How Indian ShareChat Influencers Find Brand Deals in China

As an Indian influencer on ShareChat, have you ever dreamed of landing a lucrative sponsorship deal with a Chinese brand?

If so, you are not alone. Increasingly, micro and macro influencers on the popular Indian social media platform are connecting with manufacturers and producers in China for promotional opportunities.

In fact, ShareChat influencers are reported to be the most sought after marketing tool by Chinese brands attempting to enter the Indian market.

So how are they finding these lucrative brand deals?

Let’s take a look.

💡 Why Chinese Brands Love Indian ShareChat Influencers?

Chinese brands have leveled up their influencer game in India.

Forget big-time Bollywood celebrities that usually draw more skepticism than curiosity.

Chinese brands are now using ShareChat influencers for marketing in India

Forget even popular Indian influencers with over a million followers.

Forget Instagram, and forget Meta and TikTok.

The hottest marketing tool for Chinese brands looking for affordable promotional leverage in India is former rural social media platform ShareChat.

A growing number of traditional Chinese brands are doing their marketing through Indian influencers, thanks to a high engagement rate per post and low costs compared to traditional advertising methods.

🎤 Experiences to Share

In fact, to promote their various products and services in India, more than 1,000 Chinese brands are reported to be using ShareChat influencers alone this year, with 48% of these brands already using influencers since last year.

For example, Chinese makeup brand Ruili came across Indian influencer Sharique, who has over 30,000 followers on ShareChat, and sponsored him to create content for their products.

[I have contacted many Chinese brands, but only Ruili responded. After several days of talking, they agreed to send me the products for free and a payment of around ₹3,000] - Sharique, Influencer on ShareChat

While the brand got its products promoted on ShareChat, Sharique was able to provide an affordable promotional service at higher than average rates compared to local competitors.

📊 The Numbers Don’t Lie

According to a report from social media marketing company Nox Influencer, China is the third-highest country that uses Indian influencers for marketing.

Roughly 23% of Chinese brands are reported to be sponsoring Indian influencers. That is higher than brands out of Thailand, USA, Russia, and Australia.

Furthermore, brands out of China are reported to be the biggest spenders at $1,300 to $1,800 a month for influencer marketing.

According to Nox Influencer, less than 0.2% of influencers have over 1 million followers, leaving a large gap for smaller influencers to fill.

Micro and nano influencers account for 73.17% of all the influencers in India. When it comes to increasing brand awareness, these micro and nano influencers are reported to be more effective than traditional advertising methods, including celebrity endorsements, and have become the rising stars of the Indian marketing blitz.

🧭 The ShareChat Ecosystem

For the uninitiated, ShareChat is a social media platform based in India that provides users a platform to discover, create, and share content in Indian languages.

Launched in 2015, ShareChat now boasts over 400 million users, of which 60% are located in rural India.

In fact, 70% of ShareChat users claim they have never used Meta’s Facebook or Instagram.

🏷 How Influencers Monetize on ShareChat

ShareChat does not provide its users a native monetization feature, so ShareChat influencers usually have to rely on sponsorship opportunities, much like on TikTok or Instagram.

Typically a brand will contact the influencer or reach out through an influencer marketing agency like BaoLiba.

However, unlike more established influencer platforms that will take a cut of the influencer’s fees, BaoLiba and other influencer platforms will only charge the brand a fee, allowing influencers to keep nearly 100% of their fees.

This is a huge incentive for influencers to work with BaoLiba and other influencer platforms when seeking brand deals.

Once contacted by a brand, influencers usually negotiate the details of the promotion, including the dates and times of the posts, how long the content remains on their profile, the promotional format, and of course, how much the brand will pay.

In terms of payment, influencers usually get paid directly to their bank account in Indian Rupees after they fulfill their part of the agreement.

Although some brands require influencers to send them the posts before publishing, most brands just ask for the influencer to tag the brand and write a few lines about their experience using the product.

🛠 Tools for the Job

When it comes to creating promotional content, influencers on ShareChat usually rely on the features available on the app itself.

ShareChat provides users with an easy way to create and share short videos, voice notes, and text posts. It even allows users to send private messages, like on WhatsApp, making collaborations easier.

Although many influencers rely on third-party editing apps to make videos and banners more professional looking, influencers can still create decent content without spending a lot of time or money.

Some of the most common video editing tools used by ShareChat influencers include:

• KineMaster
• FilmoraGo
• InShot
• PowerDirector 16
• Camly

❗ Fake Influencers to Avoid

While many influencers on ShareChat are legitimate content creators, there are just as many fake influencers looking to take advantage of brands while making them disillusioned with influencer marketing.

For example, if an influencer claims they have hundreds of thousands of followers and their posts only get a handful of likes and comments, then that influencer is probably just a fake or bot.

If an influencer claims they can post promotional content for free, there is a high chance that they are a fake influencer.

Promoting brands through influencer marketing usually costs brands very little, compared to traditional advertising methods that are more expensive and less effective. But influencer marketing does cost brands, and fake influencers usually claim they can post promotional content for free in an effort to get brands to send them products.

Once they receive the products, the influencer will most likely ignore all messages from the brand and keep the products for themselves.

📢 The Road Ahead

As mentioned earlier, BaoLiba has noticed a considerable increase in the demand for Indian influencers by Chinese brands since the start of this year.

Even Indian influencer marketing agencies have reported a rising trend in recent months.

For instance, in just the last quarter, Indian influencer marketing agency Konnect has reported signing over 113 Chinese brands for influencer marketing.

Not only that. There are also reports of many Chinese brands contacting Indian influencers directly, as well as influencers reaching out to Chinese brands through Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms.

Please note that while ShareChat influencers have become the biggest marketing tool for Chinese brands in India, other Indian social media platforms are also getting noticed, including TikTok, Moj, and Instagram.

As a ShareChat influencer, it may take time for you to land your first brand deal.

But don’t get discouraged. The supply for influencers is still low compared to the demand from brands.

Keep creating content that speaks to your audience.

Keep reaching out to brands, and connect with influencer marketing agencies like BaoLiba.

And keep an eye out on our blog for tips and tricks to help you land lucrative brand deals.

You also need to keep your eyes peeled for fake influencers who want to ruin it for everyone.

Remember, not all that glitters is gold.

📈 Conclusion

The fact that influencer marketing has taken off across China is no secret.

What is surprising is that in a country where influencer marketing is in such high demand, many Chinese brands have turned to Indian influencers for their marketing?

Not only are they turning to Indian influencers, but they are relying heavily on ShareChat influencers.

And even though their primary focus is on reaching rural Indian consumers, they are using influencers located all across India.

Currently, there are 476 million active Chinese users on TikTok, which means that roughly one-third of the entire Chinese population is on TikTok.

The expectation that Chinese brands will turn to Indian influencers on TikTok to reach other communities in India is not far-fetched.

In fact, TikTok influencers in India are just as disadvantaged as influencers on ShareChat, meaning they might also be very receptive to Chinese brands.

📢 The Road Ahead

As mentioned earlier, BaoLiba has noticed a considerable increase in the demand for Indian influencers by Chinese brands since the start of this year.

Even Indian influencer marketing agencies have reported a rising trend in recent months.

For instance, in just the last quarter, Indian influencer marketing agency Konnect has reported signing over 113 Chinese brands for influencer marketing.

Not only that. There are also reports of many Chinese brands contacting Indian influencers directly, as well as influencers reaching out to Chinese brands through Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms.

Please note that while ShareChat influencers have become the biggest marketing tool for Chinese brands in India, other Indian social media platforms are also getting noticed, including TikTok, Moj, and Instagram.