PANAJI
Considering the very fact that social media influencers can sway public sentiment with a single post, the Goa government spent almost Rs 8 lakh in last ten months on empanelled influencers to promote its policies and events including the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Exactly a year ago, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant introduced the Empanelment of Social Media Influencers portal -- a bid to connect governance with digital charisma. The 36 empanelled Goan influencers played their part in 16 government campaigns, costing the State an estimated Rs 7-8 lakh in 10 months.
Being a key component of the government’s strategy to tap into the digital space, it has so far propelled several flagship projects into the spotlight. Among them, the promotion of the Mopa link road -- classified under major infrastructure -- stood out with Rs 2.10 lakh allocated for seven influencers. The IFFI campaign, which also garnered one of the highest engagement rates, saw a similar investment of about Rs 2 lakh for six influencers.
With each reel ranging from 90 to180 seconds, the government’s proposal leveraged influencer campaigns to highlight a wide array of initiatives including major infrastructure projects like the Mopa link road and Smart City EV buses, as well as cultural and educational schemes, interest-free education loans, the Varah Palan scheme, bursary programs and initiatives promoting local agriculture, marigold cultivation, startups, water conservation and beach lifeguards among others.
“We provide influencers with clear guidelines about specific requirements for each reel/project,” a senior government official explained.
The government has divided influencers into four categories as those in the A category, having over one lakh subscribers, receive Rs 50,000 per reel. B category influencers, with between 50,000 and one lakh subscribers, are paid Rs 30,000 per reel. Categories C and D, comprising influencers with 25,000 to 50,000 and 10,000 to 25,000 subscribers, respectively, are paid Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000 per reel.
The government has so far not reached out to the ESG for new reels except the Tourism Department, becoming the year’s first.
