In today’s digital age, influencer marketing has become a cornerstone of brand strategy, transforming how companies engage with their audiences. Yet, despite its rapid growth, many brands struggle to extract substantial value from this dynamic and often oversaturated space. To shed light on these challenges and opportunities, we turn to Manjul Wadhwa, the visionary CEO and Founder of Anagram Media Labs.
TET: The influencer marketing industry is rapidly growing, yet some brands struggle to derive substantial direct value. Do you believe this is accurate? How can brands maximize their benefits in this space?
Manjul – Yes, influencer marketing is expanding rapidly, but this massive growth has also led to oversaturation. That’s why many brands struggle to get the results they want.
The influencer ecosystem has seen tremendous growth, especially during the surge of short videos, While many brands have tapped into this trend, not all of them are seeing the same level of success. These differences often come from how they adopt and implement their strategies.
When used strategically, influencer marketing is one of the sharpest tools in a marketer’s toolbox. To get the most out of influencer campaigns, brands should focus on high-quality partnerships and content that truly resonates with their target audience.
On a practical level, brands need to align their unique business model with the influencer’s audience. They should also shift their focus to measuring ROI using the right tools. By taking these strategic steps, brands can overcome doubts about investing in influencer marketing and achieve significant growth.
TET: How do growth patterns differ between creators and brands within the industry? Can agency support effectively bridge these gaps?
Manjul – Recent reports point out that 77% of creators have increased their income in the past two years, with 86% expecting further growth of 10%. However, brands often find it hard to measure the monetary returns from influencer campaigns due to a lack of robust ROI tracking.
The underlying goal of any marketing initiative is to bump up sales, but this can be challenging to track directly from influencer activities, especially if the primary focus is on brand awareness. The saturated market increases the risk of partnering with low-quality influencers, making it crucial for brands to choose the right influencers and track the correct KPIs.
Agencies can effectively bridge these gaps by sharing the workload and evaluating an influencer’s content quality, niche relevance, engagement rates, and audience demographics. They also assess authenticity, credibility, and collaboration history, providing brands with expert guidance and a clearer understanding of the most effective KPIs for ROI. This support ensures that brands can make informed decisions and achieve significant growth from their influencer marketing efforts.
Moreover, agencies offer support through with their strategic content thought, resulting in a multiplier effect by with their deep analysis and help their partners thrive in business.
TET: What percentage of creators earn revenue from their content, and what are the current average earnings for these creators?
Manjul – In India, there are over 80 million creators, but less than 1% actually earn revenue from their content creation efforts. Among those who do monetize, average earnings range from Rs. 16,000 to 2 lakhs per month.
A striking 95% of these earning creators are mega influencers. This leaves new influencers at a disadvantage as they struggle to stand out and generate significant income in a crowded ecosystem. Without proper guidance and strategy, many of these rising influencers may find it difficult to monetize their efforts effectively and could end up overshadowed by the more prominent ones.
Influencer marketing platforms can provide these creators with the necessary tools and strategies to crack the code of monetization and ensure they don’t get hidden away.
TET: What emerging trends do you see in niche content and style within the influencer marketing industry?
Manjul – Influencer marketing is always evolving, with new trends emerging regularly. Right now, creators have full control over their content, allowing them to earn money through various revenue streams like brand deals, revenue sharing, subscriptions, and creator fund programs.
This control has led to diverse content formats becoming popular, such as long and short videos, spontaneous clips, performative content, interactive events, and vlog-style posts. Platforms have become central hubs where audiences consume content and engage with their favourite creators.
This shift helps creators build stronger personal brands and connect deeply with niche communities. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, they focus on specific groups of followers who truly appreciate and support them, making their audience more loyal and invested in their content.
TET: Is content creation evolving into a long-term profession or is it merely a passing trend?
Manjul – Content creation isn’t a passing trend, it’s the trendsetter. Now is the time to be a digital content creator. As the industry grows more inclusive, more people will turn their hobbies and passions into content, whether as a side project or a full-time job.
This trend of virtual brand-building is accelerating and will continue to gain momentum. To make an impact online, adopting these new behaviours is essential. Everyone needs to cultivate some level of influence so their words have significance.
There are more creators and more niches than ever before. The creator world’s viewership is now decentralized, moving away from a few celebrity-like influencers to those who actively engage and understand their community.
Overall, content creation is becoming a sustainable, long-term career path as more individuals find ways to monetize their passions and build dedicated followings.
TET: What are the risks associated with becoming a full-time creator, especially considering that the industry has yet to witness a significant downturn?
Manjul – Even with the strong currents of content creation, switching to it full-time involves financial risks, especially since the industry has never experienced a major downturn. Nearly 37% of creators are willing to give up 20% of their income to chase their creative passions full-time. This enthusiasm signifies a shift towards fulfilling and creative pursuits over security and profit.
However, this transition often comes with financial uncertainties, including potential income loss as creators work to establish and monetize their profiles. Creators must be prepared for lifestyle adjustments and manage financial implications, such as tax considerations, especially as their income grows.
The increasing demand for digital content indicates substantial growth opportunities but only for those who can stay relevant. Creators can beat these odds by leveraging AI tools to streamline tasks and improve efficiency while maintaining unique and authentic human connections with their audience. This balance of technology and genuine engagement is key to overcoming the financial and operational challenges of becoming a full-time creator.
TET: Are creators becoming the new celebrities, securing OTT shows, movie roles, and promotional activities that were traditionally reserved for established celebrities?
Manjul – Yes, creators are indeed becoming the new celebrities. They are now securing opportunities like OTT shows, movie roles, and promotional activities that were once exclusive to traditional celebrities. This shift is driven by their unique ability to build strong personal brands and large followings directly through digital platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and more.
Unlike traditional celebrities who may become famous through their expertise in specific fields like acting or sports, these mega creators gain fame through engaging directly with audiences and creating content that resonates on a personal level. As a result, they are able to transition into roles and opportunities previously held by established celebrities, bringing their dedicated audiences with them and blurring the lines between digital influencers and traditional celebrity status.
TET: Indians are spending around four to five hours a day consuming online video. What are the consumption patterns observed in Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities?
Manjul – Online video consumption in India varies significantly across regions. In Tier 1 cities, diverse digital content is widely consumed due to high internet access, with a blend of global and local content across various genres. Meanwhile, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities saw a rise in short-form videos, driven by regional and vernacular content that aligns with local tastes, including viral memes and pop culture trends.
Tier 2 cities, in particular, are witnessing the fastest growth in content consumption, spurred by improved internet availability and platforms that offer regionally tailored content.
Overall, while Tier 1 cities enjoy a broad range of content, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are rapidly catching up through local and short-form video content. This reflects a growing democratization of content consumption across India.
TET: How effective are creators in driving brand visibility and engagement?
Manjul – Brands want to capture their audience where they are – online and hold them in a two-way conversation. Creators make this reach out more authentic and reliable, thanks to the incredible trust of their focused audience.
Creator recommendation is an electronic word-of-mouth, like friendly advice to use a trustworthy brand. This trust translates into increased brand visibility, engagement and revenue. So much so that, 41% of consumers discover new brands or products through influencers in a week. So yes, creators are effective in bringing attention to brands.
TET: With major players like Meta entering the creator marketplace, how do you foresee these changes impacting advertising?
Are these changes beneficial or detrimental to the stakeholders within the creator economy?
Manjul – The entry of major players like Meta into the creator marketplace is a welcome initiative for centralizing fragmented data and it will significantly impact advertising. By transforming platforms like Instagram into a major marketplace hub, Meta is enabling deeper insights into trends and better alignment with brand preferences to enhance media planning.
This development is beneficial for stakeholders involved within the creator economy. For brands, the centralized data offers a more nuanced understanding of consumer behaviours and preferences, allowing for more targeted and effective advertising strategies. Creators benefit from enhanced visibility and potentially more lucrative partnerships, as brands are better equipped to identify influencers whose audiences align with their marketing goals.
Overall, these changes are largely positive in optimizing advertising strategies and enhancing economic opportunities within the creator community. The industry is collectively looking forward to this shift because it will uplift the market as a whole. No doubt, Meta is a big player but there are several competitors in the digital space and there going to keep up the democracy and the creator ecosystem will go on.
But industry professionals have asserted that this marketplace will by no means affect their shop, and in fact, it will only create an upshift. Undoubtedly, Meta is a big player in Digital, but then again, there are plenty of players within Digital, and even outside Digital, there are multiple other mediums that are here to exist.
TET: How has AI rewritten the course of Influencer Marketing in India?
Manjul – Influencer marketing is already the buzzword for marketers and AI has enhanced it for more precision and efficiency across various stages of campaigns.
Through AI, brands can get advanced analytics to identify the most suitable influencers based on historical insights into their profiles, audience demographics, relevance with the brand and past performance. This ensures a better match between influencers and campaign objectives.
Moreover, AI and machine learning contribute to predictive sentiment analysis, allowing brands to learn how they react to stimuli and refine strategies in real time. Integration of AI into influencer marketing is helping brands maximize impact and optimize their marketing spend.
More about the company and Founder
- Manjul Wadhwa Linkedin Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manjul-wadhwa-10a1b1a9/.
- Company Website: https://anagrammedia.tech/
- Anagram Media Labs Link: https://www.instagram.com/anagrammedia/
- Inflyx (AI Driven Influencer Marketing Platform): https://www.instagram.com/inflyx.co/
- Inflyx Company Link: https://inflyx.co/
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TET Desk