From one-off campaigns to an always-on mode is the future of influencer marketing in India In 2018, 92 percent marketeers are expected to launch at least one influencer campaign. The popularity of the influencer marketing to drive brand awareness and reputation can be gauged by the insight that 89 percent of marketeers have found the medium to be effective and 62 percent are planning to increase their budgetary allocation towards engaging social influencers, according to today’s release of the India Influence ReportÓ 2018. The survey results indicate that more than ever, brands are recognizing that influencers help in leveraging the exposure of the company’s product and can increase brand recognition as a result of consumers leaning on these reviews to make their purchasing decisions. The continued widespread adoption of influencer marketing shows that the channel is becoming an integral part of the marketing mix. In fact, one of the major revelations of the India Influence ReportÓ 2018 points towards the gradual maturing of influencer marketing in India with 14 percent of the marketeers suggesting an always on-mode and 16 percent planning to integrate influencer marketing within their marketing strategy. The findings of an exhaustive survey conducted by Zefmo, a rapidly growing influencer marketing platform, have indicated that top marketeres are of the opinion that consumers are more likely to make a purchase decision based on influencers because of the authenticity and affinity elements. In addition, an overwhelming number of marketeers feel that increasingly consumers are influenced by their peers when it comes to making a purchase decision. Among the top highlights of the India Influence ReportÓ 2018, the following are expected to set the trend for influencer marketing in India in 2018 – · Macro (typically have over 50,000 followers) and micro (typically have over 10,000 to 50,000 followers) influencers have been found to be most impactful · Top three scenarios wherein marketeers have utilized influencer marketing effectively – 1. Product launches (56 percent) 2. Content promotion (54 percent) 3. Event promotion (40 percent) · Markets have found influencer marketing to be most important towards – 1. Authentic storytelling (20 percent) 2. Better reach (18 percent) 3. Connecting with millennials and centennials (18 percent) · Instagram and Facebook are the preferred channels for influencer engagement · Gauging success of the influencer marketing campaign via measuring – 1. Engagement (23 percent) 2. Brand awareness (19 percent) 3. Share of voice/earned media (15 percent) “Influencers have high gravity of credibility and their medium is fundamentally social. Besides providing exposure to a brand, influencers lend their credibility to it,” said Irfan Khan, chief executive officer (CEO), Zefmo. “Today’s consumer can tell the difference between an advert and a personal recommendation. Therefore, influencer marketing is fast changing to become more of an intrinsic part of the marketing strategy. In 2018, we can expect brands to become more sophisticated with the data around influencer marketing strategies.”