The reputation and influence of Instagram’s content creators has skyrocketed over the past few years, with more and more people joining the social media platform and logging on to explore their interests through the lens and thoughts of their favourite influencers. Goa is not an exception to the rule. Several of Goa’s enterprising and talented creators have made a name for themselves as influencers that create quality content. This reputation extends to multiple fields, be it gastronomy, fashion, photography, meme culture or travel. Some local pages and influencers have garnered thousands of followers as a testament to their abilities and dedication, establishing their presence in the digital community.
Kevin Pinto is a Goan influencer who runs the page @wander_with_kevin. Through the use of well edited reels and stunning photography, Kevin shares his travels with over 22,000 followers. His reels capture the scenic beauty of the locations featured in his travels while also being informative, highlighting must visit destinations and fun activities as well providing travel ideas for his followers. Some of his reels even explore popular destinations for Goan tourists, such as Kashmir and Vietnam, while also suggesting a particular itinerary for them.
How has his life changed after Instagram? Kevin says, “Instagram has had a positive influence on my life. I definitely enjoy doing the whole process of travelling and creating content. The task is stressful sometimes, but I still make sure I enjoy the entire process of travelling and content creation.” While gaining followers and reaching as many people as possible is part and parcel of being an influencer on Instagram, Kevin’s motivation centres on his love of travel and the ways that he can share his experiences with his followers. “On the other hand, I always keep one thing in mind, which is that I am travelling because I love it. I love doing what I’m doing and producing content for my page on Instagram comes into the picture later on. Instagram is just a way to portray my travels and share my experiences with people. I am conscious of how my content can help others to travel too. It is more about giving to the community.”
The process of running an Instagram page has been a learning experience for Kevin. “After becoming a travel influencer on Instagram, I have learnt so much more about Goa and other places through the whole process of content creation. I’ve learnt that Goa has so much more than beaches and learnt about our Goan culture and heritage.”
Kevin discusses the impact that Instagram has had on content creators and how it has changed the way that they view the world around them. “Instagram has definitely had a strong impact, especially for us influencers. Speaking as a traveler, Instagram has considerably changed ways of how we explore.”
The evolution of Instagram and the shift of users content preference has impacted the way that influencers structure and present their content. The launch and aggressive promotion of reels by Instagram has opened up a new avenue for information dissemination via short form video content. With increased exposure to information on the internet, users now look for informative and engaging content rather that attracts the eyes while stimulating the brain. This demand has changed the way local influencers approach their work and increased the sense of responsibility they feel towards their followers when it comes to providing quality content. “Earlier as a travel influencer, the focus was more based on sharing content regarding places that were termed as “beautiful locations” only, but then the way of how travel pages put it out for the community to see changed over time. On Instagram, people started to seek an informative perspective- informative reels, informative content and that’s how it has changed over all these years. So whenever I have to create travel content, I make sure I cover all these aspects and my travel habits have evolved to adapt to this change of content consumption on Instagram,” Kevin says.
As local audiences become increasingly discerning and Goan influencers start to attract followers from beyond state borders, the standard that creators adhere to has also been raised. “As a travel influencer, I adhere to travel habits that help me deliver “informative travel content” to my audience and not just show glimpses of a particular place or location. As someone running a page with a sizeable following, there is always this thing behind your back that your audience will have certain expectations from you and your content and you somehow need to maintain or surpass those standards,” Kevin says.
