Entrepreneur India | 31 May 2023
Six huge, pumped up bodyguards in black attire are escorting a 26-year-old to his suite after a meet and greet session with his fans at a plush Delhi hotel in Connaught Place. The 500+ fans who gathered are vying for a selfie, an autograph- anything they can manage- but the bodyguards are a seasoned lot and take their subject to safety. This isn't a Bollywood actress, an A-list actor or some reality TV star- it's a comedy influencer who creates humorous content on YouTube for his followers, who are more than 6 million in number.
It's no state secret that influencers are the new celebrities. What started off on YouTube and Facebook, spilled over to Instagram and other social media platforms, creating the new age celebrities, whose fans follow them for their content, whether it be in comedy, entertainment, current affairs, finance or other fields. And along with their rise, a new kind of organizational structure has emerged- the influencer marketing agencies.