by Khalid Mustafa
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has seen big digital changes recently. The area, once held back by its location and infrastructure, is now seeing more internet use, smartphone ownership, and social-media use. Almost every business, from craftspeople and local sellers to small tourism businesses, has started using Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp to get noticed and connect with customers.
Social media has become a way to link local businesses with customers around the world. Items like Pashmina shawls, papier-mâché decorations, saffron, and Kashmiri dried fruits are now seen on social media all over India and elsewhere. But this change has also brought some unexpected issues, like the increase in unregistered influencers and misleading online ads. It’s important to understand how these things affect how customers connect with businesses in J&K to see both the good and bad sides of this digital age.
How Digital Changes Impact Engagement: Before, customer connection in J&K was mainly built through personal contact. A customer would meet a seller at a market in Srinagar, talk about prices, and build trust through face-to-face interaction. Social media has changed this. Now, likes, comments, shares, and direct messages are how customers and sellers get in touch.
This digital change has made marketing more accessible: small businesses can reach many people without spending a lot on advertising. Handicraft groups and craftspeople who work from home use Instagram reels to show their products, while cafes and tour companies use influencers to get customers. Studies have found that digital media has greatly increased support for Kashmiri handloom and handicraft businesses. But this easier access has also created problems. As more sellers join social platforms, there’s more competition. The focus often changes from being real to getting attention, pushing businesses to try to please algorithms instead of building relationships. For customers, this can lead to too much information, confusion, and not wanting to connect.
Unregistered Local Influencers: A Problem and a Benefit: One of the most obvious things about J&K’s new social-media world is the rise of local influencers. Many are young people who gain followers by mixing lifestyle content with promoting products. They bring a local feel that appeals to people in the area. When used responsibly, these influencers can really improve customer connection by making brands seem more relatable. But many of these influencers work without being registered, having clear guidelines, or being professionally responsible. These unregistered influencers create both chances and risks for customers and sellers.
On the plus side, they give local people a voice and help small businesses get noticed. A local baker or clothing store might see quick growth after an influencer mentions them. But without rules, influencer marketing in J&K can become unethical. Many promote products without checking their quality, exaggerate discounts, or don’t mention when they’re being paid to promote something.
Local news sources in Kashmir have already mentioned this, warning that the need for likes and followers sometimes leads influencers to “promote bad products and untrue claims”. Customers who trust these influencers, especially in smaller towns, can feel misled when products don’t meet their expectations. This not only hurts the influencer’s image but also reduces trust in online marketing in general. When customers feel tricked, they stop connecting, stop trusting similar promotions, and share bad reviews. For small sellers who depend on their local reputation, this can be very harmful.
Another issue is the difference between getting attention and making sales. Many influencer campaigns in J&K get views but not many actual sales. The posts might get clicks and comments, but without a good sales process (like clear links, shipping options, or customer service), the attention doesn’t lead to profit. Sellers, who often don’t understand digital analytics, end up wasting money without seeing results.
So, unregistered influencers in J&K show both the energy and the weaknesses of local digital marketing. They make connection personal and easy but can also hurt trust when ethical or practical rules are ignored.
How Local Social Media Marketing Affects Sellers: Besides influencers, many local sellers have started using social-media marketing themselves. From clothing stores in Jammu to saffron farmers in Pampore, business owners now use social platforms as their main way to advertise. This change has given sellers more power than ever before. Social media removes the need for middlemen, allowing craftspeople to connect directly with buyers across India and the world. It allows them to share their history, skills, and problems, creating an emotional connection with their audience. But these benefits come with serious problems. One is too much competition. With almost every small business online, social media is full of similar posts and deals. It becomes hard to stand out, and to get attention, sellers often use exaggerated promotions or big discounts, which reduces their profits.
Another problem is that customers’ expectations are rising. Social media makes it seem like things should be fast and professional—customers expect quick replies, fast deliveries, and perfect products. But many sellers in J&K work in remote areas with unreliable shipping and limited resources. The difference between what’s promised on social media and what actually happens leads to unhappy customers, negative reviews, and not wanting to connect.
The third issue is knowing what content to prioritize. Sellers often think that getting views is the same as getting connection. A post with many likes might seem successful, but real connection means conversations, sales, and regular interaction. Without building customer relationships, the views don’t mean much.
Finally, depending on algorithms and paid promotion adds another problem. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook often show sponsored content first. For small sellers with small budgets, it’s almost impossible to reach people without paying for ads. Some eventually stop using online marketing after not seeing the results they hoped for.
Despite these problems, sellers who use social media in an honest and consistent way, sharing their own stories instead of copying big brands, tend to build lasting customer relationships. Customers in J&K and other places respond better to real stories than to perfect but impersonal campaigns.
Misleading Sales Promotions and What They Lead To: A growing issue in J&K’s social-media world is the spread of fake or misleading sales promotions. Posts promising “50% off,” “exclusive limited-time deals,” or “cashback for first buyers” often get attention but don’t deliver. Sometimes, sellers raise original prices to make it seem like there’s a big discount. Other times, influencers promote deals without checking if they’re real. The result is easy to predict: customers feel cheated. Some get bad-quality products or nothing at all. Others find hidden rules after paying. In an area where online shopping is still becoming popular, even a few bad experiences can hurt people’s view of it.
The damage goes beyond just one transaction. When customers realize they’ve been tricked, they become more careful and less likely to connect with future promotions, even if they’re real. This loss of trust hurts the entire social-media marketing world. Honest sellers suffer along with those who trick people because customers can’t easily tell the difference.
Fake promotions also mess up how we measure engagement. A misleading sale might get many clicks, but these are shallow interactions, built on excitement, not trust. Once customers realize they’ve been tricked, they unfollow, post complaints, or warn others in comments. Negative reviews spread quickly on social platforms and WhatsApp groups, especially in J&K’s close communities.
For small local businesses, this loss of image can be fatal. Unlike big brands that can change their image or give refunds to customers, local sellers depend on direct relationships with the community. Just one viral complaint can destroy years of hard work. So, while social-media promotions can get attention and traffic, fake or exaggerated deals end up destroying engagement, trust, and customer loyalty – the very goals of marketing.
Broader effects on the Local area: Together, these trends – unregistered influencers, sellers competing too much, and fake promotions – have changed how customers connect in Jammu and Kashmir.
On the good side, digital marketing has made opportunities more equal. Small sellers can now reach people far beyond their local markets. Young influencers, many still students, earn money by creating content. Customers get to see diverse local products, often delivered straight from the craftspeople. Social media also encourages openness: customers can comment publicly, hold sellers responsible, and share their experiences right away. On the bad side, the area’s base of trust is weak. The lack of rules, limited understanding of digital tools, and poor delivery systems create room for wrong information and taking advantage of people. When customers lose trust in online sellers or influencers, they stop connecting. Instead of building communities, platforms become full of doubt and complaints.
For many sellers, the costs of having a strong online presence things like photo shoots, ads, influencer fees often outweigh the benefits. Some go back to selling in traditional ways after failing online. Meanwhile, customers who were once excited to connect start ignoring online deals completely. This situation could stop the area’s digital growth. If customers and sellers lose trust, social media’s potential to create economic equality in J&K might not happen.
Working Towards Honest and Lasting Engagement: To use social-media marketing’s benefits while reducing its harms, J&K’s businesses, influencers, and customers must grow together. Sellers should focus on being real instead of copying others. Sharing true stories about where they come from, their skills, and their community creates emotional connection that lasts longer than discount deals. They should also improve their shipping and customer service to make sure that what they promise online is what customers experience in person. Influencers, especially those who aren’t officially registered, need to realize the responsibility they have. Saying when they’re being sponsored, checking products, and giving honest reviews will build trust much better than short-term hype. The trust they keep today will decide how relevant they are in the future.
Customers also have a part in this. They should look at social-media deals with interest but also with caution. Checking sellers, reading reviews, and sharing feedback publicly helps keep things open. On a larger scale, local organizations and trade groups could start voluntary certification programs for influencers or run campaigns to teach about ethical digital marketing. Even basic workshops on real branding, customer rights, and ways to complain online would improve the quality of engagement.
Finally, improvements to infrastructure better internet, easier ways to pay, reliable delivery will close the gap between digital interest and actually getting what customers want, turning quick clicks into lasting customer relationships.
Let me Conclude the article in brief: The story of social-media marketing in Jammu and Kashmir shows both its power and its weaknesses. It has given a voice to local creators, expanded markets for small sellers, and connected customers across borders. But it has also shown the problems with trust, ethics, and actually making things work.
Unregistered influencers, unchecked promotions, and too much dependence on online hype have made customer connection both easier to get and easier to lose. In J&K’s sensitive business world, where personal image still matters a lot, digital trust has become the new important thing. Lasting customer engagement in the area will depend on how responsibly this digital change is handled. Sellers must focus on value and reliability. Influencers must protect honesty. And customers must connect thoughtfully, not blindly. If these people learn to balance creativity with trust, J&K’s social-media economy can become a model of fair commerce that includes everyone, is ethical, and creates deep connection.
But if the rush for followers, likes, and quick wins continues without being checked, social-media marketing may leave behind not a good connection, but disappointment and lost trust.
Author Is an IT & Management Professional. He can be reached at er.khalidmustafashah@gmail.com
