How Indian Instagram Influencers Find Brand Deals in South Korea

In recent years, Indian influencers have been making waves not only in Bollywood or fashion events in Paris but also in faraway Asian cities such as Seoul. According to a Google Trends report, searches for “Korean brands in India” are also surging high in India, as young Indian influencers and fashionistas want to make it big in the K-beauty and K-fashion sector.

Breezy, a Mumbai-based management firm that promotes the Indian influencers’ interests, claimed that the demand for K-beauty products has significantly risen in India in recent years, with sales surpassing ₹300 crores in 2023, a growth of 50% over the previous year.

LOCAL K-BEAUTY FIRMS COLLABORATE WITH INDIAN INFLUENCERS An increasing number of Korean beauty companies are looking to India for growth opportunities and are enlisting the help of Indian influencers to achieve that goal.

Korean cosmetics brands such as Fong Min and Toun28 are already cooperating with Indian influencers to advertise their goods.

Moreover, K-beauty firms in Korea have witnessed a huge increase in Indian online shoppers plaguing their online shopping sites after the Indian influencers started spreading the word about Korean beauty products in India, according to Breezy.

The firm claimed that on average, 5–10 Indian influencers work with Korean brands every month to capitalize on the booming K-beauty sales in India.

According to An Indian’s account, who is a YouTuber with over 2 million subscribers and is known for her Korean beauty tips, and tutorials, “Korean beauty products are becoming very popular in India. Many products are hydrating and contain fewer artificial fragrances and preservatives, unlike many Indian products.”

These K-beauty products have charms that resonate with young Indian online shoppers, and they often cover trending topics. For example, a Korean Charcoal Clean-Up Peel-Off Mask went viral when Bollywood beauty expert and influencer Namrata Purohit shared a video of her using the black mask that left her face ghostly white.

The popularity of Korean dramas, such as the 2022 hit series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo!” has also raised curious eyebrows and interest among Indian online audiences and influencers.

Moreover, an increasing number of Indian fans of K-dramas and K-pop idols are flocking to the streets of South Korea. According to a 2023 report by the South China Morning Post, statistics indicate that Indians make up the second-largest group of tourists (behind the Chinese) in South Korea, as Indian travelers to South Korea surged 145% in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2020.

The report also indicated that Indian tourists accounted for 19% of all foreign tourists, according to South Korea’s tourism ministry.

It is not surprising to see Indian influencers flocking around Gangnam or Insa-dong after getting K-beauty sponsorships from Korean brands. After all, India has the second-largest population of Instagram users in the world, with over 350 million active users as of May 2023.

INDIAN INSTAGRAM INFLUENCERS ARE POPULAR AMONG KOREAN BRANDS The growing demand for Indian influencers among Korean brands has made it necessary to get a local representative in India who can navigate the local influencer market easily and effectively.

That’s why, in January 2023, 8 Seconds, the first casual fashion brand in Korea, sought the assistance of Fabloo to hire Indian influencers and KOLs to promote their brand in India. Just like Zioz, Fabloo is a Korean influencer management company that connects Korean brands to influencers in India.

The number of Korean brands that prefer to use Indian influencers to advertise their products is increasing quickly in the Indian influencer marketing sector.

According to Fabloo, the influencer management firm, the Korean brands demand Indian influencers to possess different qualities, which includes having high engagement and authenticity, and the ability of the Indian influencers to create content that resonates with their target audiences.

INDIAN INFLUENCERS WHO FLY TO KOREA FOR COLLABORATIONS Indian influencers who have gotten Korean brand deals often travel to South Korea to meet the Korean brand representatives in person and experience the product in person. Their travels are often free of charge and sponsored by the brands.

For example, in May 2023, seven Indian influencers flew to Seoul as invited guests of 8 Seconds, Korea’s leading casual fashion brand, to have a first-hand experience of the brand and model its latest collection as part of their collaboration with the brand.

This trip organized by Fabloo was also a golden opportunity for the Korean brand to capture the attention of the huge Instagram audience in India with the help of the Indian influencers, and to expand its foothold in the Indian fashion market sector.

The roaring success of that trip paved the way for 8 Seconds to host another group of Indian influencers again in August 2023.

BRAND DEALS IN KOREA OFFERED TO INDIAN INFLUENCERS AT HIGHER RATES Indian influencers are making lucrative brand deals with Korean brands for several reasons.

According to reports, Korean brands have stated that they are willing to pay four times more per post to Indian influencers than to Korean influencers for influencer marketing campaigns.

A spokesperson for the Korean skincare brand, Nutgrass, stated that Indian influencers are more cost-effective for them than Korean influencers and they are willing to pay more to Indian influencers because they have a larger audience and reach on social media.

A member of Fabloo, a Korean influencer marketing firm, also stated that even though both Indian and Korean influencers have the same number of followers, Indian influencers have higher engagement rates than Korean influencers.

Moreover, Korean consumers are often skeptical of influencer marketing and typically rely more on word-of-mouth advertising. Therefore, they are less likely to purchase products based solely on the recommendations of influencers.

On the other hand, the Indian consumers are more willing to purchase products based on the recommendations of their favorite influencers. This is why Korean brands prefer using Indian influencers and KOLs over Korean influencers.

INDIAN INFLUENCERS ARE PRICED HIGHER THAN KOREAN INFLUENCERS According to reports, Indian influencers are charging more than their Korean counterparts for brand deals with Korean brands.

A FANBOO official stated that influencers in India charge between ₹10,000 to ₹40,000 per post while Korean influencers charge only between ₹10,000 and ₹25,000.

For example, 8 Seconds, Korea’s leading casual fashion brand, paid Indian influencers ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 for content creation when they visited Seoul for brand collaboration.

Moreover, in a 2022 interview about influencer marketing trends in Korea, it was stated that Korean influencers are charged about 2,000 to 5,000 won (₹1,250 - ₹3,000) for Instagram posts, while Indian influencers are charging ₹5000 for a simple post on Instagram, and ₹30,000 to ₹50,000 for Instagram videos.

Korean brands are getting more bang for their bucks by choosing Indian influencers to promote their products, as many Indian influencers have a much larger following than Korean influencers.

According to a report by Statista, the average number of followers of an Indian influencer is 7500 while that of a Korean influencer is only 1,000.

Moreover, 1% of Indian influencers have over 100,000 followers while only 0.1% of Korean influencers have over 100,000 followers.

Consequently, even though they pay four times more per post to Indian influencers for influencer marketing campaigns, Korean brands are getting more value for their money, as the Indian influencers have higher engagement and higher audience reach compared to their Korean counterparts.

With increasing traffic on Korean websites fueled by Indian Instagram users and Indian influencers securing a host of lucrative brand deals with Korean brands, it is evident that Indian influencers are the crème de la crème of Korean influencer marketing.