Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms in Singapore, with over 2.8 million users as of 2022. Many Instagrammers from Singapore have gained immense popularity by sharing content related to lifestyle, fashion, travel, food, and more. But among the endless feed of Instagram profiles, who is the most popular Instagrammer from Singapore?
How Instagram grew in popularity in Singapore
Launched in 2010, Instagram started gaining popularity in Singapore around 2012-2013. The visual nature of the platform along with features like hashtags and geotagging made it enticing for users to share photos and videos of their daily lives. By 2016, there were over 1 million Instagram users in Singapore. Some key reasons for the rapid growth of Instagram here include:
- Rise of smartphone and mobile internet penetration – With more people owning smartphones, accessing Instagram became easier.
- Visual appeal – Singaporeans love taking photos of food, travel adventures, fashion items etc and Instagram provided the perfect platform to share these visually appealing shots.
- Influencer marketing – Brands started collaborating with popular Instagram profiles for promotions and campaigns. Being an influencer became a lucrative career.
- FOMO – With everyone being on Instagram, Singaporeans didn’t want to miss out on what others were sharing.
The booming popularity also gave rise to many local Instagram influencers and personalities across different niches like fashion, travel, food, fitness, parenting, etc. But over the years, some names have shone brighter than others when it comes to popularity and fan following.
Key metrics to measure Instagram popularity
There are a few key metrics that can determine an Instagram profile’s popularity and influence:
- Follower count – The number of followers a profile has is a clear indicator of their reach and audience.
- Engagement rate – The average percentage of followers that like and comment on posts shows how well the content resonates with audiences.
- Views – The number of views on IGTV videos and Reels gives insight into how intriguing the content is.
- Paid collaborations – Big brands collaborating with an influencer is a sign of their value and demand in the market.
While follower count is important, engagement rate is perhaps a more accurate metric for gauging true influence and connection with followers. Someone with 100,000 engaged followers may be more influential than someone with a million inactive bot followers!
The top Instagrammers in Singapore
Based on a combination of follower count, engagement metrics, collaborations and all-round buzz, here are some of the most popular Instagrammers from Singapore right now:
Xiaxue
With over 630,000 followers, Xiaxue (real name Wendy Cheng) is one of Singapore’s OG influencers. She started blogging in 2003 and gained fame for her bold writing style. Her Instagram features glam photos, funny Rants and details of her personal life. She has worked with many global brands like SK-II, Sephora, etc.
Naomi Neo
Naomi Neo is a fashion and lifestyle influencer with over 570,000 Instagram followers. She creates dreamy, high-quality content related to fashion, travel, food and more. She has scored collaborations with brands like Dyson, Estée Lauder, etc.
Narelle Kheng
As an actress, singer and TV host, Narelle Kheng has over 330,000 Instagram followers who love her girl-next-door vibe. She shares charming photos from her travels along with a peek into her everyday life. She often works with brands like Charles & Keith, L’Oréal etc.
Jianhao Tan
With over 1.7 million followers, Jianhao Tan has one of the fastest growing Instagram profiles in Singapore. He makes comedy skits on trending topics and collaborates with other Asian influencers too. He partners with brands like Shopee, Samsung, etc.
Nicole Changmin
Nicole is a fashion and beauty influencer with 390,000 Instagram followers. She shares makeup tutorials, stylish OOTD shots, luxury products and more. She has collaborated with Sephora, Dyson, Benefit Cosmetics and more.
Categories of top influencers
Beyond just these individuals, Singapore has many popular Instagrammers across niches like:
Food
Food Instagrammers like @sethlua, @daddydaydream and @sethhlua attract followers with mouthwatering food photos that make you hungry. Brands like McDonald’s, Domino’s, etc collaborate with them.
Fashion
Fashion influencers like @xiaxue, @naomineo and @cherylwltan post OOTD shots, clothing hauls, styling tips and more. They work with online stores and brands.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle influencers like @bungkusit and @xiaxue give a peek into their daily lives, relationships, home, and more. They often collaborate with household brands.
Travel
Travel influencers like @sethluatravels and @joannepeh capture dreamy photos from exotic destinations. Hotels, airlines, tourism boards work with them.
Fitness
Fitness influencers like @alexanderong and @fitspojaquan share workout tips, healthy eating advice, and fitness transformation journeys. Gyms, activewear brands collaborate with them.
Factors contributing to an influencer’s popularity in Singapore
What makes some Instagrammers so much more popular than others in the Singapore social media space? Here are some success factors:
- Relatability – Influencers who are relatable and showcase personalities that resonate with local audiences tend to be more popular here. Humble, funny and honest personalities get a stronger local following.
- Consistency – Posting regularly and maintaining a consistent theme/style of content helps influencers build stronger audience relationships over time.
- Engagement – Responding to comments, interacting with followers through IG Lives, polls etc. helps build deeper connections.
- Quality content – Good photography/videography, appealing aesthetics, and good editing typically attract more followers and engagement.
- Trend-based content – Creating content around topics trending amongst Singaporean audiences helps influencers stay relevant.
- Multilingual skills – Having the ability to create content in English, Chinese and even some Tamil helps appeal to broader Singapore audiences.
Major trends observed among popular Instagrammers in Singapore
Analyzing the content style and strategy of the top influencers reveals some key trends:
- Showcasing luxury – From flashy clothes to fine dining, luxury-focused content attracts aspirations and envy.
- Humor and memes – Comedy focused content helps influencers connect with youth audiences.
- Advocating causes – Supporting social causes helps influencers show their progressive values.
- Responding to feedback – Addressing DM’s, comments and feedback shows they value audience opinions.
- Collaborating with brands – Partnering with both global and local brands gives the credibility of endorsement deals.
- Giveaways – Rewarding followers with generous giveaways keeps the audience engaged.
- Hashtag focused – Using popular hashtags helps content get discovered by larger audiences.
- Activism and politics – Sharing social/political commentary shows influencers are socially aware.
- Food photos – Vibrant images of local food dishes attract engagement from food-loving Singaporeans.
- Relatable challenges – Fun TikTok type challenges that everyday people can participate in as well go viral quickly.
Conclusion
To conclude, influencer marketing has experienced a meteoric rise in Singapore in line with surging Instagram usage. While various micro and nano influencers have sprouted, the big names like Xiaxue and Naomi Neo continue to dominate the scene when it comes to overall reach and impact. Relatability, quality content focused on trends, humor and a local lifestyle seem to be key factors that make these Instagrammers shine brighter than the rest. With their large and engaged follower base along with their reputation for delivering results, they remain the most sought after influencers for brands hoping to succeed on Instagram in Singapore.