To effectively target Indonesian consumers, consider seeking social media influencers to champion your brand on Instagram.
Indonesia is the third biggest user of Instagram in the world and its visitors are more active and spend longer on the platform per month than those in Canada.
A marketing campaign on Instagram that harnesses the power of local influencers can have huge ROI for brands that export to Indonesia.
Why Use Influencers?
Once you start looking for a social media influencer to work with on Instagram, you’ll likely ask yourself why you’re using an influencer in the first place.
There are many reasons why using social media influencers for your Instagram marketing campaign can be a big win for your brand when exporting to Indonesia.
Here are some of the biggest benefits to working with influencers.
Better Engagement
Social media influencers in Indonesia have the ability to cause much more engagement in their marketing campaigns than traditional methods.
Micro-influencers, defined as those with a following of between 1,000 and 100,000, can produce up to 60% higher engagement rates than macro influencers and brands in Indonesia are beginning to see their benefits in social media marketing.
Brands can earn 5.78 times more engagement for their posts featuring micro-influencers.
Higher Trust
Social media influencers enjoy a level of trust from their followers that is difficult for brands to duplicate in their own marketing campaigns in Indonesia.
A Social Media Today survey found that 74% of consumers trust social media influencers’ opinions much more than advertising and promotional copy coming directly from brands.
In Indonesia, 70% of customers say influencer recommendations are key to their purchasing decisions.
Good Conversion Rates
A successful social media marketing campaign can deliver conversion rates much higher than traditional, more direct marketing methods.
A study by the influencer marketing platform, Influencity found that every dollar spent on influencer marketing yields an average return of $5.78.
Alvaro Carreton of Influencity said, “It’s a high ROI and brands want to be part of this movement—especially bigger brands.”
Indonesia is the world’s fourth largest Instagram market, behind only the US, India, and Brazil according to Statista.
78 million people use Instagram in Indonesia, but the platform is used much more heavily than in Canada, with Indonesian users spending an average of 17.6 hours a month on Instagram in 2022, compared to just 7.9 hours a month for Canadians.
According to We Are Social, by the end of 2025, Indonesia will have 104 million Instagram users.
More Authentic Content
An influencer marketing campaign can deliver messaging on Instagram that appears more authentic and less promotional than traditional advertising.
The best influencers seamlessly incorporate products into their content without sacrificing relevance, originality, or creativity.
Brands can also benefit from the influencer’s content, which they can use in their marketing campaigns, thus saving time and money.
Social media influencers in Indonesia know their local market, understand their audience, and know how to create engaging content through storytelling and visuals that entertains Indonesian consumers rather than overtly portray a brand message.
More Effective Targeting
It can be difficult and time-consuming for brands exporting to Indonesia to precisely target their promotional messaging to the right audiences.
An influencer marketing campaign is one of the most effective targeting tools available to brands.
A survey conducted by the marketing firm, Klear, found that 90% of brands believe influencer marketing is effective in creating brand awareness, 76% find it effective in generating web traffic, and 71% believe it’s effective in generating sales.
A report by Hootsuite stated that brands and agencies expect to spend a whopping 20% of their marketing budgets on influencer marketing by the end of 2025.
The Best Indonesian Influencers for Instagram Marketing
Brands from Canada looking to export to Indonesia can gain a great advantage by using Indonesian influencers for their social media marketing campaigns on Instagram.
But who are the best Indonesian influencers to work with?
Indonesia has a thriving influencer culture and many influencers to choose from.
Here’s a brief list of great influencers to cooperate with on Instagram marketing campaigns:
Sasha Shakira
Sasha Shakira is a rising star in Indonesia who is well known for her fashion sense and entertaining content.
With over 3 million followers on Instagram, she’s one of the most popular influencers in Indonesia at just 14 years of age.
As an Indonesian celebrity, Sasha has appeared in the television series Dari Jendela SMP and is a member of the girl group, B Three.
Sasha also has her own YouTube channel that has earned over 30 million views.
Kylie Buntoro
Kylie Buntoro is one of Indonesia’s top beauty influencers.
With over 1 million followers on Instagram and 4 million followers on TikTok, she has a huge reach in Indonesia and is the perfect influencer for brands in the cosmetics industry.
Kylie is popular with her followers for providing reviews and tutorials for makeup and skincare products, making her a great partner for beauty brands looking to enter the Indonesian market.
Tya Ariestya
Tya Ariestya is another rising Indonesian influencer in the beauty niche.
One of the biggest faces in fashion and beauty, Tya uses her expertise to promote products and brands to her huge audience of over 2.4 million followers on Instagram.
Tya also has a YouTube channel with 2 million subscribers, creating beauty and lifestyle content that has attracted nearly 200 million views.
Tya is an ambassador for some of Indonesia’s top beauty and clothing brands, making her the ideal influencer to partner with for brands wanting to export their products to Indonesia.
MiawAug
MiawAug is an Indonesian gaming influencer who has a whopping 38 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, making him the most followed YouTuber in Indonesia and the fifth most followed gaming creator in the world.
MiawAug is a master at creating high-energy, engaging content that has made him a social media sensation in Indonesia.
With over 1 million followers on Instagram, he’s an influencer on two platforms that are both popular in Indonesia.
MiawAug works with some of the biggest brands in gaming, such as Intel, Razer, and NVIDIA, making him a prime choice for Canadian companies wanting to export to Indonesia in the tech industry.
How to Find Indonesian Influencers for Your Instagram Marketing Campaigns
Now that you know why you should use an Indonesian influencer to promote your products and brands in Indonesia, you’ll need to know how to find them.
Here are some tips for finding Indonesian influencers for your next Instagram marketing campaign:
Social Media
You can find amazing Indonesian influencers by searching social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
You can easily search for hashtags relevant to your industry and the products and services you’re selling to find the right influencers in Indonesia.
Bubbling under Brand
Bubbling under is a Jakarta-based influencer marketing agency that helps brands in Indonesia find suitable influencers for their marketing campaigns, including on Instagram.
The agency has worked with over 1,400 brands in Indonesia and has over 10,000 influencers in its database to help brands find the right match.
Gushcloud Indonesia
Gushcloud Indonesia is another influencer marketing agency that can help you find Indonesian influencers for your next Instagram campaign.
The agency has an impressive database of over 40,000 social media influencers and provides a full suite of services, including measuring return on investment.
StarInfluencer
You can use platforms like StarInfluencer to find Indonesian social media influencers for your marketing campaigns online.
You can create a free account on StarInfluencer to get quotes from Indonesian influencers or agencies.
The platform has thousands of influencers in its database to help you find the right match for your brand and budget.
Become an Influencer
If you can’t find an influencer in Indonesia for your Instagram marketing campaign, why not become one yourself?
Social media influencer marketing is a lucrative business that has exploded in Indonesia over the past few years.
Many social media influencers in Indonesia earn six figures a year by promoting products and brands on Instagram and other platforms.
It’s easier to become a social media influencer in Indonesia than you might think and you can use your experience as an influencer to your advantage in exploring lucrative cross-border opportunities.
Indonesia’s influencer marketing industry is expected to be worth a staggering $1.7 billion by the end of 2025.
With over 270 million people, Indonesia is the biggest market in Southeast Asia and the largest economy in the region.
The country has a young population with high spending power, and they love beauty, health, and fitness products.
However, they’re also trendy and will switch brands in a heartbeat if they seem outdated or boring.
Indonesia is a tough nut to crack for advertising agencies that rely on traditional methods.
These methods have failed in Indonesia because the target markets are young and don’t care about mass marketing.
They want unique and custom experiences that speak to their interests and needs and Indonesian influencers know how to provide them.
By using Indonesian influencers for your marketing campaigns on Instagram, you can engage with Indonesian consumers authentically, promote your brand more effectively, and boost your conversion rates much more than traditional advertising methods.
Indonesia is a diverse nation with over 300 ethnic groups that speak over 700 languages.
Each region has its own dominant ethnic group and language, which impacts the local culture and markets.
When you’re looking for influencers in Indonesia, take the local culture into account and target influencers from different islands where your promotions will have the most impact.
The key islands include:
• Java: Java is the most populated island and home to the largest cities including Jakarta, Bogor, and Bandung.
• Sumatra: Located west of Java, Sumatra is home to ethnic groups such as the Acehnese, Minang, Malay, and Batak.
• Kalimantan: This is the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo and home to ethnic groups such as the Dayak and Malay.
• Sulawesi: Sulawesi is the fourth largest island in Indonesia and is home to the Bugis ethnic group and many others.
• Papua: This island is home to ethnic groups such as the Dani and Asmat.
Here’s a brief breakdown of some of the biggest cities in Indonesia and their respective islands:
City
• Jakarta: Java
• Surabaya: Java
• Bandung: Java
• Medan: Sumatra
• Bekasi: Java
• Depok: Java
• Semarang: Java
• Tangerang: Java
• Palembang: Sumatra
• Makassar: Sulawesi
• Batam: Sumatra
• Pekanbaru: Sumatra
• Bandar Lampung: Sumatra
• Pontianak: Kalimantan
• Solo: Java
• Manado: Sulawesi
• Padang: Sumatra
• Malang: Java
• Denpasar: Bali
• Cirebon: Java
• Ambon: Maluku
Focus Your Content
Social media influencers on Instagram in Indonesia have the amazing ability to deliver quality content that captivates their audience.
Influencers have mastered the art of attention through video and storytelling, and marketers must harness their creative abilities instead of trying to impose their own will on them.
Remember that you’re not hiring a social media influencer to simply repost your promotional content.
You’re leveraging their creativity to reach local audiences with your brand messaging.
Be Open to Negotiation
Be open to negotiating the pricing of working with Indonesian influencers on Instagram marketing campaigns.
Some influencers have set prices, while others are open to negotiation.
A Buddys Buddy article states that top-tier influencers can earn a minimum of $1,000 per post, while smaller influencers can earn $100 per post.
Don’t Just Look for Follower Numbers
Instead of just looking at the number of followers an influencer has on their Instagram profile, you should dig deeper and look at their engagement rates.
An influencer with high engagement rates is much more valuable than one with lots of followers but little interaction.
Statistics show that high follower counts can often be indicative of fake followers, which can seriously undermine an influencer’s reliability.
Spy on the Competition
You can gain valuable intel by checking out the influencers that your competitors are using for their social media marketing campaigns.
By visiting their profiles, you can see how successful their campaigns are and how they interact with their audience.
You can also gain insights into the potential pricing, reach, and engagement rates, which can help you find the best influencers for your own marketing campaigns.
Look for Authenticity
It’s crucial to find an influencer that aligns with your brand’s values and image.
Check the influencer’s previous content to see if they’ve worked with your competitors.
If they have, how was it perceived?
If you find that the influencer has worked with brands that are similar to yours, check those posts and the reactions they’ve garnered to see if your brand messaging will fit into their content.
If you’re still having trouble finding social media influencers in Indonesia for your Instagram marketing campaigns, you can enlist the assistance of an influencer marketing agency.
Influencer marketing agencies have lots of experience helping brands find the right influencers for their needs and can save you lots of time and money.
There are numerous influencer marketing agencies in Indonesia that you can check out, including:
The Affiliate Agency
The Affiliate Agency is a Jakarta-based influencer marketing agency that specializes in connecting brands with Indonesian influencers.
The agency provides a complete influencer marketing strategy, campaign management, and distribution services to ensure your marketing campaigns run smoothly.
Fame Marketing
Fame Marketing is another influencer marketing agency that can help you find just the right influencer for your next social media marketing campaign in Indonesia.
The agency specializes in event marketing, product placement, social media campaigns, and influencer marketing.
Social Media Indonesia
Social Media Indonesia is an influencer marketing agency based in Jakarta that can help brands find the right influencers for their marketing campaigns.
The agency specializes in social media marketing, community management, online reputation management, and influencer marketing.
You don’t have to look far to find Indonesian social media influencers for your next Instagram marketing campaign.
A little research on social media platforms along with some help from influencer marketing agencies can go a long way in reaping the benefits of influencer marketing for your brand when exporting to Indonesia.
