How Indian Instagram Influencers Find Brand Deals in Saudi Arabia
Right from celebrities to micro-influencers, a plethora of Indian influencers are storming into the Instagram influencer marketing industry of Saudi Arabia.
Given the vapid Instagram influencer marketing industry in India, especially for micro-influencers, many Indian influencers are scouting for brand deals on Instagram from Saudi Arabia.
But how do Indian influencers find these Saudi Arabian brand deals?
Here’s how.
📱 DMs Over Emails
In Saudi Arabia, companies prefer to reach out to influencers via direct messages on Instagram, rather than emails.
“Most Saudi Arabian companies prefer to reach out to influencers over Instagram DMs rather than emails, so we also DM influencers” says Mr. Ahmad, an influencer marketing manager at a Saudi Arabian company.
Moreover, even if the initial approach is made via emails, they’d also expect the influencer to DM them back for further communication.
“Initially we contact influencers via emails. But when they reply to us, we’d expect them to communicate via Instagram DMs” he adds.
Hence, influencers, if you are looking for Saudi Arabian brand deals on Instagram, ensure you check your DMs regularly.
Companies expect you to aggressively communicate with them for quick responses.
📊 Data-Driven Approach
A data-driven approach is undertaken when scouting for brand deals from Saudi Arabia.
Since Saudi Arabian companies prefer to reach out to influencers via Instagram DMs, many Indian influencers don’t have the luxury to be discovered by companies through their DMs. They have to approach companies themselves.
When scouting for brand deals from Saudi Arabia, Indian influencers first perform a hashtag analysis.
They type hashtags in Instagram’s search bar that are pertinent to the specific industry they want to work with. They check posts and stories of influencers, brands, and companies that pop up for their specific hashtags.
“From what I’ve seen, most Saudi Arabian companies post less frequently compared to Indian brands. This makes it easier to find Saudi Arabian brands. You can find them using hashtags relevant to the industry” says Shaik Rubina, a fashion and lifestyle influencer hailing from Andhra Pradesh.
But hashtags pertaining to the specific industry is not enough.
Many Indian influencers prefer to go one step further.
They explore the insights section of the Saudi Arabian brand’s Instagram profile to check their audience demographics.
They make sure the brand’s audience is aligned with their own audience demographics. This is crucial for successful influencer marketing campaigns.
They will check the percentage of the brand’s audience that is based in India.
They’ll also check other important metrics such as age, gender, and interests.
Only when everything checks out will they reach out to the Saudi Arabian brand.
🔑 Unlocking Brands’ Email Addresses
Many Instagram accounts of Saudi Arabian companies do not show their email addresses in their bios.
Influencers in India prefer working with companies that provide an email address in their bios for easy communication.
“Many Saudi Arabian companies don’t show their email addresses in their bios. We cannot contact them via emails unless they do. Hence, we check their Instagram profiles regularly to see if they have updated their bios to include their email addresses” Shaik Rubina adds.
To unlock the email address of Saudi Arabian brands on Instagram, their marketing team often requires influencers to DM them directly.
“If an influencer is interested to work with our brand, we ask them to DM us in order to unlock our email address” says Mr. Ahmad.
In other words, only by DMing can influencers obtain the email addresses of Saudi Arabian brands.
However, if you’re someone who does not want to play games then it’s best to only target companies that show their email addresses in their bios.
💬 Check Their Biographies
For Saudi Arabian companies, pledging mutual engagement in posts and stories is crucial when negotiating brand deals.
“Even if the influencer posts about our product, we still expect them to engage with our posts and stories as well as follow us on Instagram. This is stated in our influencer agreements” he adds.
Hence, Indian influencers who are scouting for brand deals from Saudi Arabia, should check out the marketing strategy of Saudi Arabian brands.
Influencers should check their biographies thoroughly to see if they have any requirements like the above. Only then they can negotiate successfully.
✈️ Seek Collaborations with Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian airlines often collaborate with influencers from across the world.
Saudi Arabian airlines have been keen on promoting the tourism of Saudi Arabia.
For instance, in January 2023, Saudi Arabian Airlines made headlines after they digitally transformed the cabin of an aircraft into a dazzling multi-sensory art installation.
They collaborated with French artist collective 5.5 to create this experience.
For those influencers who want to work with Saudi Arabian airlines, they can check the aviation fuel aspect of the industry.
Aviation fuel is critical to the operations of any airline company.
Very few influencers explore the aviation fuel aspect of the industry, hence there’s a high likelihood of getting noticed by Saudi Arabian airlines.
💰 Payment via Crypto
Often, payments are made in crypto when Indian influencers collaborate with Saudi Arabian brands on Instagram.
This is because the Indian Rupee cannot be converted to Riyals in the international Forex market.
Consequently, Saudi Arabian brands are unable to wire money to Indian bank accounts.
However, they can pay Indian influencers in crypto as it is currency-agnostic.
🗃️ Misleading Claims on Ads
Saudi Arabian brands often make misleading claims in their sponsored posts and stories on Instagram.
This is especially true for the health and nutrition sector.
“Saudi Arabian brands in the health and nutrition sector often make misleading claims about their products. Many Saudi Arabian brands also do not mention the paid partnership label in their sponsored posts and stories” says Mr. Rakesh, a Bengaluru-based influencer who works with Saudi Arabian brands.
Hence, Indian influencers who are scouting for brand deals from Saudi Arabia should be cautious about promoting dubious claims on Instagram.
☑️ Follow Local Guidelines
Saudi Arabia has its cultural norms which should be respected.
Highlights in Instagram accounts can be named in Arabic.
“Saudi Arabian companies usually prefer Highlights to be named in Arabic. For instance, a Saudi Arabian company deals in women abayas. They’d want the Highlights to be named in Arabic words that refer to clothing for women like ‘عبايات’ or ‘ملابس نسائية’” Mr. Ahmad adds.
Hence, Indian influencers who are scouting for brand deals from Saudi Arabia must follow local guidelines when working with Saudi Arabian brands on Instagram.
📢 FAQs
How much do Saudi Arabian influencers charge?
According to reports, influencers based in Saudi Arabia charge approximately USD 400, USD 5,000, and USD 10,000 for micro-influencers, influencers, and celebrity influencers respectively.
Can Instagram pay you in crypto?
No, as of now, Instagram does not pay creators in crypto. They mainly pay creators using Meta Pay.
How much do Saudi influencers make?
In Saudi Arabia, influencers are estimated to make between USD 200 to USD 2,000 per post.
How do I reach out to Saudi Arabian influencers?
The best way is to DM Saudi Arabian influencers on Instagram. Although emails can also be used, many Saudi Arabian influencers prefer to communicate via DMs.
💡 Conclusion
Given the high number of global brands, Saudi Arabia is much sought after by Indian influencers who want to make a mark for themselves on Instagram.
As the Instagram influencer marketing industry in Saudi Arabia grows, Indian influencers, look out for brand deals from the Arab world.
BaoLiba will bring you more updates on India influencer marketing trends, stay tuned!