9 Popular Myths About Influencer Marketing In India
You've heard it before: influencer marketing is the next big thing. Influencers are all over social media, ranking in millions of followers every day.
If influencers can get away with posting sponsored content without being held accountable, why shouldn't brands try their hand at influencer marketing?
The answer lies in the fine print—the details of the campaign matter a lot more than the number of followers an influencer has on their social media account.
Read on as we debunk some prevalent misconceptions about influencer marketing in India to protect your brand from being tricked into spending thousands of rupees on futile initiatives.
The figure below depicts the essential facts about influencer marketing.
Top 9 Popular Myths Related to the Growth of Influencer Marketing in India
Myth 1: Influencer Marketing is just another Passing Trend
Influencer marketing will not go out of style; it is a permanent phenomenon. It has been there for a while and only gets bigger as time passes.
It has helped brands reach their target audience in more ways than one.
It has overgrown over the past few years, according to research by Markerly and other platforms that track influencer trends like Klout.
The data shows there are now over 1 million social media influencers who collectively have more than 20 billion followers across all platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter).
That number is expected to grow fast as new platforms continue to emerge with native features for connecting brands with influencers.
According to Statistics, the value of India's influencer marketing sector was nine billion Indian rupees as of 2021. Over the following five years, it was anticipated to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 25%. By 2025, the market value of the sector was projected to reach 22 billion Indian rupees.
Myth 2: Influencers on Social Media are well-known People
Let's talk about this myth, which is the belief that all influencers are social media celebrities.
This is a common misconception because many mistakenly believe that the term "influencer" refers only to famous people with large followers on social media.
While it's true that many marketers use this definition of influencer marketing, this isn't the only one out there—and it certainly isn't how we define our work with influencers.
The term “influencer” simply refers to someone who has a certain level of influence on the people they are connected with; if you go by that standard, then anyone can be an influencer—even if they don't have millions of Instagram followers or television appearances under their belt. Influencers can come from any industry and in any form.
They don't always need to be on social media and they don't even need to be famous; they just need to have some sort of following that will spread their message through word-of-mouth advertising (WOMA).
The power of influencers is that they can reach a larger audience than celebrities.
Celebrities don't always have the time to post on social media or engage with their followers and fans, so they rely on their publicists to do it for them.
When celebrities do post on social media, it usually has to go through their PR team first so that it's not seen as an endorsement or a brand deal.
Myth 3: Influencer Marketing Produces Costly initiatives that don't offer Good Value for the Money
While it is true that influencer marketing is not cheap, it isn't necessarily expensive either.
Influencers can be found for any budget, and they have varying rates depending on their reach and engagement levels.
For example, a fashion blogger with 1 million followers would charge more than someone who has just started in the industry and has only 20k followers.
However, both of these people could work with you to create great content if you choose them wisely according to your needs.
Instead, you can start with a micro-influencer marketing platform that will help you to focus on a specific niche and possess strong relationships within your cost-effective budget.
Myth 4: Only large firms with plenty of money to spend on their marketing strategies should use influencer marketing
Well, if you have a small business and don't have the budget to hire a full-fledged marketing agency, then influencer marketing might just be the right fit for you.
Influencer marketing is cost-effective as compared to other forms of digital marketing.
Moreover, it can help build brand awareness and loyalty in your customers' minds. This will ultimately lead to increased sales for your business.
You don't have to worry about reaching your audience, as your influencers are doing it.
It helps you build brand awareness and loyalty in the minds of your customers.
Myth 5: The number of followers an influencer has on social media determines how successful an influencer marketing campaign will be.
The most important thing is to choose an influencer with a high engagement rate.
The engagement rate shows how many people are interacting with the content of your chosen influencer, and ultimately it will determine if your influencer marketing campaign is successful or not.
The quality of your followers is more important than the number of your followers.
A large number of inactive followers can be counter-productive because they won’t engage with your content on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook, which means that they won’t be able to help you reach new audiences and increase brand awareness through their networks of friends, family members, etc., who might also be interested in what you offer!
So don't choose based solely on numbers: rather focus on finding an influencer who has a strong following that's actively engaged in their posts - this way you'll ensure maximum exposure for your brand/product/service amongst relevant target groups!
Myth 6: A brand must select a famous influencer with more followers than a micro-influencer since they will produce a larger return on investment.
While it is true that brands get higher ROI from working with celebrities, it's not always the case.
Micro-influencers are more effective than celebrity influencers and they're also cost-effective.
Some of them may even be more loyal than celebrities because they care about their followers' opinions and recommendations before taking up any campaign or offer.
A brand must pick a person as an influencer after looking at its influencer qualities, one with a high engagement rate, as it will help them reach more people and generate higher ROI.
While it's important to have an influencer who has a high engagement rate, brands should also consider the quality of their content.
An influencer who produces engaging content can get more followers than someone who doesn't even though they have similar engagement rates.
So, a brand must choose a celebrity influencer, who has more followers than a micro-influencer, as they will generate higher ROI in comparison to micro-influencers.
Myth 7: An influencer may work their magic and boost sales for your brands right away.
This is one of the most common myths, and it’s important to dispel this myth right away.
While it’s true that an influencer can help increase brand awareness and reach a new audience, they don’t have magical powers that will immediately transform your brand into a popular, profitable entity overnight.
Effective marketing is a long-term investment, not a get-rich-quick scheme or a short-term solution to fix all of your problems with one easy trick.
If you have been struggling with your business or have been looking for ways to improve it over time then hiring an influencer might be something worth considering as part of your overall strategy but if you're looking for instant success then keep searching elsewhere!
There are many different types of influencers and they each have their unique style, personality, audience, and niche.
Some may be more suited to your brand than others but it's important to remember that no matter who you hire as an influencer, they can't make your brand succeed on their own.
They can help increase awareness and drive traffic to your website but whether or not people convert after visiting depends on how well-optimized your website is for conversion rates.
Myth 8: Your goods will sell out fast with just the recommendation of an influential person with one million or more followers
We have all seen those advertisements on social media with a celebrity endorsing the product.
These ads are effective because they use one of the best marketing tactics - endorsements by influential people.
Influencers can help you market your product to your target audience, reach them and build trust in your brand.
However, it is not just about having an endorsement from someone popular or famous.
You have to make sure that this influencer has an existing relationship with your brand and understands what you stand for as well.
Also, the message which is being sent out should be consistent across all channels of communication (both offline as well as online).
Myth 9: Influencers on social media are just models or actors selling products
Influencers are not just models or actors, but anyone who has a following on social media can influence others to buy your product.
Influencers have their audience and followers which they use to sell products through social media.
The best part about influencers is that they don’t need to be A-list actors or models for you to benefit from their following.
Anyone with an active audience on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc., can be considered an influencer so long as they’re willing to promote your brand/product.
You can search for the best influencers from OPA - India’s #1 Influencer Marketing Platform, to increase your brand engagement and promote your goods/services.
Instead, of believing in fake things, know the multiple benefits of influencer marketing.
End Words
We hope these myths have been debunked for you. It’s important to understand that influencer marketing isn’t just about the influencers themselves; it involves a community of customers, fans, and followers who are all interested in what you have to say. As with any other type of marketing, your success will depend on how well you choose those people to talk about your product or service.
FAQs About Influencer Marketing in India
Q1. Influencer marketing: Does it work in India?
Ans: Native advertising on social media is a very successful type of content marketing that is created by influencers in India. According to a recent survey, 49% of consumers on social media rely on influencer recommendations when making decisions about what to buy, making it a very appealing environment for brands.
Q2. What function does influencer marketing deliver?
Ans: Influencer marketing, which offers a higher return on investment than other marketing channels, helps major brands draw in more customers and helps small businesses grow by increasing their visibility.
Q3. How do companies pick influencers?
Ans: Brands generally choose influencers based on authenticity or loyalty status. A loyal following is more likely to exist for genuine influencers. By becoming authorities in their field, such as food and drink or fashion, they can gain the devotion and trust of their audience.