How Indian WhatsApp Influencers Find Brand Deals in Australia

Despite the rising popularity of platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube among Indian influencers, WhatsApp remains the undisputed king of social media in India. This also means that WhatsApp has become the go-to platform for influencer brand endorsements in India.

In the last few years, WhatsApp influencers in India have begun to target Australian brands for endorsements. While the process is still nascent, it appears to be building momentum.

📲 WhatsApp influencers in India on the rise

It is estimated that more than half of India’s billion plus population uses WhatsApp regularly. In fact, WhatsApp has become so engrained in Indian society, that the platform has been nicknamed “India ka WhatsApp,” meaning “India’s WhatsApp.”

The sheer size and ubiquity of WhatsApp in India has made it the primary platform for influencer marketing in the country. This is especially true for micro-influencers. It is estimated that over 80% of influencer marketing in India is done via WhatsApp.

Micro and nano influencers are increasingly coveted for brand partnerships. This is because they offer higher engagement rates and more personal connections with their followers. The result is that brands are shifting their marketing budgets away from traditional celebrity endorsements in favor of working with influencers who have a closer relationship with their audiences.

🦘 Indian influencers targeting Australia

As of 2023, Indian influencers have begun to target Australian brands for endorsement deals. According to a report by marketing guru Gavin O’Reilly, Indians are now one of the fastest growing groups of influencers in Australia.

This is particularly evident among Indian WhatsApp influencers. O’Reilly notes that Indian WhatsApp influencers are starting to realize that it is possible to work with Australian brands.

O’Reilly says that Australia is becoming increasingly attractive to Indian influencers. “It’s a different market, so you’re not competing with everyone in India. It’s very exciting for them,” he said.

O’Reilly also notes that the Indian diaspora in Australia is large, and that many Indian influencers also have relatives in Australia. This means that Indian influencers can make marketing pitches to Australian brands that are based on their personal connections to the Australian audience.

📈 WhatsApp influencer marketing strategy

Working with WhatsApp influencers in India is a simple process. First, the brand reaches out to the influencer of choice, either through a specialized Indian influencer marketing agency or directly. The brand then sends its marketing materials to the influencer via WhatsApp.

Next, the influencer uses the marketing materials to create content, either in the form of text, audio, or video, that promotes the brand. The influencer then shares the content with their audience via WhatsApp.

Finally, the influencer sends reports via WhatsApp to the brand showing the reach and conversions that resulted from the campaign.

India’s reputation as a tech-savvy nation has made it a leader in WhatsApp influencer marketing. According to the Digital Marketing Institute, India has over 13 million WhatsApp influencers — the most in the world.

💸 Payment through UPI

Payment for WhatsApp influencer marketing in India is simple and straightforward. In fact, most payments are made via UPI, which is the Unified Payment Interface.

The UPI is a real-time payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India. The UPI allows users to link multiple bank accounts to a single mobile application, which consolidates several banking features.

As a result, UPI is now the most popular payment system in India. According to a report by The Hindu, UPI accounted for over 75% of digital payment transactions in India in 2022.

What this means is that Indian influencers working with Australian brands will most likely expect to receive their payments via UPI.

🛒 Where to find Indian WhatsApp influencers

Finding Indian WhatsApp influencers is as simple as searching Google. In fact, you can search for “WhatsApp influencers in India” and you will immediately be shown a range of WhatsApp influencer marketing agencies that can help you contact and work with a WhatsApp influencer in India.

For example, you can connect with Indian WhatsApp influencers through agencies such as “New Indian Influencer Agency” or “Braise That.”

You can also find WhatsApp influencers in India through influencer marketplaces such as BaoLiba, which specializes in helping brands find global influencers for marketing campaigns.

🚩 Australia-India cultural considerations

If you are an Australian brand that is considering working with Indian WhatsApp influencers, you should first make yourself aware of some key cultural differences between Australians and Indians.

For example, while Australians are generally quite informal, Indians are far more formal in their communication. Therefore, it is advisable to maintain a formal tone when interacting with Indian WhatsApp influencers.

Additionally, while Australians are known for their directness, Indians are much more indirect in their communications. Because of this, Australians can sometimes misinterpret Indian communications as vague. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that Indian WhatsApp influencers may be trying to say more than they actually say.

⚖️ Australian Privacy Principles

When working with Indian WhatsApp influencers, Australian brands should also take care to comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

The APPs are a set of privacy standards that apply to most Australian government and private sector organizations, as well as some organizations in other countries that handle personal information about individuals in Australia.

According to the APPs, organizations must ensure that they only collect personal information that is necessary for their business functions or activities. They must also keep personal information secure and use it only for the purposes for which it was collected.

When working with Indian WhatsApp influencers, Australian brands should be cautious about the personal information they share and collect. It is also important to ensure that Indian WhatsApp influencers comply with the APPs when they are promoting the brand to their audience.

💬 Conclusion

Despite the fact that Australian brands have only recently begun to work with Indian WhatsApp influencers, it is clear that this area of influencer marketing is set to grow significantly in the coming years.

In fact, it appears that Indian WhatsApp influencers are just now beginning to grasp the fact that they can work with brands based outside of India.

As more Indian WhatsApp influencers become aware of the potential for influencer marketing outside of India, we can expect to see an even greater influx of Indian WhatsApp influencers targeting Australian brands.

BaoLiba will continue to update trends in Indian influencer marketing. Please follow us for updates.