Indian mothers are winning in the influencer marketing space, in terms of both audience and brands, and collectively becoming one of the biggest content creator categories globally.
Commonly known as mom-influencers or 'momfluencers', they make up 10.7 percent of the total influencer segment in India, said Vatsal Rajgor, founder, DigiMaze, a marketing agency. "The Indian mom-influencer space is the second largest in the world, only trailing the US. India beats out the likes of UAE and the combined Southeast Asia," he added.
In the last five years, there has been about a 50 percent spike in the number of mom-influencers in India, said Raghav Bagai, co-founder, Sociowash, an advertising agency. "The pandemic had a role to play in expanding the scope for influencers in various niches, momfluencer being one of them. People started bingeing on cute baby pictures and that eventually led to the popularity of momfluencers who uploaded them. Now, these influencers are a considerable segment, carving out a niche within the influencer marketing domain," he said.
Rajgor noted that the mom-influencer market segment is growing rapidly, at around 25 percent per year.
Many mothers have found success by creating content that is relatable and authentic, sharing their real-life experiences and offering advice and tips that resonate with their followers, said Ramya Ramachandran, founder and CEO, Whoppl, an influencer marketing agency.
Slice of life
"It was during the early days of my motherhood that I found solace in posting photos, using it as an escape from the constant demands of being a mom. Little did I know that this simple act would open the doors to a world of opportunities. For me, becoming an influencer has been a true game changer," said Shweta Tanwar Mukherjee, who uses the tagline Mom & Wellness Content Creator on Instagram.
For Megha Arora, a mother and an influencer, content creation gave her the support she was looking for. "My journey as a creator began when I started sharing my experiences as a mother on Instagram. After losing my own mother when I was seven months pregnant with my first child and living away from my hometown in a nuclear family, I felt isolated and alone. By connecting with likeminded moms and learning from their experiences, I found a sense of community and support," she said.
Yulia Aslamova, a Russian who has been living in Bengaluru since 2014, turned her social media journey into a business. When she found it difficult to adjust to the changes in her life after becoming a mother, her Instagram blogs came to the rescue. "I shared my challenges and my experiences with the audience, and I received support from experienced mothers and other moms who were also finding their own way. Due to my experience and what I have learned, I started an influencer marketing platform called DRIM Global," she said.
Priyanka Limbasiya too saw content creation giving new legs to her dreams. "During my schooldays, I used to participate in various activities like dance and drama, but due to personal commitments, I couldn't pursue it further. However, after seeing so many influencers, I decided to give it a try, and I started enjoying the process. Being an influencer has brought a significant difference in my life, both in terms of personal growth and the respect I receive from society. Creating content became like 'me time' for me with four to five video posts per week and I have now got a following of 1.6 million as a comedy content creator," she said.
Brands bet on moms
Along with relatability, mothers also offer variety in their content, which gives them wider reach, and a lot of more brands take interest in associating with them, said marketers.
"When we think of mom-influencers, the first market segment our minds jump to is baby products, but they go beyond that. Fashion, lifestyle, fitness, food, health, beauty, technology—all are areas in which mom-influencers create their niche and reach an untapped audience," said Rajgor.
India is big on momfluencers, ranging from Shradha Singh to Ami Desai and now counting new moms like Masoom Meenawala to mothers-to-be like Malvika Sitlani, pointed out Sumit Gupta, founder, Viral Pitch, an influencer marketing firm. "Their content does not stick to only one niche of being a mom but they, more importantly, showcase the importance and bliss of being a woman," he pointed out.
The most popular mom-influencers have become a vital component of the marketing mix for brands targeting young parents in India due to their ability to connect with their audience, said Shashank Shekhar, senior director, content strategy and operations, Moj and ShareChat, social apps.
He said that they have entered into collaborations with several brands including Whisper, Good Knight, Harpic, Dr Choice, Kings Edible Oil, Wipro Wash and Maggi. "Leading brands are showing keen interest in collaborating with mom creators, and we have already completed a few campaigns with several more in progress," he added.
Ritesh Ujjwal, co-founder and CEO of influencer marketing firm Kofluence, also has seen big brands including Tata Soulful, ITC's Mangaldeep Agarbatti, Meesho, and Domino's leverage the influence of mothers on social media for their ad campaigns. "Mothers have also become attractive to brands because they have purchasing power and influence over their families' buying decisions. This has led to an increase in collaborations between brands and mothers," he explained.
Brand integrations for mom-influencers ranges from between two or three brands a month to 10 to 12 in a month during the festive season, said Viral Pitch's Gupta.
"Mom creators have become a sought-after category for brands, especially those looking to tap into the family or parenting segment. Momfluencers attract a mature audience who are looking for products that meet their needs. On average, mom-influencers tend to secure around five brand deals per month," said Karan Pherwani, vice president, Chtrbox, an influencer marketing agency.
In her five-year stint as a content creator, Mukherjee has collaborated with more than 500 brands, with an average of three to five brand associations per month. With these brand deals, she makes between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh per month on average.
Limbasiya associates with three to six brands in a year and has worked with the likes of Amazon India, Flipkart and Kheloyar, among others.
In the next couple of years, close to 75 percent of brands are expected to include influencer marketing in their marketing strategies, noted Preety Singh, co-founder and managing director, Boomlet Group, an influencer marketing firm. "Hence, with the increasing popularity of influencer marketing, one can expect that the momfluencers space will flourish, providing a strong source of earning for mom creators," she said.
