Credibility trumps clout in Singapore’s influencer landscape

Influence in Singapore is increasingly defined by credibility rather than spectacle or follower count, according to new data from Meltwater’s influencer intelligence platform, Klear.

Findings from Meltwater’s "State of social report 2026" show that while brands continue to prioritise social media for awareness, sustained influence in a crowded digital environment is built on consistency, cultural relevance and audience trust, rather than short-term virality.

The data points to a distinctly Singaporean model of influence, where lifestyle, cultural and institutional figures coexist at the top of the rankings. On Instagram, creators such as Sonia Chew and Annette Lee ranked among the platform’s most influential voices, alongside public figures president Tharman Shanmugaratnam and prime minister Lawrence Wong.

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On TikTok, entertainment, lifestyle and community-driven creators led the platform in 2025, with Jayley Woo, Taufik Batisah and DEBBIE.S emerging as the most influential accounts.

In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Ramnath Bojeesh, country manager for Southeast Asia and India at Meltwater, said creators are assessed within the context of each platform rather than through a single, blended score. While Klear allows brands to evaluate performance across platforms, influence is measured separately on Instagram and TikTok to reflect differences in audience behaviour and engagement patterns.

“At the scoring level, a creator like Annette Lee will have distinct influence measurements on Instagram and TikTok, each reflecting how effectively she earns attention and engagement from real audiences on that platform,” Bojeesh said. “When a creator performs strongly across multiple platforms, it suggests their influence is not dependent on a single algorithm, but on a point of view that audiences trust.”

The report noted that these creators perform strongly not due to algorithmic spikes or niche appeal, but because of their ability to deliver coherent, repeatable storytelling that audiences recognise and return to over time. This consistency, Bojeesh added, is increasingly important as digital spaces become more saturated with content, including AI-generated material.

For brands, the findings signal a need to rethink how influencers are selected. Bojeesh said creator partnerships should move beyond scale and short-term performance, toward credibility and alignment.

“Influence today is less about how many people see a post, and more about whether audiences trust the voice behind it,” he said, adding that repeatable storytelling and long-term partnerships tend to outperform one-off, reach-driven activations. Brands should also be more selective about platform choice, ensuring creators are strongest where campaign objectives matter most.

Across platforms, what distinguishes top-ranking influencers is the legitimacy they hold within their respective spaces. Bojeesh noted that creators who consistently outperform their follower count are often those with clear authority over a specific narrative or community.

“In Singapore, figures such as Sonia Chew and Taufik Batisah stand out not because they are the loudest voices, but because their relevance is rooted in cultural and community resonance,” he said. “This shows up through sustained engagement rather than short-lived spikes.”

The shift away from virality is not limited to Singapore. Bojeesh said similar patterns are emerging across APAC markets, including the Philippines, where audiences are becoming more selective about who they pay attention to.

“Virality still matters, but it no longer builds or sustains long-term influence,” he said. “What does is authority, community relevance and consistency, regardless of platform or market.”

Here are the top-ranking influencers on Instagram and TikTok: 

Top 10 Singapore influencers on Instagram (2025):

1. Noah Yap (94)
2. MING (89)
3. Kimberly Haley Wang (88)
4. Nathan Hartono (88)
5. Sonia Chew (87)
6. Tharman Shanmugaratnam (87)
7. YOSUKE (87)
8. Lawrence Wong (87)
9. Annette Lee (87)
10. Carrine Low (87)

Top 10 Singapore influencers on TikTok (2025):

1. Jayley Woo (93)
2. Taufik Batisah (92)
3. DEBBIE.S (92)
4. Melissa Celestine Koh (89)
5. Denise Soong (88)
6. Glenn Yong (88)
7. Lawrence Wong (87)
8. Carrine Low (87)
9. Annette Lee (87)
10. Julynn Lau (86)

The emphasis on credibility aligns with broader shifts in social media behaviour. In 2025, crowded feeds and trend fatigue prompted audiences to seek slower, more meaningful digital experiences, according to Battenhall’s "Year ahead in 2026" report. Users pushed back against viral-first content, favouring storytelling, community engagement, and formats that reflected authenticity over spectacle.

The report highlights five forces shaping social media this year, from Gen Alpha’s values-driven expectations and the rise of AI-supported influencers to the resurgence of community-led platforms and long-form content. For brands, the lesson is clear: influence is no longer about chasing trends or controlling narratives. Instead, success comes from participating in culture, fostering trust, and delivering consistent, resonant storytelling that audiences choose to engage with repeatedly.

Photo courtesy of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Facebook.

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