Brands increasingly waking up to social media influencers' formidable reach

Neha Sharma is the kind of freewheeling conversationalist whose company you initially dread — simply for the fear of being told too much, too fast — but eventually start to enjoy. She is direct and unrestrained with her words, a volubility that also reflects in her work. In the online world, Sharma is “Neha Doodles”, a maverick artist who has doodled her way to almost 85,000 followers on Instagram and a whole lot of success.

How does one take something as simple as doodling and turn it into a path to huge popularity, so much so that brands queue up at your door and ask you to promote their stuff? “Not censoring content and being original helps,” says Sharma, adding that the rusticity of her work adds to her appeal.

Life for Sharma was drastically different once upon a time. Before becoming an Instagram phenomenon, she was slogging away trying to match balance sheets while preparing to become a chartered accountant (CA). A turnaround of sorts happened in early 2015, when a Honey Singh-themed doodle — Sharma is an ardent fan — made an appearance in The Telegraph. “I was flooded with offers after that. It was the first time I realised I could earn money doing this.” The CA aspirations naturally took a backseat. Sharma’s résumé now includes collaborations with Google, OnePlus, Amazon Prime, Dunkin’ Donuts and South Korean cosmetics brand, The Face Shop.

Sharma, 25, is among a number of youngsters whose talents brands are increasingly turning to, realising the formidable potential their online popularity holds. While wielding such influence was once restricted to blogging, the advent of Instagram, with its catchy visuals and powerful messaging, has converted social media influencing into a burgeoning industry. Hundreds of these “influencers” help companies market their products across varied segments such as beauty, fashion, lifestyle, travel, food and fitness.

According to a report by research firm eMarketer earlier this year, India had the fastest Instagram user growth rate for any country worldwide in 2017, at 123 per cent. At 78 per cent, Instagram was the most popular platform for marketing among influencers. And 76 per cent of internet users in India said their digital purchases were influenced by social media — the second-highest share among the 25 countries measured, after Indonesia (83 per cent). In an influencing sense, the ascent of Instagram has coincided with the decline of Twitter, where mere hashtags have failed to match up to the powerful imagery that the former allows.

‘Moving beyond just making something trend, companies will soon start focusing on ROI,' says Aditya Gupta, co-founder, iGenero

Even as our obsession with celebrity endorsements refuses to wane, their miniature versions are perhaps flourishing because of what the big-time stars lack: the ability to appear relatable and connect with the audience in a largely authentic manner. Not to mention the kind of attractive affordability they offer brands. According to a December 2017 survey by influencer marketing agency Buzzoka, 22 per cent of marketers from top brands, agencies and start-ups expected to allocate 10 per cent or more of their budgets to the marketing strategy in 2018.

“Everybody is active on social media and looking to make a quick buck whenever the opportunity arrives. It works well for both parties,” says Aditya Gupta, co-founder of digital interaction agency iGenero. According to Gupta, almost 50 per cent of all brands now use the reach of influencers through Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Brands benefit from the awareness that influencers help raise about their events and products; influencers, on the other hand, in addition to getting paid for the content they create, get generous access to goodies, the latest gadgets and often a chance to roam the world to attend events and launch new products.

At the introduction of the Google Pixel 3 earlier this month, for instance, the company handed out the gorgeous new phone to all its influencers, in custom-designed boxes with a different story scribbled on each — a fair indication of how the community is valued and cherished by the big firms.

So who are these influencers? Much like Sharma, they are enthusiasts who have been able to turn an ordinary passion into a lucrative profession. Examples range from 31-year-old Pallavi Ruhail, once a former epidemiologist at Novartis who now enjoys the company of over 220,000 followers on Instagram, to Pratibha Bhadauria, a 27-year-old Delhi-based fashion stylist who has more than 160,000 people on the same platform, and works with the likes of Honor, Himalaya, Levi’s and Quaker Oats.

“Influencers manage to strike a chord with their audience through their own experience. The audience sees us as one of them,” says Bhadauria. “It is all about consistency. If you are consistent, work will keep coming your way.”

Ruhail, in fact, has had so much on her plate in recent times that she struggles to recall all the projects she has been involved in. Over the phone from Amsterdam, where she is travelling as a brand ambassador for Passion Unleashed, a music events initiative, Ruhail tells me that she works on 15 to 20 brands a month. “First of all, you need quality. And if you manage to build a certain image and stick to it, there is good money on offer,” she says. Accompanying Ruhail to the Dutch capital is musician Monica Dogra; in September, she hung out with actor Taapsee Pannu during a launch event for retail fashion brand Lifestyle. The fact that Ruhail, much like Bhadauria, doesn’t restrict herself to a single category — she is equally adept at tackling fashion, travel, lifestyle and beauty — has perhaps led to her being in such high demand.

The segment that has probably contributed most significantly to the surge in social media influencing is beauty. Driven by the emergence of make-up artists and the influx of foreign trends, beauty products are ubiquitous on Instagram. And that has clearly caught on with companies. A number of cosmetic and skin-care brands, such as Nykaa, Himalaya and NYX, now employ influencers to promote new offerings.

“We have almost 100 influencers working with us. The trick with cosmetics is that you need to go after millennials. And influencers are best-suited to spread awareness about new products,” says a spokesperson for a major Indian cosmetics company.

In fact, Daniel Wellington, the Swedish watch company that opened its first store in India in February, has made a largely successful foray into the country on the back of an aggressive streak of marketing led by social media influencers. Equipped with a limited budget and confronted with a competitive market, the company, instead of naming a brand ambassador, tapped into the fame of a number of influencers, often giving out watches in return.

Daniel Wellington did not respond to queries for this story.

With so many of them now around, identifying influencers for companies and the agencies that represent them can be tough. Agencies go through what they call a “listening analysis” to determine what people are talking about most. “The analysis helps us understand what is trending and then we look at possible candidates who can promote the stuff we plan to take to the market. Stuff like follower count is a part of it. It is a long, multi-layered process,” explains Sanya Grover, a manager with a leading digital marketing firm based in Gurugram.

Follower counts also invariably decide the price that these influencers can command. Anyone with over 100,000 followers is paid around Rs 35,000 for every post. That number swells to almost Rs 50,000 when brands deal with more seasoned influencers with followers exceeding 300,000.

As for the content that is put out, ideas flow both ways. Sharma, for instance, relishes the creative liberty that allows her work to truly shine. And given her artistic prowess, brands mostly grant her that. Karan Sehgal, among the few aberrations in a female-dominated industry, says that brands have now realised the importance of trusting the influencer. “The influencer understands his audience best. Brands give us freedom, but at the same time, I love taking inputs from designers. That is how you deliver great content.”

But what they most emphatically stress on is authenticity — the art of subtlety that becomes a necessity when it is amply evident that you are being paid to do a job. Even as some influencers continue to bolster their followings by “buying” fake followers, others are adopting a more “organic” approach to promotion. Sangeeta Yadav, with over 115,000 Instagram followers, carefully chooses from the beauty products that are sent for her, tries them out and only then goes public with her endorsement of the product.

Some time ago, Yadav, who is unabashedly proud of her dusky complexion, was approached by a fairness cream brand; she instantly turned the offer down.

“There are people in this space who will promote anything for money. But the product must resonate with you. Credibility is key,” says Bhadauria. Ruhail mentions the need to appear real. “I don’t mind putting acne cream on my face and posting a picture. While putting out content, you must be able to mix the personal and the professional.”

And unlike until a few years ago, influencing is now a full-time job, which, contrary to popular perception, is harder than it seems. “People look at beautiful pictures and think that there isn’t a lot to do here. But there are nights when I get to sleep just three hours,” says Ruhail.

Piquing audience interest, after all, can be exacting: constant brainstorming with the agencies, sourcing of outfits and products, scouting for locations, arranging for make-up artists, photographers and videographers, and keeping a tab on finances once the job is complete. Some like Yadav operate solo, while busier ones like Ruhail have the luxury of their own make-up artist, photographer and manager. “With so much work, you do need at least three people,” feels Ruhail. 

But with the influencer community expanding so rapidly, how long can brands keep relying on this strategy? Instagram, at least, appears to be bullish on the trend. Grover points to two fairly recent features introduced by the photo-sharing service: Instagram TV and Highlights. The TV function allows you to post videos that can be up to one hour long, thereby eliminating the need to publish multiple videos. The Highlights function helps you archive your stories, encouraging followers to come back.

Despite repeated attempts, Instagram could not be reached for a comment.

Gupta opines that with the influencer market peaking, the trend will soon shift to closer brand association. “Moving beyond just making something trend, companies will start focusing on return on investment.”

For now, the next time you go shopping for a night cream or a watch, chances are that you might have seen it already. Not on a giant billboard or on your television screen, but on an Instagram page whose handle you may not clearly remember. And most of these influencers are happy to remain unrecognised as long as they’re getting their cheques on time.