How Indian LinkedIn Influencers Find Brand Deals in Thailand

In the last five years, Indian LinkedIn influencers have been devising a marketing strategy targeting Thailand to monetize their networks and audience.

Over 25 million people in Thailand use LinkedIn at least once every month, as they look for work, or connect with past colleagues turned business contacts. This is more than 39% of the population and currently ranks Thailand 6th in the world by LinkedIn usage per capita.

With such a high percentage of professional users, Indian LinkedIn influencers have a wider audience to foster brand partnerships for brands targeting Thailand.

You must ask, how do Indian LinkedIn influencers partner with and forge deals with Thai brands? What do they sell? How do they receive payment? How can you tap into this lucrative source of LinkedIn revenue?

🤝 Why Do Indian LinkedIn Influencers Partner with Thai Brands?

The first thing that may come to mind when one sees an Indian influencer teaming up with a Thai brand is the simple fact that people tend to do business with people they feel they have a lot in common with, and that usually includes geography.

However, geography can also put up walls, and distance can create a barrier between a brand and influencer that stands on a different continent.

Take for example the Thai company Siam Cement Group (SCG), a brand that likely needs no introduction to Indians and Thais alike, and which provides cement and other materials in Thailand, and even India.

They featured the Indian LinkedIn influencer and motivational speaker, Sandeep Kumar, on their LinkedIn page, which has over 575,000 followers. Sandeep Kumar spoke of how he overcame a near-fatal truck accident to help others follow their dreams.

The SCG LinkedIn page then sent dozens of people from Thailand and India to his account, which now boasts over 850,000 followers, helping him reach out to inspiring students in Thailand and India alike.

🇹🇭 What Brands Do Indian LinkedIn Influencers Partner with in Thailand?

Thai brands that are already well-known to Indians are a good place to start for Indian influencers. This means that any product or service being sold by those brands may likely appeal to the Indian audiences of these influencers.

For instance, one of SCG’s more famous brands is SCG Cement, which provides Thai and Indian construction projects with cement.

💡 1. SCG Cement

Indian LinkedIn influencers who showcase themselves as leaders in the building and construction field can leverage the strength of SCG as a household name in both Thailand and India.

💡 2. Chang Beer

Chang Beer is perhaps the biggest Thai brand in India.

Chang Beer has a history of hiring Indian LinkedIn influencers for various types of brand partnerships. Chang hired LinkedIn influencers like Shiv Prakash to appeal to a younger audience and reposition the brand as hip and modern.

Chang has also partnered with more seasoned Indian LinkedIn influencers like Ranjit Singh, who has over 1.2 million followers, in a sort of ambassador role.

💡 3. Thai Airways

Thai Airways regularly partners with Indian LinkedIn influencers to promote travel to Thailand, which includes vacations, as well as business trips.

Indian LinkedIn influencers Mohit Bhushan Yadava, and Captain Jagdeep Singh, who have 600,000 and 110,000 followers, respectively, have each partnered with Thai Airways.

💡 4. Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)

The TCEB also works with Indian LinkedIn influencers to encourage business travel to Thailand and attract exhibitions to the country.

TCEB invites LinkedIn influencers from India to the Thailand MICE Mission, which provides opportunities to network with Thailand-based venues and suppliers. Within the group of Indian LinkedIn influencers, TCEB selects four brand ambassadors to showcase their experiences, including transportation, accommodations, and food and drink.

During the trip, the TCEB brand ambassadors post daily updates on different social channels, including videos and pictures, and share feedback and experiences in blogs and articles.

🚀 How Do Indian LinkedIn Influencers Partner with Thai Brands?

1. Profile Optimization

One of the first things Indian LinkedIn influencers do to attract Thai brands is to optimize their profiles.

• Profile Picture: Indian LinkedIn influencers will make sure their profile picture is dressed in business formal attire. They understand that business people in Thailand, like others worldwide, expect business attire from others in the B2B space.
• Headline: They include a catchy headline that reflects who they are and what they can offer.
• Call to Action (CTA): Finally, they include links and CTAs in the featured section that encourage brands to contact them.

2. Content Creation

To complement their profiles, Indian LinkedIn influencers produce content that depicts who they are, what they do, and how they do it.

The kind of content will vary from one influencer to the next, depending on their niche and area of expertise.

Nevertheless, Indian influencers understand that they must provide valuable content to attract Thai brands, regardless of their niche.

They know that producing value can come in the form of helpful articles, witty commentary, important industry insights, or direct promotion, including testimonials and reviews.

3. Networking in LinkedIn Groups

There are several LinkedIn groups that have been created specifically for people who live in Thailand or are doing business with Thai companies. Having a presence in these groups can help Indian LinkedIn influencers connect with brands looking to partner with influencers.

Indian LinkedIn influencers can provide valuable insights about India’s business landscape, while learning about Thailand’s business climate, challenges, and opportunities.

This mutual exchange of value can help foster trust and establish the influencer as an authority, making them more appealing to brands looking for an influencer.

4. You Get What You Pay For

The process for receiving payment can vary from Instagram and TikTok influencers who used PayPal or Payoneer to receive payments from brands.

Some of the bigger Thai brands like Chang Beer and Thai Airways may have enough of an international presence to use the banking system directly to transfer rupees for their brand deals.

However, Thai brands that are smaller may not have the same means and would employ a third-party service to transfer funds.

Indian LinkedIn influencers wanting to tap into this source of income must be open to using banking apps in Thailand that may help facilitate international payments.

Some of these apps include TMRW, Easy Money and SCB Easy.

💡 5. Sending Payment Links

Another strategy that Indian LinkedIn influencers can use to receive payments is to send a payment link to the brand.

Payment links allow businesses and entrepreneurs to accept payments online without the need for a complex e-commerce setup.

To create a payment link, influencers can use various payment platforms or services that support link generation. Once the link is created, it can be sent to the brand, which can then use it to complete the payment.

Some platforms allow influencers to customize payment links with specific amounts.

Once the brand clicks on the link, it will direct them to a payment page where they can enter their details and complete the transaction.

🚧 The Warnings

1. Tax Implications

Just as Indian influencers in Thailand have to be cognizant of the laws in Thailand, they also have to be aware of the tax implications back in India.

Income generated from brand deals in Thailand may be subject to taxation in India as well. Therefore, it is imperative that Indian LinkedIn influencers speak with a qualified tax professional who specializes in international tax regulations.

2. The Risks of Scams

As the Thai saying goes, “same same, but different,” and while that saying applies to a lot of things in Thailand, it can also apply to business.

Just as there are businesses that scam tourists in Thailand, there are also businesses that will scam influencers.

Indian LinkedIn influencers must be aware that some brands that reach out to them may not be legitimate.

In this case, brands may ask for free promotions and then ask for money in return for providing the influencer with access to a brand deal or advertising campaign that doesn’t exist.

3. Learn Thai

While the majority of Thai people speak at least some English, there are still a lot who do not. This can create challenges if Indian LinkedIn influencers are communicating with brands that don’t speak English.

For this reason, it is advisable that Indian LinkedIn influencers take the time to learn Thai. Even if it’s only conversational Thai, it can mean the difference between securing a lucrative partnership, and missing out on the sale completely.

📈 The Future of Influencer Marketing in Thailand

As of 2023, influencer marketing in Thailand was valued at 3.8 billion Thai baht (about $108 million) and is expected to grow to 5.6 billion baht (about $160 million) by 2025, according to the marketing firm known as Thumbsup.

This is a 47.37% increase in just 2 years.

Consequently, Thailand has seen a significant increase in demand for social influencers on LinkedIn.

In fact, LinkedIn is currently the most popular platform for influencer marketing in Thailand, surpassing even Instagram.

📣 India’s Share of Thailand’s Influencer Market

Currently, 19% of Thai businesses are focusing on influencer marketing in their social media campaigns, and that number is only expected to grow.

Countries with the largest share of influencer campaigns in Thailand include Thailand (35%), the US (16%), China (15%), India (13%), and Vietnam (12%).

This means that Indian influencers are currently responsible for roughly 13% of influencer campaigns for brands that target Thailand.

Given that there has been a noticeable uptick in these kinds of partnerships in recent years, Indian LinkedIn influencers are well-positioned to increase their market share for influencer campaigns targeting Thailand.

🙌 The Key Takeaway

The tide is turning in the influencer marketing industry, and Indian LinkedIn influencers are riding that wave to Thailand.

The ever-growing user base of LinkedIn in Thailand has provided Indian influencers a profitable niche to tap into as they partner with Thai brands.

By optimizing their profiles, creating valuable content, networking in relevant LinkedIn groups, and learning how to receive payment, India LinkedIn influencers can increase their chances of landing lucrative brand deals with Thai businesses.

The future is bright for Indian LinkedIn influencers in Thailand.

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