Tailoring Health Messages for Migrant Audiences: The Role of Social Media Influencers in the COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper explores how social media influencers adapted their roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines how audiences increasingly relied on influencers for information and guidance as traditional sources were questioned (Pöyry et al., 2022). The paper investigates how influencers, particularly those with migration backgrounds, shaped public attitudes and behavior (Wang & Navarro Nicoletti, 2025). It further analyses the content shared by a group of Russian-speaking Instagram bloggers living across the world during the early months of the pandemic. Via the content analysis their collaborative efforts to provide real-time updates and promote quarantine measures were revealed. The findings demonstrate that Russian-speaking Instagram influencers with migration backgrounds played a pivotal role in shaping public perceptions of pandemic-related risks and appropriate behaviours. By combining personalized storytelling with consistent references to official guidelines, they effectively fostered trust and compliance, particularly within migrant communities often underserved by mainstream media. The paper offers insights into the evolving landscape of digital influence and the crucial role of social media in global health crises.