The Andhra Pradesh government has approved a Social Media Influencers Policy which will use verified digital creators to disseminate information about government welfare schemes, development programmes, infrastructure projects and other public initiatives.
The policy was approved by the state Cabinet at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and the government will select, verify and empanel credible content creators for official communication campaigns.
According to the report of the above payment structure, the social media influencers will be classified according to their follower numbers. Creators with more than 1 lakh followers will receive up to ₹15,000, and those with 50,000 to 99,999 followers will get up to ₹7,500. Influencers with 25,000 to 49,999 followers will receive up to ₹5,000, and 10,000 to 24,999 followers will receive up to ₹2,500. The amounts are the maximum payments under the respective categories as well as the eligibility and campaign conditions.
The policy aims to increase the reach of government information on social media platforms. So far, according to publications, the framework will include creators on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X. The government intends to find creators who can share information about welfare schemes, development activities and public services with the digital audience.
As more people receive information about public programmes through social media, this is becoming more and more important. Government departments can use well-established digital audiences to describe eligibility and benefits and other aspects of welfare schemes and development programs. It is also designed to build a more structured system with content creators rather than an informal business model for promotional activities.
But follower numbers are not expected to be the only factor. Reports suggest that reach, engagement, content quality and account credibility will also be considered when selecting influencers. That means just hitting a certain follower threshold is not a guarantee to be enrolled or paid. The reported model would be based on credible creators and would not allow fake or lower-quality accounts to be included.
The State Information and Public Relations Department will oversee the empanelment process. Eligible creators will have to register their details through a government mechanism, and they will have to verify their information before they are eligible for official promotional activities, the reports say. An initial empanelment period of one year was also reported, and extensions might be made based on performance.
And the policy is more than welfare schemes. The Cabinet-approved framework is said to include communication related to infrastructure projects, development programmes and other government initiatives. Information and Public Relations Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy said the policy would help disseminate government information through social media.
The payment structure provides different categories for creators at different stages of audience growth. A creator with between 10,000 and 24,999 followers would fall into the reported lowest category, with payments of up to ₹2,500. The amount increases to ₹5,000 for the 25,000-49,999 category, ₹7,500 for 50,000-99,999 followers and up to ₹15,000 for creators with more than 1 lakh followers.
But the policy is also part of a larger strategy of the Andhra Pradesh government to enhance its presence on social media. The latest Cabinet decision formally creates a framework through which selected creators can participate in government communication campaigns.
For influencers and content creators, the policy might provide an opportunity to work on public-information campaigns, if they fit the eligibility and verification criteria. Yet creators would need to adhere to the conditions of individual campaigns and to accurately communicate official information in a manner that is consistent with what they have been told.
The Andhra Pradesh government's decision is a major step towards incorporating social media creators into its public communication system. Details of registration, verification, campaign assignments and payment should be included as part of the policy when it is implemented.
For now, the big payment slabs reported are ₹2,500, ₹5,000, ₹7,500 and up to ₹15,000 depending on follower category and its eligibility and conditions.
