If you go into a trendy café in Kochi on the weekend, you will see someone filming a reel with their phone. The influencer community in Kerala is booming, and local businesses have taken notice. But the question is not if influencer marketing is happening in Kerala, but rather if influencer marketing works. This is important for small business owners, who may be trying to determine where to allocate their marketing budget. The best digital marketing company in Kochi may be able to help you navigate this space before you invest any funds into sponsored posts.

Why Kerala Is a Different Market Altogether

Audience members in Kerala are very well informed and will research before making a purchase. Additionally, people frequently speak with their neighbours to determine if a brand is reputable. Finally, both consumers and influencers in Kerala can spot a paid promotion from three scrolls away. While this might seem to be a negative attribute, it can also be a positive attribute if you are working with an influencer with an established relationship with their followers, as product-driven traffic and requests for more information will exceed standard metrics of performance.

The niche of the influencer is more important than the number of followers. An influencer from Thrissur with 12,000 followers in home décor will provide better results than an influencer with 200,000 followers from Bangalore who promotes your furniture store. The more local the influencer, the better they will perform.

What Does It Actually Cost?

The cost of influencer marketing in Kerala is inconsistent from one influencer to the next. Here is a general idea of the pricing for influencer marketing services in Kerala, by category:

• Nano influencers (1,000 - 10,000 followers): ₹500 - ₹3000 per post

• Micro influencers (10,000 - 50,000 followers): ₹3000 - ₹15,000 per post

• Mid-tier influencers (50,000 - 200,000 followers): ₹15,000 - ₹60,000 per post

• Macro influencers (200,000+ followers): ₹60,000+

Static posts cost less than reels, typically 30% - 50% more than a static post. Story mentions are the least expensive but only last for 24 hours. After testing a few influencer campaigns, many local businesses in Kerala have seen the highest return on investment from micro-influencers, due to the lower cost of using them, higher levels of trust associated with these types of influencers, and their ability to reach the correct target audience.

Does It Work for Local Businesses?

Answering the question posed above: yes, when executed properly with the help of the best digital marketing company in Kochi; a restaurant located in Fort Kochi who worked with three food bloggers experienced a 40% boost in weekend reservations after only 2 weeks of collaboration. Comparatively, a clothing boutique in Calicut paid ₹40,000 for one post from a macro-influencer with zero conversions, as the influencer's followers are not local to that boutique.

In many ways, it is more important to execute the right strategy than to have the budget to do so. This is where Digital Marketing Tools leveraging AI can provide a new method of matching the right influencer with a business through the use of data analytics. Many Platform providers can now help by connecting businesses with potential influencer partnerships, based on audience geography, authentic engagement, and purchasing patterns, as well as the number of followers an influencer has. This revolutionary concept will drastically change how Local Businesses using Influencer Marketing to increase sale opportunities due to their historically tight 

What to Watch Out For

Fake followers are a common issue, so request an engagement rate check along with regular updates (how often do they post) to know if the influencer’s audience is still engaged with them.  If the engagement rate of an influencer is below 2% on their business account this is a sign that their fans are no longer interested in their content, so be cautious.  Also steer clear of influencers who are working with multiple brands within one week as their audience will likely no longer be receptive to their brands.

Contracts are important! Define the scope of the influencer's deliverables, when they will post your product(s), how your company will approve/decline promotional items, and whether your company will allow them to work with competitors who sell similar items as your company.

The Bottom Line

Influencer marketing in Kerala is a viable option, but it does not provide a "quick win" for brands. Brands that put in the effort up front to select the appropriate creator or influencer, and who execute their campaign as part of their overall digital strategy, tend to experience the highest level of business growth. By partnering with the best digital marketing company in Kochi, brands will gain access to the influencer network and the data-driven tools needed to evaluate the effectiveness of their investment.