PM’s Insta push for political leaders: What should be the game plan?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently asked Union Cabinet ministers to become more active on Instagram, create Reels and connect with young people, encouraging them to move beyond X (formerly Twitter) and use short videos to explain government schemes and their work.

The advice appears to have had an immediate impact. Data verified by exchange4media from influencer marketing platform Qoruz, based on the Instagram accounts of 30 Union Cabinet ministers, shows total posts increased 13%, from 374 during July 13-19 to 423 during July 20-26.

The increase was not across the board, but 11 of the 30 ministers posted more frequently in the second week. Giriraj Singh's posts rose from 32 to 60, while External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar more than doubled his activity from 15 posts to 35. Union Minister Virendra Kumar also posted 60 times during the week.

"Young people are just on Instagram. This is a potential segment of citizens that we all need to connect with," Modi said during the Cabinet meeting.

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Modi also led by example, posting three Reels on his own Instagram account soon after asking ministers to become more active on the platform.  

But, as ministers will increase their presence on Instagram, marketing agencies say political communication is beginning to look more like creator-led content, with greater focus on short videos, storytelling and community building. At the same time, they believe political campaigns require a different approach from brand campaigns because they are centred on people, governance and public trust rather than products. 

Gautam Madavan, Founder of Xley AI and former Founder of Mad Influence, told exchange4media,"We already work with the Government of India, but not on political campaigns. There's a big difference. Political work requires a separate team because it involves extensive research. It's deeply personal and cannot be fully computerised. The playbook also has to be different. The current approach is often about bringing others down, but the new playbook should be about how you can help people grow and succeed. As a voter, that's what I want to know. That's why political communication works very differently."

Ayush Shukla, Founder of Finnet Media, said, political content creation differs fundamentally from brand marketing because politicians function as personal brands built on credibility and track record rather than products. While he said his company has been approached for political work in the past, it has stayed away from the space and would avoid campaigns that promote extreme ideological positions.

"A political party is essentially a personal brand. Unlike consumer brands, the playbook is built on proof of work and credibility. We'll never take up content that is far left or far right," Shukla told e4m.

Shukla claimed Instagram will witness a sharp rise in political content over the next two to three years as governments, political parties and leaders increasingly recognise the platform's influence among young voters.

"Instagram is going to see a lot of ministerial and political content because governments have realised how important the platform is. Once everyone enters the space, Gen Z and Gen Alpha will eventually move to a new social platform, just like they did when Facebook became mainstream," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late-night Instagram Reels also sparked a wave of reactions from creators, with many joking about the timing of the posts while others analysed the content like any other creator upload.

Rather than simply praising the videos, several marketing creators and social media professionals offered constructive feedback. They said the Reels could have opened with a stronger hook in the first three seconds to grab attention, featured more visually engaging backgrounds and used trending audio to improve discoverability and reach.

Others felt the messaging was clear but said the videos could better reflect Instagram's native style of storytelling, arguing that a faster pace and more platform-first execution would help the content connect more effectively with younger audiences.