Influencer Diplomacy: A Tightrope of Reach & Responsibility

Influencers are the new age royalties. They have an army of followers and a treasury of outreach. In today’s digital era, social media influencers have undoubtedly emerged as prominent voices in national and global affairs. They have moved beyond just being ‘trendsetters’, to influencing public thought, opinion and diplomacy. Influencers have built a community following on pillars of trust and credibility. Oftentimes, one hashtag, one photo, one reel has the ability to capture more attention from an influencer, than the state can capture through their own official channels. Influencers act as opinion leaders who can amplify government messages while fostering nuanced, relatable story-telling.

Individual Influence and Global Engagement

Individuals on their own accord have made strides in fostering better relations internationally. One notable example is ‘Paul Cabbanes’, a French influencer based in Brazil. Cabbanes collaborative posts with the French Embassy in Brazil have increased engagement rate in the embassy’s official profile by a minimum of seven thousand percent and the reaction has been largely positive. This partnership represents that influencers can be a bridge in connecting people and official narratives. Governments across the world are becoming increasingly cognizant of the power that influencers hold in swaying public opinion and shaping narratives and have created their own policies to cash in influencers’ follower base in matters of cultural outflow, building country’s positive image or dealing with cross border issues.

Harnessing Influencers: Key Global Examples and Multilateral Initiatives

South Korea has undoubtedly been a trailblazer in soft power diplomacy and to this effect the government in 2023 launched an expat influencer program: “Visit Korea Year 2023” , inviting influencers from 45 countries. Under this programme influencers were sponsored by the government to visit Korea to post trendy hashtags, upload aesthetic reels and share immersive stories from their travels. The government also awarded influencers who made outstanding efforts to showcase Korean culture to the world in the K-Wave Festival.

China in the beginning of 2025 invited influencers from Indonesia, but the government had a deeper agenda, than just cultural export. The Chinese Government had a two-pronged objective behind this. First, to combat the criticism around Chinese policies in Xinjiang regarding its treatment of Indonesia's Uyghur Muslim minority and second, to present its Belt and Road Initiative as the ‘golden goose’ for the Indonesian economy.

The United Kingdom (U.K), went another step forward and engaged influencers for a prolonged issue: illegal immigrants coming in through the English Channel. The government used public funds to inform the public about the penalties and repercussions. As a result, it has significantly reduced the number of illegal immigrants entering the U.K.

Multilateral Institutions have also capitalised on Influencers. In 2024, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) invited 16 influencers to Washington, D.C. in a debut effort to connect with the younger generation. The United Nations Organisation (UNO) has also capitalised on Influencers to act as catalysts to sustainable development goals in climate and gender justice.

India's Emerging Strategy in Global Influencer Diplomacy

India has stepped up its game in engaging with influencers. The entire idea is to tell the ‘India Story’ to the world. In 2018, the Government of India launched an initiative called ‘The Great India Blog Train’, under which sixty bloggers from 23 countries were invited to promote Indian destinations through blogs, videos, and photos that showcase their experience of Indian luxury trains. In 2024, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also initiated similar projects as that of China and South Korea, to enhance its cultural diplomacy and maintain a positive image of India. MEA invited influencers from neighbouring countries of Sri Lanka and Nepal but further expanded its policy to Europe as well broadening its international influencer diplomacy efforts. India is still catching up, in leveraging its influencers on a global scale, but a slower system is a robust system. It gives time for the government to formulate a nuanced plan.

Navigating the Challenges of Influencer Diplomacy

As we traversed through continents, it is quite evident that influencers are slowly becoming digital agents of their home countries. Despite its benefits, it carries inherent challenges. A major challenge is measuring the impact that influencers have in diplomacy in real terms, as high engagement rates don’t always turn into behavioural changes. Nonetheless, Influencer’s role in diplomacy is growing at an accelerated pace and it is here to stay.

Influencers can attract a diverse group of people but it can also lead to state actors losing control of the narrative. Influencers may depart from facts and choose to portray a different picture based on their beliefs or commercial gain by disregarding national interest. Recent evidence of the same phenomena is coming out of Afghanistan. Influencers from the United States of America and Europe have bolstered tourism in Afghanistan despite strict travel advisory from their home country as it has become the new destination of influencers for minting money. Influencers are prioritising narratives that differ from actual facts in order to generate views while completely ignoring ground realities. An influencer from Germany shared her experience saying “she felt like a queen” but when questioned about the plight of Afghan women she said, “women have value, and they are valued as precious.” It is a reality that Afghan women have suffered the most under Taliban rule but influencers are busy presenting a white-washed version as it is against the set beliefs economic benefits.

The Way Forward: Achieving  a Fine Balance

The rise of influencer diplomacy marks a significant shift in how diplomacy has evolved, it has democratised diplomacy. Diplomats, politicians, journalists and NGOs have to learn to co-exist with these new royalties of the digital age.

The Governments need to familiarise the officials with informal engagement to  ensure that the policy messaging remains consistent and coherent across all platforms. In the long run an effective mechanism would be a dedicated team to analyse the risks and formulate future plans of engagement through influencers attached to Foreign Office. Such a team would provide oversight, identify potential gaps, and adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Additionally, implementing comprehensive training programs for influencers on ethical communication and the importance of accuracy in diplomatic messaging could further strengthen the credibility and effectiveness of influencer diplomacy. Ultimately, influencer diplomacy is not only the democratization of diplomatic channels but also a fundamental step towards a more participative, transparent, and resilient global relations. Thus, the state actors must walk on a tightrope ensuring a fine balance between reach and responsibility.