How Indian Facebook Influencers Find Brand Deals in United Kingdom
The British skin is sensitive. Most soaps made in India, for example, will damage a British face, something that influencers from India advertising such soaps have found out the hard way.
While experience is a great teacher, some Indian influencers have figured out how to avoid pitfalls in the UK market altogether and are reaping lucrative rewards for their accomplishments in brand deals on Facebook.
☕ Facebook, the preferred platform for Indian influencers in UK
Facebook is the preferred platform for Indian influencers in the UK and a wealth of lucrative opportunities.
“Facebook has a more Indian audience than any other platform, including Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok,” says influencer marketing manager for Inspira Ascend, Shabaz Khan.
Established in 2005, Facebook has maintained its relevance in India, particularly among older demographics.
With 330 million monthly active users as of 2023, India is the largest Facebook market by a significant distance. The UK ranks eighth with 54.82 million users.
Of the 330 million active accounts in India, a conservative estimate of around 60 million users is based in Europe, much of them in the United Kingdom.
For perspective, Facebook ranks as the most popular social media platform in India boasting more monthly active users than even Google.
🍯 Virtual Pandits and a taste of home
“Many of our clients looking for brand partnerships in the UK are influencers offering virtual pandit services,” says Khan.
Hindu rituals and ceremonies are not commonly performed in the UK, and many Indians living there have turned to the internet for solutions.
Khan cites a recent deal brokered for a client named Bansari.
Bansari, a pandit operating out of Kanpur, India, was invited to London in July 2023 to perform the Satyanarayan Puja, a Hindu ceremony conducted to please the deity Satyanarayan, an incarnation of the god Vishnu.
“I was contacted by a representative of a client interested in authorizing Bansari to perform the Puja for his family,” Khan recalls of the situation that unfolded over Facebook Messenger.
Khan followed up with Bansari and informed him a 50 percent deposit was required before he could proceed.
“Bansari quickly made the payment of $7000 for a deposit and I connected him with the client,” Khan stated.
“Bansari was flown out to London in August 2023 to perform the Puja and he retained the remaining $7000 as his fee.”
Khan asserts that Facebook is essential for Indian influencers seeking lucrative brand deals in the UK because it allows them to connect with clients like Bansari and others directly.
💰 Payment options
“Facebook allows Indian influencers to connect with clients in the UK without intermediaries,” Khan continues.
This saves influencers time and money typically spent on promotional costs.
Moreover, Facebook has an extensive payment system that permits transactions from India to the UK.
Business accounts can utilize electronic fund transfers, debit and credit cards, and even local payment methods such as UPI.
Khan states that while Facebook does charge transaction fees with some payment options, the cost is more than offset by influencer earnings in lucrative brand deals.
“Most influencers charge a 20% commission on payments they receive from clients for brand deals,” Khan explains, adding that transactions can be free of fees depending on the payment option.
“Facebook users with the Meta Business account can utilize the transfer feature via Meta Pay which allows fund transfers to other Meta Pay accounts without incurring fees.”
It’s an option that most of Khan’s clients utilize to receive payments for lucrative brand deals.
🌸 Beauty and fashion products for the conscientious influencer
The Indian fashion and beauty market is the largest in the world and is booming.
India’s beauty market is ranked the third largest in Asia and is projected to reach $29 billion by 2025.
Beauty products, especially skin creams, soaps, hair care, and cosmetics, are leading brand deals for Indian influencers in the UK.
“Many of our clients are beauty and fashion influencers seeking sponsorships in the UK,” says Khan.
Khan cites prominent influencer from Jaipur, Rajasthan, Payal Sahni, as an example.
“Payal has over 1.1 million followers on Facebook and she receives around 300 enquiries a month from brands looking to partner with her,” says Khan.
“Almost half of those enquiries are from brands in the UK. When I inquired about the reason for this, she stated it is because her Facebook audience is more than 80% UK based.”
Khan shares that Sahni specializes in beauty tutorials using products that are made in the UK.
“Payal told me she is very conscientious when it comes to her audience and only uses brands that are suitable for those with more sensitive skin types,” Khan continues.
“Unlike lotions made in India that can be too oily for the British skin, most lotions made in the UK are lightweight and perfect for Indian skin textures.”
Khan mentions another client, Anjali Arora, a fashion influencer from Delhi that specializes in Indian outfits.
“With a growing UK audience, particularly among British Indians, Anjali has been approached by many UK-based brands to promote their products,” Khan states.
“Anjali recently secured a deal with a brand that makes kanjeevaram sarees. Many British Indians wear traditional dresses for festivals, weddings, and other ceremonial occasions, and Anjali’s Facebook audience is eager to purchase these sarees because they are authentic and made in India.”
Khan mentions that Sahni and Arora have a strained relationship because of their competing interests in securing brand deals within the same niche.
🏴☠️ The dangers of Facebook ads
Facebook is a double-edged sword for Indian influencers seeking brand deals in the UK.
“With such a large Facebook audience in India, many fraudulent scammers posing as influencers are fleecing brands,” says Khan.
“The reality is that there are far fewer influencers than are claiming to be one.”
Khan explains that scammers are running rampant in the Indian influencer scene in the UK and that brands should beware of routine red flags.
“Scammers can be quite convincing and will often waste valuable time that brands could expend connecting with legitimate influencers,” warns Khan.
“If you suspect a scammer, you can ask them to do a Facebook Live stream to verify their identity. You can randomly ask them questions such as their favorite things or where they grew up. Scammers typically flounder when asked personal questions.”
Khan shares that many of the inquiries he gets from UK brands seeking Indian influencers are inquiries regarding scams.
“They inform me they have been swindled and are looking for real influencers instead. They share stuff like the influencer claimed to have 500,000 followers but lacked an audience.”
Another common scam involves scammers claiming to be agents representing influencers, typically using business profiles claiming to be Meta verified.
“Such imposters will ask brands to make deposits before they can connect them with influencers. Brands should beware of these scams and go directly to the influencer profiles when looking for one.”
🧿 Real influencers connect in groups
The Facebook groups feature has been a game changer for Indian influencers seeking lucrative brand deals in the UK.
“Many of our clients were able to access their first brand deals in the UK by simply joining Facebook groups dedicated to influencer marketing,” says Khan.
“Influencers can connect directly with brands looking for them, and many brands can also find agents, marketing managers, or influencer marketing platforms representing influencers. Facebook groups are very robust in this regard.”
Khan cites the group Indian Influencers Worldwide, which boasts over 150,000 members, as an example.
He says that many Facebook groups geared towards Indian influencers also feature opportunities for UK brands seeking Indian influencers.
“Many of the brands that post in these groups are looking for influencers based in the UK or who have a UK-based audience,” explains Khan.
🎰 The future of Indian influencers in the UK brand deal market
Are you an Indian influencer seeking brand deals in the UK? Or a brand looking to connect with Indian influencers?
You can contact Khan via his Facebook profile to discuss suitable options available to you.
Shabaz Khan is a notable influencer marketing manager for India’s premier influencer marketing platform, Inspira Ascend.
As influencer marketing continues to grow in India, brands are increasingly turning to reputable influencer marketing platforms to connect with influencers.
Thanks to platforms like Inspira Ascend, the future of Indian influencers seeking brand deals in the UK looks brighter than ever.