Over 61% influencers have noticed higher than average engagement with sponsored posts during the lockdown: Pulpkey survey

• According to a recent survey by Pulpkey, 71% influencers stated they had seen a spike in the number of their followers.
• 61% of influencers say they have noticed a higher than average engagement with their sponsored posts.
• 79% of influencers said that their reach across social media platforms had grown considerably since the pandemic began.

A recent survey by Pulpkey has revealed that in addition to helping people remain positive during these difficult times, influencers are playing a crucial part in assisting brands in raising funds for important causes during the Covid-19 lockdown. The survey found that influencers- who often command the attention of lakhs of followers- are channelling their fan base to support causes that help mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Influencers’ actions are playing an important role in galvanising support for social purposes that assist those affected by COVID-19.

Pulpkey recently surveyed dozens of influencers to understand how their industry has been affected by the pandemic. The company found that 71% influencers stated they had seen a spike in the number of their followers. Most influencers attribute this spike to the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey suggests that stuck at home, more people than ever before are tuning in to influencers for entertainment. Pulpkey’s study found that since the pandemic, 61% of influencers say they have noticed a higher than average engagement with their sponsored posts. Undoubtedly, the survey suggests that an increasing number of people are consuming products and services advertised on influencers’ pages and channels.

When responding to the survey, 79% of influencers said that their reach across social media platforms had grown considerably since the pandemic began. Influencers are attracting traffic from many online channels and gaining visibility on multiple social media platforms. The Pulpkey study suggests that influencers’ interconnectedness across social media platforms is deepening. The study also found that during the pandemic, 26% of influencers tried to increase their presence on TikTok while 40% decided to create more content on Instagram. When asked whether they would be comfortable attending events, visiting a spa, doing meet-n-greets, and travelling to different cities, 50% of influencers said they would be comfortable going to such places; 50% said they would continue to avoid visiting such sites.

The study found that influencers believe they would continue to play an essential role in creating awareness about brands during and after the lockdown. The study also found that 72% of influencers believe that brands should take their advice about how to develop smart and relatable content. Such influencers feel they can share details about how to create good content remotely.

Speaking about the survey, Amit Mondal, Founder of Pulpkey said “Covid-19 is one of the very few events that has shocked the entire world. Social distancing has become new normal and while restaurants, malls, events have been postponed, people are getting habituated into digital socialisation over in-person interactions. A person who is locked down somewhere far from family consuming cooking videos or turning into a meditation podcast recommended by an influencer. Most of the influencers we surveyed were between the ages of 16 and 25. Most of them suggested brands should increase their budget for the above mentioned reasons and also said that brands should seek their input about what kind of content should be created. There will surely be brands who will be extra careful with their spending, but identifying the return on objective and turning into influencer marketing can produce a cost-effective and high returnable impact post-Covid for brands across industries.”