as local voices, concerns, dreams and economy.
The influencer economy and social media engagement are not just limited to fans with Bollywood celebrities, politicians and cricketers but also of users with their local role-models. Within grassroots and sometimes remote communities these self-made and digital-first influencers bring voice to marginalised communities, rural housewives and diverse, hyper-local businesses. By creating new-age job roles such as content strategists, videographers, editors, brand managers, community managers, influencers today are not just creating wealth for themselves, but they’re also building micro-enterprises across the country. While fashion, gaming, and arts & entertainment have been the content that Indians prefer to engage with and learn about, content on travel, family, and parenting is also experiencing remarkable growth. Similarly, ed-tech influencers are bridging the skill gap by promoting upskilling platforms and career-building tools, thus contributing to a more employable and financially literate youth – with influencers like Rachana Ranade, Sharan Hegde and Pranjal Kamra are transforming how Indians—especially Gen Z—understand money, investing, and career growth. Similarly, topics on culture, local festivals and the need for societal change and community-related content continue to see a lot of engagement, e.g., the @voicesofmunsiari Instagram channel is run collectively by a village, who are sharing their everyday lives with the outside world-hoping to attract tourists in the area.
According to a recent Comscore report, India’s digital population stands at 993M internet users actively engaging on at least one social media platform – with the time Indians spend on social media having increased compared to four years ago, now averaging around 10,000 million hours per month in the first two months of 2024. India’s influencer marketing industry is also projected to reach ₹2,800 crore (~$340 million) by 2026, growing at over 25% CAGR.
With millions of creators monetising content across platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Moj, and more, the ecosystem is thriving—and it’s not just about brand collaborations and high-level visibility anymore. Brands today are increasingly turning to macro and micro creators who have higher engagement rates – correcting the common mistake made by many brands in the past on solely relying on the influencer’s total number of followers while overlooking their engagement rate. A higher engagement signifies a stronger trust factor among the influencer’s followers and helps brands measure and monetise impact quickly.
Influencers today often also promote products or services using unique affiliate links, which helps influencers earn a commission on the sale and is also a strong measure of the impact on sales of these content consumers. Many influencers today are leveraging their personal brand and audience to sell their own merchandise, digital products, or services – creating economic opportunities for these individuals who specialise in niche sectors and are CEO/Influencers/Co-founders. Many top influencers may continue to choose to stay on as brand ambassadors, representing a company for a longer period with exclusive content and appearances and helping drive consideration and niche association with select brands.
In conclusion, Indian influencers have a diverse range of strategies to monetise their online presence and will continue to see a huge impact in purchasing decisions for the Indian subcontinent. The key to successful monetisation, however, continues to lie in creating valuable content, building a strong and engaged community, maintaining authenticity, and strategically exploring various income streams. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, new and innovative ways for influencers to earn money will likely emerge, and the manner in which the coming generations discuss, consider and buy products via hyper-personal recommendations evolves.
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Kaira Sawhney