Have Influencer BFFs Cracked Another Audience Engagement Code?

Who doesn’t love a best friend duo? The laughter, the shared secrets, the inside jokes – it’s a dynamic that instantly warms hearts. And when your favorite influencers share content with their best friends, it’s even better! Influencer BFFs for the win!

But..it’s not just about sharing some BFF moments on the internet. A piece published in “Stanford Business Insights” has its own take on this. Yu Ding, an assistant professor of marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business, has been exploring the dynamics of social media engagement through his daily Instagram posts featuring an elm tree.

Observations by his colleague Jaeyeon Chung’s sparked his curiosity and this led to a research project with Chung and Ajay Kalra. They investigated whether Instagram influencers’ engagement increases when they include close friends, family, and romantic partners in their posts. Their study analyzed over 55,000 posts from the top 1,000 most-followed Instagram accounts and found that posts featuring personal connections received nearly 9% more engagement. This finding underscores the importance of authenticity and relatability in influencer marketing.

The researchers theorized that audiences crave genuine connections. Seeing influencers with their friends and family makes them appear more authentic and relatable. Additionally, humans are naturally curious, and glimpses into influencers’ personal lives are enticing. Is it any wonder, that a lot of influencers have been tapping into this for higher engagement? And whether it’s true or not for all of them, it is something for audiences to consider.

Nonetheless, we love seeing our favourite influencers out and about with their best friends! And why not? After all, we’re all in it for the content!

Mitali & Summiyya

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A post shared by Mitali & Summiyya (@houseofmisu)

Mitali and Summiyya, the dynamic duo behind “House of Misu,” are more than just best friends; they’re amongst the most successful fashion and beauty influencers in India. From a childhood friendship forged at the age of six to running their business together, they’ve come a long way. From showcasing their personal style with “OOTD” (Outfit of the Day) posts, to travelling with their partners, this BFF duo does almost everything together. What really sets them apart is their undeniable chemistry and unwavering support for each other over the years! Imagine living the work-and-travel dream with your best friend like these two!

Kritika & Shivesh

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A post shared by Shivesh Bhatia (@shivesh17)

Another BFF influencer duo we adore is that of Kritika Khurana and Shivesh Bhatia! While Shivesh has carved a niche as a celebrated baker (Bake With Shivesh), Kritika, known as “Thatbohogirl” on Instagram, reigns supreme in the fashion world. From luxurious getaways to swanky dinners, their adventures paint a picture of ultimate BFF goals. It’s been a long ride from meeting as strangers in Singapore years ago to working on collabs in Switzerland together now! Despite fan speculation about a potential romance, Shivesh and Kritika are just best friends!

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A post shared by Shivesh Bhatia (@shivesh17)

Ankush & Shibani

Ankush Bahuguna and Shibani Bedi transitioned from reel to real-life best friends in no time. Their dynamic content and impeccable comic timing in duo videos are a fan-favourite for both these influencers. Their on-screen chemistry is so convincing that many find it hard to believe they aren’t a couple—they’d make a perfect pair! Together, they’ve done it all, from working on the short film “Almost” to creating countless hilarious reels that leave viewers in stitches. Their series of videos as an elderly Indian couple are especially popular, along with the makeup videos featuring Shibani on Ankush’s other handle. In an interview with abp Live, Ankush even shared that his favourite co-creator to work with is Shibani and that he has immense respect for her talent.

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A post shared by Ankush Bahuguna (@ankushbahuguna)

Friendship and a love for laughter are the cornerstones of the hugely successful Youtube channel, Funcho. Shyam Sharma and Dhruv Shah, the influencer BFFs behind Funcho, discovered their true calling for entertainment during their engineering days. A shared passion for acting blossomed onstage in a college play, igniting a desire to make people laugh. Even after graduation, their bond remained strong. It was during this time that Shyam, the bigger “drama king,” began creating short, funny videos on the rising platform Snapchat. Sharing them with friends was just the spark that ignited their comedic journey together. Over time, they went on to create and build Funcho to the success it is today!

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A post shared by Dhruv & Shyam (@funcho)

The rise of best friend influencer duos is more than just a trend; it’s a shift towards giving audiences the real connections and relatable content they seek these days. As the influencer world continues to grow, one thing’s for sure: these influencer BFFs are here to stay!