As she wakes up, Fatima Hasan reaches for her phone, recording snippets of her morning routine: blinds rolling upwards, a steady stream of sunlight setting on the veranda outside, the whirring coffee machine dripping into her cup.
“Good morning, loves,” the influencer-turned-model captions her video on Instagram for her 130,000 followers. Within seconds, the community members begin to respond, sharing their own greetings, plans for the day and comments. Hasan smiles, thinking about new content that she has planned: transition videos for a designer’s new collection. She proceeds to record another story.
Pakistan’s influencer industry has massively gained momentum in the last six years or so, ever since Instagram replaced Facebook as the main social media platform. With its picture-centered interface, Instagram encouraged budding influencers to quickly gain a foothold by sharing product reviews, and skincare routines, and announcing up-and-coming brands. There are plus-sized, skinny, brown-skinned, white-skinned, junk-food lovers and gym fanatic influencers for varied audiences.
Another influencer, Alina Fahad promotes modest fashion, and has 61,000 followers, since she joined Instagram in 2017. “Brands have realised that social media marketing could increase sales and promote products through influencers working from home, which would be relatable for audiences compared to product reviews by unapproachable celebrities,” she says.
