Scrolling through Instagram, you often come across many digital content creators or ‘influencers’, who cover everything from travel and fashion to finance and cryptocurrencies.
A social media influencer is ideally someone who has established credibility in a specific area or industry.
However, Delhi-based travel vlogger and photographer Isa Khan (32) likes to stay away from the title. “I prefer being called a content creator rather than an influencer, as my job is to create content for my digital audience,” he says.
Previously an Economics teacher, Esa gave up his job in 2020, to focus on content creation full-time.
“During the pandemic, teaching was no longer a feasible career for me. Content creation provides me with better financial stability and also helps me explore my passion for travelling,” he adds.
Lifestyle influencer Deena Pinto (42) also found more perks in being a content creator. “I used to be an investment banker and a series of events over the last decade led me to blogging and then to social media content creation, and I have never looked back. This job has given me both flexibility and financial stability,” she tells DH.
Similar trends have been noticed across the country, with many young people choosing content creation on platforms like Instagram and YouTube as full-time jobs.
“There’s been a massive increase in influencers over the last year. We are starting to see many more creators come onto platforms, especially from tier 2 and 3 cities. The branded content ecosystem is just now starting to take off in India, and will undoubtedly continue to grow,” says Mrunali Dedhia, Director at a Mumbai-based influencer marketing agency.
‘Work never ends’
While it looks glamorous on the outside, there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes.
For Sharan Nair (28), a content creator based in Kochi, vlogging has become a part of daily life.
“As someone who vlogs constantly, it’s like my work never ends because shooting my life is my main job,” he says.
Khan too feels the same pressure. “Content creation is literally the opposite of a 9 to 5 job. While from the outside, the job might look cushy, there is a lot of planning that goes into being consistent,” he explains.
His weekly target is to post approximately 7 Reels, 35 Instagram stories, 3 photos and 2 to 3 videos.
“This is a constant cycle that I have to keep rolling to ensure consistency. If you are not consistent, there is no way you can make it big,” he adds.
Managing a marketing job and content creation, Diksha Sharma (29) feels digital media spares no one as it is evolving constantly.
“Technically I am doing two full-time jobs. As an influencer, my day involves a lot of research to keep up with everything happening online. I’m constantly responding to emails, working on concepts and shooting. On top of everything, editing takes up a lot of time,” she says.
Deena feels an influencer needs to develop thick skin to be able to survive. “On Instagram, every day there is a new trend, so you have to constantly keep up with it. Along with this pressure, there is also a barrage of hate comments and bullying. You have to constantly remind yourself to not let these comments get to you,” she adds.
In addition to creating content consistently, picking up editing and filmmaking skills along the way is equally important, adds Isa. “As a creator, you have to constantly brush up on your editing, shooting and marketing skills, this will definitely enhance your content. Learning new skills is a part of the job,” he says.
‘YouTube a safer platform in the long run’
While the follower count on your social media profile does play an important role when it comes to generating income through social media, it is engagement metrics that are the deciding factor.
Creators mainly focus on metrics like comments, reach and views per post.
A majority of the income generated on social media platforms comes through brand associations, affiliate marketing, sponsorships and freelance projects.
A social media influencer with a following of one lakh can earn between Rs 5 lakh to 15 lakh per annum, says Karan Pherwani, Director, Influencer Solutions at an Influencer marketing agency.
“When it comes to earning potential of a creator, it isn’t just about how many followers they have — it’s about their content category as well as their content quality and engagement. These two variables decide their income.”
However the earning potential also varies across platforms. For instance, Instagram does not allow its creators to earn revenue from advertisements, unlike YouTube.
“According to the Instagram policy in India, digital creators don’t get any percentage of revenue from advertisements, which is a bit unfair. This is why I have been focussing on growing my audience on YouTube. Not only does YouTube have a safe revenue model, but it is also the best platform to ensure a long-lasting audience,” Isa says.
Sharan too agrees. “As a content creator, you get much more value out of YouTube than Instagram. While on YouTube the audience is loyal, it is easy to be forgotten on Instagram as it is a constant race to go viral,” he adds.
With close to 60,000 followers on YouTube, he is now working on growing his audience by posting 3 to 4 vlogs a week.