Category: iWorld

MUMBAI: Move over, legacy media. In today’s scroll-happy world, social influencers are the new empire builders — and India is leading the charge. According to The Social Influencers  Report: India Edition 2025 by Comscore, content creators are now responsible for a staggering 36 per cent of all user engagement across Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok worldwide.

And in a market where 1.4 billion people live online-first lives, the stakes — and returns — are massive. Whether it’s a viral reel from a beauty guru, a fiery political post, or a behind-the-scenes cricketer vlog, influencers are driving India’s digital heartbeat — and shaping brand strategy, platform growth, and content monetisation at scale.

India’s top influencers? They are politicians and cricketers — with engagement numbers that rival primetime TV.  The data reveals some headline-stealing names. Prime minister Narendra Modi continues to dominate social media, generating 5.4 million monthly actions on Facebook and a further 10.8 million on X — more than many entertainment networks combined.

Meanwhile, stars like KL Rahul, Rashmika Mandanna, and Hardik Pandya are keeping fans hooked across Instagram and YouTube. Beauty creator Parul Garg smashed viewership charts with 441.2 million views, proving that makeup and relatability are a power combo.

Forget followers — engagement is the only currency that counts.  The report makes one thing clear: follower counts are yesterday’s news.

“That influencer with 500K followers might be getting ghosted by their own audience,” says Comscore. “It’s engagement — likes, comments, shares — that reflects real influence.”

The advice to brands? Dump the vanity metrics. Invest in creators who spark emotional responses, drive interactions, and know how to move the needle.

Timing is everything: the best posting windows for Indian influencers to help you to ride the engagement wave. Know when your audience is listening. The report maps out the sweet spots across platforms:

* Instagram: Mon–Wed mornings (10–11 am) and daily evenings (4–7 pm)
* Facebook: Late mornings and afternoons, especially early in the week
* X (formerly Twitter): 8–9 am daily and post-9 pm Mon–Tues
Fridays and Saturdays? Surprisingly flat. Sunday evenings, on the other hand, are primed for attention.

Virtual influencers are here — and they’re outperforming humans. The AI influencers are no longer gimmicks — they’re headline acts. Digital avatars like Lil Miquela, Aitana López, and Brazil’s Lu do Magalu are rewriting the rules of influence. These virtual personalities:don’t age, cancel, or misbehave; post consistently across markets and  adapt voice, tone, and look for hyper-local relevance.

They’ve fronted campaigns with brands from Calvin Klein to LiquidIV, clocking millions of views without ever stepping into a makeup chair or selfie booth.

Bonus: no diva demands, PR disasters, or DM leaks.

The biggest takeaway? If you’re still treating influencer marketing like a side hustle, you’ve already lost.

“Creators aren’t just content providers,” says the report. “They’re media buyers, storytellers, and brand equity multipliers rolled into one.”

Brands must integrate influencer strategy across all touchpoints — from digital to social to streaming — or risk being drowned out by competitors who do.

Final word: in the creator economy, fast movers win — the rest scroll behind. The competition is brutal. The smartest brands are already locking in creators with proven audience trust, emotional resonance, and multichannel command. And if you’re still running single-platform strategies in 2025? “You’re flying blind,” warns Comscore. “Your audience is watching TikToks, scrolling Insta, and doomscrolling X — often in the same hour. Get the full footprint or get forgotten.”