Instagram set to beat other social media channels in 2018: Report

An overwhelming 80 per cent of social media influencers are of the opinion that Instagram will be growing the fastest in 2018, much ahead of Twitter and Facebook. This trend is believed to be riding on the back of enhanced engagement offered by Instagram, that’s resulting in better impact for the brands. With photo and video sharing emerging as the fastest growing form of media, Instagram and YouTube are set to witness massive adoption by the Indian influencers, according to the ‘India Influence Report 2018 - Influencer Insights Edition (IIE)’. 

The survey results indicate that influencers in India seem to have found their voice by sharing about their ideas, hobbies and consumption preferences across social channels. Alongside this trend, brands too have increased their propensity to reach out to influencers to convert them as their advocates. A major portion of the influencers who have decided to pursue this interest are predominantly driven by the urge to make an impact and to be recognised as a thought leader in their respective fields. Thus, influencers are interacting with their set of audience and are striving to make the engagement a lot more interesting through a process of dialogue. Another major insight of the report is the fact that while the lure for revenue accrual remains a prevalent motive, building an audience base is also an important factor for the influencer community. 

These supplementary findings form part of an exhaustive survey conducted by Zefmo, a leading and rapidly growing influencer marketing platform. The first edition of the India Influence Report 2018 was released in January 2018 that indicated towards 92 per cent marketers expected to launch at least one influencer campaign this year. 

The other top highlights of the India Influence Report 2018 - Influencer Insights Edition (IIE), include the following insights: 

Giving a tough challenge to the traditional toppers comprising Facebook and Twitter is Instagram. Fastest growing social channels in 2018 –

1. Instagram (80 per cent)
2. Twitter (56 per cent)
3. Facebook (52 per cent)
4. YouTube (46 per cent)
5. WhatsApp (32 per cent)

Top five ways in which brands reach influencers’ audience –

1. Product reviews (83 per cent)
2. Sponsored content (70 per cent)
3. Contests/ giveaways (48 per cent)
4. Affiliate links (29 per cent)
5. Ambassadorships (25 per cent)

Measurement of campaign success by influencers –

1. Engagement-level (79 per cent)
2. Impression/ reach (66 per cent)
3. Traffic (63 per cent)
4. Brand mentions (43 per cent)
5. Re-engagement by brands (39 per cent)

As influencer marketing becomes more specialised by the day, brands are outsourcing and relying more on influencer marketing agencies to engage influencers. About 90 per cent influencers indicated that they have been contacted by either a brand or an agency for collaboration.

How do influencers get engaged for collaborations –

1. Through influencer marketing agencies (55 per cent)
2. Directly by brands (23 per cent)
3. Via PR agencies (14 per cent)
4. Engaged by social media agencies (8 per cent)

“With influencer marketing becoming mainstream, influencers are increasingly relying on influencer marketing agencies to help and guide them in getting connected with brands of their choice and even monetise their areas of interest. This trend will continue to see uptake in 2018 as well in view of the specialised consulting service that influencer marketing agencies bring to the table,” said Irfan Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Zefmo. “Whether that is beauty vloggers sharing tips on YouTube, or brand-based video campaigns, this medium will continue to dominate influencer marketing.”