How Indian Telegram Influencers Find Brand Deals in South Korea

Telegram is a popular app in India, mostly used by people with extreme viewpoints, as well as ‘adult’ content creators and users.

It’s also one of the most important apps in Korea, where it is used by everyone from fans of K-pop to fashionistas and street gangsters.

With the rise in popularity of Korean content among Indian youth, it makes sense that Indian Telegram influencers are using Telegram to find brand deals in Korea.

Indian influencers are using the app’s unique features to attract trustworthy Korean brands to enter the Indian market.

📈 Unprecedented Growth in Korean Content and Products in India

Korean Wave has been a massive hit in India. According to the India Times, interest in Korean products has grown dramatically in recent months.

A lot of this has to do with the rising popularity of K-pop and Korean dramas.

In the last few years, Korean beauty products and fashion have also exploded in India. As a result, the demand for K-beauty and K-fashion products in India has increased in recent years.

In addition, the number of searches for Korean products in India increased by 131% in the last year alone, according to a report published in April 2023.

With this opportunity, Indian influencers are using Telegram to attract Korean brands to enter the Indian market.

🎬 Rise of K-content in India

Indian youth have been consuming huge amounts of Korean content via streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube.

Netflix saw a whopping 840% growth in watch time of Korean shows in India from 2019 to 2021.

Popular K-dramas like The King: Eternal Monarch, Squid Game, and Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area have all enjoyed massive popularity in India.

In addition, the Indian YouTube user base for K-content has skyrocketed. The number of K-content viewers has tripled in India to 1 billion hours of viewing time.

YouTube alone has seen a 500% increase in subscribers to Korean channel creator accounts.

According to a recent report by YouTube, India is the second largest market for K-pop globally, just behind the United States.

Most of this interest comes from teenagers and millennials.

This generation is known for their strong online presence and willingness to make their purchases based on online recommendations. This means that the influencer marketing space has huge potential in the ever-expanding Korean industry sector.

💄 Korean Products in High Demand

The India K-beauty market is booming and is expected to grow to USD 200 million by 2025, according to a recent report by Research and Markets.

As per the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency’s report, sales of K-beauty products increased at an average annual growth rate of 8%.

Unsurprisingly, it is the millennial demographic that is leading this demand.

According to a report by the KOTRA agency, they account for 25% of the Indian beauty market, and Korean products are in high demand among the millennial population aged 25 to 35.

The same report stated that around 80% of Indian consumers aged 20 to 39 are aware of K-beauty products. Of those, 65% said they wanted to purchase them.

The Indian cosmetics market is projected to reach USD 22.9 billion by 2024. This growth presents a great opportunity for businesses in the K-beauty space to increase their sales and reach new customers.

🛍️ Korean Textile Exports to India on the Rise

The KOTRA report mentioned earlier also stated that K-fashion has also seen significant growth in India.

Korean textile exports to India reached USD 115 million in 2022, up 113% from 2021.

Korean textiles accounted for only 2.3% of total Korean textile exports, but this figure is expected to reach 5% in 2025.

Currently, 15% of clothing exports from Korea go to China, meaning that the K-fashion industry still sees a lot of opportunity in the Indian market.

Korean clothing is popular in India due to its unique designs, trendy styles, and high quality.

Younger generations prefer Korean clothing because of its unique designs. In addition to its stylish look, Korean clothing is also known for its comfort and durability.

This has led to a surge in demand for Korean clothing brands in India.

📈 Telegram Marketing in India on the Rise

Telegram is among the most important platforms for influencers in India today.

In a recent post, Indian Telegram influencer and marketing expert Sudhanshu stated that Telegram is taking over Instagram as the most important marketing platform for Indian influencers.

The CEO of one of India’s largest influencer agencies, The Tribe, also stated in another post that Telegram has replaced Instagram as the best platform for influencer marketing.

Telegram’s channels allow content creators to build massive followings of highly engaged fans that other platforms like Instagram and YouTube simply cannot match.

Unlike Instagram and YouTube, where creators usually have to fight through a lot of noise to get noticed, Telegram allows creators to create highly targeted communities that cater to very specialized niches.

Creatives can also use Telegram’s rich feature set to grow their audience very quickly.

This is why Telegram is the best platform for Indian influencers to market K-brands in India.

💭 Telegram Has Unique Features Suited for Promotion

Telegram is quickly becoming the go-to platform for Indian influencers.

Telegram channels are different from regular chats in that they act more like a blog that can easily be shared with the public.

While Telegram channels can have unlimited followers, regular chats are limited to 200 members.

Anyone can see the channel’s content, and anyone can join the channel. This allows creators to reach and engage with a massive audience more easily than other platforms.

For example, Telegram channels can host polls and quizzes, which allow influencers to interact with their followers and learn more about what their audience wants.

They can also share files up to 2GB in size, which is far larger than the limits imposed by other platforms like WhatsApp.

This means that Telegram influencers can share large multimedia files like high-resolution images and videos with ease.

Telegram channels also allow followers to comment on posts so that followers can engage in discussions right away.

Channels appear on the left side of the screen, and users can scroll through them to find out what is happening in their community. This means that a post made by an influencer is never buried like it would be on other platforms.

🧭 Private Telegram Groups Create More Engagement than Other Platforms

Telegram also allows influencers to create private groups where they can chat directly with their followers.

Unlike a typical social media platform, where a post made by an influencer can be lost in the noise, Telegram groups allow creators to engage with their audience without distractions.

In these groups, followers can ask questions, share feedback, and interact with one another. This creates a strong sense of community and fosters deeper connections between influencers and followers.

With the ability to host up to 200,000 people in a group chat, Telegram groups can accommodate massive audiences.

Not only can they gather this large audience, but group chats also facilitate much more direct and personal communication than other platforms.

This is why Telegram groups have higher engagement rates than Instagram and Facebook groups.

This opportunity has made Telegram groups a very popular option for individuals and influencers alike.

💸 High Earnings

Indian Telegram influencers are earning a lot of money.

They can charge around USD 10,000 for a sponsored post on their channel.

In addition, they can charge USD 25 for private messages sent to their followers, and they can charge USD 8 for posts that they advertise on other channels.

With so much money to be made, it is no wonder that Telegram marketing has taken off in India.

🪙 Cryptocurrency Payment

Telegram has become increasingly popular among Indian influencers because it is a cryptocurrency-friendly app.

This is particularly useful for those wanting to do marketing for foreign brands, especially in Korea.

Most influencers rely on traditional payment methods like bank transfers or popular wallets like PayPal that are often slow and expensive.

Cryptocurrency payments, on the other hand, can be processed almost instantly and have much lower fees than traditional payment methods.

This means that influencers can receive their payments faster and without high transaction costs eating into their earnings.

Cryptocurrency is also much more secure than traditional payment methods, which makes it a great option for online transactions.

📱 Telegram is Popular in Korea

Telegram is extremely popular in Korea. In fact, South Korea has the largest number of Telegram users in the world.

In March 2021, it was reported that there were 8.7 million users in Korea, which was expected to grow to 12 million users by 2022.

The data shows that South Korea is the country with the largest percentage of its population using Telegram.

With this immense popularity, it is easy for Indian Telegram influencers to market Korean brands to their followers.

🏢 Korean companies are in Telegram

Many Korean companies are using Telegram to promote their products.

According to a report published in 2021, Telegram was the fourth most commonly used messenger app for communicating with customers in Korea.

🌊 Korean Wave in Telegram

Korean content creators are also using Telegram channels to promote their work.

For example, the BTS Telegram channel has over 1 billion views.

The official K-Pop account has 34 million views.

With a staggering 2.8 million subscribers, the official K-pop channel has established itself as the largest channel in Korea.

The official channel for K-drama has 1.3 million subscribers.

Clearly, Telegram offers immense opportunities for both K-brands and K-content creators, making it the perfect platform for Indian Telegram influencers to market Korean brands in India.

✈️ Korean Brands Entering Indian Market

Korean brands are looking for a way to break into the Indian market.

A number of reports have documented the growing interest of Korean brands wanting to penetrate various sectors in the Indian market.

A report published in July 2023 mentions how Korean cosmetics giant Innisfree was set to launch its first operations in India that same month.

Next year, Korean fashion brands are expected to penetrate the Indian market in a big way, according to a report by the agent of the Korean government’s textile and fashion industry.

Another report stated that the Korean government plans to promote 50 Korean companies looking to enter the Indian market in 2025.

It is clear that Korean brands are looking for ways to enter the Indian market, and Indian Telegram influencers can play an important role in that.

❗ Challenges for Korean Brands in India

Korean brands trying to enter the Indian market face many hurdles.

One of the main obstacles is the lack of knowledge regarding the Indian market.

In addition, they may have difficulty finding trustworthy and reliable partners to work with in India, such as distributors or suppliers.

Korean businesses may also find it difficult to adapt to the unique needs and preferences of Indian consumers.

Furthermore, the regulatory and bureaucratic environment in India can be intimidating for foreign companies.

Finally, cultural differences can create misunderstandings and complicate communication.

🩺 Korean Health Sector Growing in India

Korean healthcare brands are also interested in entering the Indian market.

A report published in July 2023 mentions that medical institutions from Korea are in discussions with various states in India to increase their presence in the country.

Korean healthcare service providers are seeking to deepen their presence in the Indian market, particularly in the wake of the success of the K-Medi tourism initiative.

According to previous reports, five Korean beauty and healthcare brands from SMEs are looking to target Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India.

These businesses want to enter areas with smaller populations in India.

This is often a great way for foreign brands to break into a market that can be very tough.

The Korean brands that are planning to enter these cities are already well-established in Korea and have plans to establish their presence in India over the next five years.

🔑 Telegram Marketing Solves Problems

Telegram marketing can alleviate many of the hurdles that Korean brands face.

Korean brands can partner with Indian Telegram influencers to help them navigate the complexities of entering the Indian market.

Korean brands can ensure that they are partnering with trustworthy and reliable influencers by working with reputable Telegram agencies.

Furthermore, Telegram influencers can provide valuable insights into Indian consumers and their preferences, which can help Korean brands adapt their offerings to better meet the needs of the local market.

Additionally, Telegram influencers can help Korean brands build brand awareness and reach potential customers in a more effective and efficient way.

🌈 Korean Brands Want to Market to Indian Youth

As mentioned earlier, Indian youth have been consuming massive amounts of Korean content and products.

One of the biggest selling points of Korean brands is that they are trendy and popular among youth.

This was evident when Korean cosmetics giant Innisfree opened their first store in India in 2018.

The opening of their first store attracted a lot of young people, and there were even reports of girls bursting into tears.

The popularity of Korean brands among Indian youth makes it essential for brands to have a strong presence on social media.

Korean brands can market their offerings to Indian youth by partnering with Indian Telegram influencers.

✅ Telegram Marketing to Enter Indian Market

According to the Korea Times, the Korean government has created an online platform to connect Korean small and medium businesses with potential international partners.

The goal of the platform is to help Korean companies expand their operations globally, especially in the Indian market.

The platform, called the Korea Desk, has been operating since 2022 and is already being used by many Korean companies.

🚧 Korean CEOs are Concerned Over India

A recent survey conducted by the Korea International Trade Association asked Korean business leaders about their thoughts on the Indian market.

According to the survey, 50% of them are interested in entering the Indian market.

However, 33% of them cited the lack of information as a major obstacle to doing so.

Other concerns include the lack of business infrastructure (17%) and cultural differences (17%).

📞 Telegram is Open

Unlike other marketing platforms, Telegram is completely open.

Although this creates a lot of noise and junk, it also allows brands to reach a wide and diverse audience.

This is exactly what many brands are looking for when entering new markets.

Korean brands can reach their target audience in India by tapping into the power of Telegram marketing and partnering with Indian Telegram influencers.

More and more Korean brands are realizing just how important it is to have a solid presence on social media.

According to a report by Pulse News, social media has become the main marketing channel for Korean brands.

In fact, social media was the only marketing channel to record positive growth among Korean brands in 2022, with a 3% increase in sales.

The report also states that social media accounted for 22.6% of total sales for Korean brands.

👍 Telegram is Important in Korean Marketing

A report by a leading Korean news outlet has stated that Telegram is becoming a key marketing channel for Korean fashion brands.

According to the report, Telegram is now the most popular messenger app among Korean teenagers, especially young girls in their teens and 20s.

Young girls use Telegram to buy fashion items and cosmetics.

This has led many Korean brands to establish sales channels on the platform to reach potential customers, especially in overseas markets such as the United States and Canada.

❗ Telegram also Has Drawbacks

Despite all the advantages Telegram has, there are still some drawbacks.

Visitors to Telegram can see all the channels and groups that the account has previously subscribed to.

This means that the private messaging feature is not as private as it is on other platforms.

As a result, influencers and users of the app have to find ways to hide their channels and groups.

Some of them resort to using alternate accounts, which can be tedious and inconvenient.

Others use a bot that hides their channels and groups, but the bot has limited capabilities and is often difficult to find.

Even if they manage to hide their channels and groups, people can still find them using search engines.

This is because Telegram is indexed by search engines, unlike other messaging apps.

🚪 Can’t Keep the Door Closed

Telegram may be open, but there are many doors that brands need to close.

Unfortunately, many brands aren’t aware that their competitors can just walk in.

For a K-brand that wants to penetrate the Indian market, working with an experienced Telegram agency in India is crucial.

This way, they can prevent their competitors from taking advantage of Telegram’s open structure.

The Korean Wave is Sweeping through India, and There’s No Stopping It

The popularity of Korean content and products is on the rise in India.

Korean brands are looking to enter the Indian market in a big way.

Indian Telegram influencers have the skills and expertise to help them do that.

By partnering with a reliable Telegram agency in India, Korean brands can successfully penetrate the Indian market in no time at all!

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