Goa implements Social Media Influencer Policy; more posts, more paisa

The state government of Goa has implemented its Social Media Influencer Policy, under which content creators can earn approximately Rs 50,000 for producing a single audiovisual piece for the government. However, the policy is being criticized for the government’s failure to conduct stakeholder consultations prior to its implementation.

In response to a Right to Information (RTI) query submitted by a member of the Internet Freedom Foundation, the Department of Information & Publicity disclosed that the Goa government allocated Rs 20,85,237 for developing empanelment software and Rs 1,41,35,000 for project execution. A copy of the response is with Storyboard18.

Actual expenses for the development and implementation of the empanelment software totaled ₹11,21,000, while the project’s execution costs amounted to Rs 3,56,000.

The RTI response further revealed that no consultations were held with stakeholders, other ministries, or departments during the drafting or finalization of the policy.

The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), the nodal agency responsible for hosting the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), will utilize the services of social media influencers to promote government schemes, policies, and programs. The ESG will heavily utilize social media influencers to promote IFFI on multiple platforms.

Contracts with social media influencers will initially last for one year and may be extended for up to two additional years based on satisfactory performance. Influencers' performance will be reviewed every six months.

The remuneration for influencers is divided into four categories based on their follower count:

Grade A: 100,000+ followers/subscribers Grade B: 50,000–99,999 followers/subscribers Grade C: 25,000–49,999 followers/subscribers Grade D: 10,000–24,999 followers/subscribers

Influencers must maintain an active presence on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or X (formerly Twitter) for at least one year. According to the RTI, applicants must also have at least 60 posts in the past six months and be residents of Goa. Additionally, all content must be approved by the nodal agency before publication, and the government will retain ownership of the content.

Remuneration for influencers varies as follows:

Posting graphics provided by the nodal agency: Rs2,000 to Rs500 (Grades A to D) Posting audiovisuals provided by the nodal agency: Rs4,000 to Rs1,500 (Grades A to D) Creating and posting audiovisuals: Rs50,000 to Rs10,000

The Uttar Pradesh government was the first to introduce a Social Media Policy, followed by the Karnataka government’s Digital Advertising Guidelines 2024. Both policies offer similar benefits to influencers. Consequently, influencer marketing agencies and content creators are advocating for comparable pay models in other states, including Maharashtra.

Under Uttar Pradesh’s Social Media Policy 2024, the government has appointed a digital agency, V-Form, to manage advertisements, including videos, tweets, posts, and reels. The policy sets the following maximum monthly payment limits for influencers on various platforms:

X (formerly Twitter): Rs5 lakh Facebook: Rs4 lakh Instagram: Rs3 lakh YouTube: Rs8 lakh for videos, Rs7 lakh for shorts, Rs6 lakh for podcasts, and Rs4 lakh for other content.

The IEC (information, education, and communication) cell of the state department of health, medical education, and family welfare of Jharkhand government roped in influencers to spread awareness on Health schemes such as ‘Ayushman Bharat’ and ‘Mukhyamantri Gambhir Bimari Upchar Yojana’.

With multiple state government implementing Social Media Influencer policies, experts believe that striking a balance between leveraging influencers for outreach and maintaining ethical standards is crucial. While these policies offer lucrative opportunities for content creators, they also raise concerns about transparency, stakeholder involvement, and content ownership.