The rise of influencer culture: Recognising impact and innovation

Influencer marketing has become one of the building blocks of how brands can connect most authentically and impactfully with their audiences. The ‘State of influencer marketing in India’ report by EY and Collective Artists Network’s Big Bang Social states that this sector is expected to surge by 25% in 2024, reaching Rs 2,344 crore. It will further expand to Rs 3,375 crore by 2026.

Here are five useful tips for brands looking to work with influencers in India, whether these are around the use of micro-influencers, food, fashion, or lifestyle.

Tap micro-influencers for authentic engagement

Micro-influencers operate on a far more microscopic and intimate basis with a high-level engagement. Their follower count ranges between one to 100,000 and they are considered relatable to the majority of the market's audience.

Pros: Higher engagement rates, great audience targeting, and value for money.

Strategy: Discover micro-influencers who share your brand values and reach audiences you want to target and involve them in co-creation to create natural and authentic content for their followers.

Example: A local organic food brand can associate with a micro-influencer who is well known for healthy eating habits to create content on meal prep using their products.

Industry-specific influencers

Maximise your influencer collaborations by targeting industry-specific influencers in food, fashion, or lifestyle. They know about their industry and have a following accordingly.

Food: Co-create recipes, cooking tutorials, or product reviews with foodie bloggers, chefs, or dietitians.

Fashion: Working with fashion influencers on lookbooks, style guides, and trend predictions.

Lifestyle: Collaborate with lifestyle influencers for a mix of content that would include home décor, fitness, wellness, and travel.

Example: An influencer can assist a fashion brand in launching a new collection by helping style and brand out various outfits to create awareness and drive sales.

Focus on relationships not one-shot campaigns

Long-term relationship building with the influencer will help you achieve more authentic endorsements, sustainable engagement, and further trust and loyalty from the followers.

Pros: Better brand messaging, deeper influencer integration, higher levels of trust.

Strategy: Develop ongoing relationships with influencers by involving them in features during product development, in exclusive launches, and in regular collaborations.

Example: A lifestyle brand could go for a yearlong collaboration with a leading lifestyle influencer, rolling out monthly pieces on a range of different topics that embody the brand's merchandise and values.

Use data and analytics to measure impact

Capitalising on data and analytics for performance measurements and informed decision-making will guarantee the success of a campaign with influencers. These are important to keep track of a rate of engagement, reach, conversion, and general ROI.

Tools: Do remember to utilise tools such as Google Analytics and specialised influencer marketing tools for insights so that you can conclude with data-relevant realisations.

Metrics: Always keep a close eye on the main metrics, like high engagement rates, an increase in followers, the volume of traffic to the website, and how it is converting to sales.

Example: Analysing data after a campaign to see which type of content performed best and refining future strategies.

The current landscape of influencer marketing in India by a brand can be well negotiated effectively by capitalising on micro-influencers, industry-specific partnerships, long-term relationships, and data analytics. These strategies will help not only in increasing engagement but also to drive meaningful results and build deeper relationships with the target audience.