The Influencer Marketing Juggernaut: 5 Things You Should Know The days and methods of message amplification are undergoing a massive makeover as we find customers more inclined to taking advice from influencers than any other media that has been employed before.

The days and methods of message amplification are undergoing a massive makeover as we find customers more inclined to taking advice from influencers than any other media that has been employed before. The increased proliferation of social media platforms has completely revamped the way people communicate and engage with others, especially brands. These platforms connect brands with customers.

In short, influencers have become an integral part of the social media environment.

They influence purchase decisions, form views, and promote products on these social media platforms. In the last decade, there has been increasing emphasis on influencer marketing by businesses.

This is something which has been explored in the latest Dentsu Insights report titled 'Impact Of Influencer Marketing In India'. The report has been created in collaboration with Recogn - Dentsu India's research division, Boomlet Group - an Influencer Marketing and Crisis Communication Agency and Digital Behaviour Initiative at IIT Delhi.

But in order to understand the entire influencer marketing landscape, it's important to know certain factors about it. The categories of influencers, the kind of customers, popular platforms and the like.

Here are five integral aspects of influencer marketing:

1. Categories of Influencers and customer behaviour towards Influencers

Influencer categories can be distinguished into three groups namely - large (more than 500,000 followers), medium (200,000 to 500,000 followers), and small (50,000 to 200,000 followers) base influencers. Influencers can have different categories of follower bases depending on their niche, style, and content.

Marketers use influencer marketing on social media platforms to build positive brand evaluations. These influencers often have high viewership and a large following of people who pay close attention to their content. 60% of the respondents are aware of the influencers on social media platforms. Half of them do not follow them, while the other half consider their suggestions and recommendations when making a purchase decision.

Most females belonging to the next five metros are aware of the influencers but do not follow them. Male audiences are also aware of the influencers on social media platforms and would consider their recommendations and suggestions.

2. Popular Social Media platforms for following Influencers

The increased social media usage in rural India, especially among housewives and kids, serves as an important development of empowerment and is a growing channel to enhance brand awareness or even social equity.

Due to the high penetration of social media, influencers have become crucial for promoting brands and selling products. They are a vital aspect of an effective marketing strategy. The content produced by influencers has a significant impact on customer behavior.

Therefore, it is important that their content aligns with the brand's niche and values. These influencers have a presence across various social media platforms. A majority of their followers follow them on Instagram (45%), YouTube (40%), and Snapchat (27%). This is followed by Facebook (20%), Twitter (16%), Sharechat (15%), and Meesho (14%).

Most of the people belonging to the age group of 18 years to 24 years and residing in the five metros follow social media influencers on Instagram. Respondents within the age group of 25 years to 35 years belonging to the small metros follow influencers on YouTube.

3. Influencers followed in different content categories

The differentiating factor between influencers is the type of content they create. They can also be grouped by the niche in which they operate.

People like to follow influencers whose content falls in the following categories: entertainment (37%), lifestyle (28%), fashion (28%) and food (21%). This is followed by health and fitness (20%), technology and gadgets (20%), photography (19%), and beauty (19%).

A majority of female content customers follow social media influencers who create content that belongs to the entertainment, fashion, and beauty category. Male audiences follow entertainment, lifestyle, and technology & gadgets influencers. Youngsters below 18 years Influencer content in the categories of entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, and food are most likely to drive consumer purchases.

4. Reasons to follow influencers

More than one-fourth of the people following social media influencers follow them because they find their content entertaining and the audience gets to know about new products that a brand launches. They also get information about products and services that the influencers promote.

People find the influencers' personality inspiring and trustworthy. The younger respondents below 18 years of age follow social media influencers as they find their content entertaining and help in discovering new products that brands launch. The older respondents belonging to the age group of 36 years and above follow these influencers to get information about products and services.

5. Effectiveness of Influencer Marketing among customers

Influencer marketing has become one of the most effective ways to reach potential customers and increase brand awareness. With the rise of social media platforms, influencers have amassed large followings of engaged and loyal audiences. By partnering with influencers, brands can tap into their followers' trust, build credibility, and promote their products or services in a more authentic and organic way. Influencers can provide valuable insights into their followers' preferences and behavior. These insights can inform a brand's marketing strategy, resulting in higher engagement rates, increased conversions, and improved brand sentiment.

Ultimately, influencer marketing has proven to be a highly effective way for brands to connect with their target audience and drive business growth.