If you’re a U.S. brand looking at India but only targeting Instagram or YouTube — you’re leaving serious money on the table. It’s time to meet ShareChat.
1️⃣ Intro｜India’s Internet ≠ America’s Internet. Welcome to Bharat.
Let’s be real — if you’re marketing to India from the U.S. and not using local platforms, you’re not actually in the Indian market.
ShareChat is one of those local beasts. Think of it as India’s version of TikTok meets Reddit meets Facebook Groups — but ultra hyperlocal.
It’s not just “another app”. It’s India’s 2nd largest vernacular social media platform with over 400M+ active users (yes, you read that right) spread across Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, and rural regions — where Instagram and English content don’t always hit.
If your brand’s looking for scale, trust, and cultural nuance, ShareChat is where the game begins.
2️⃣ So What Exactly Is ShareChat?
- Founded in India, designed for Indian languages (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, etc.)
- Think: regional memes, short-form content, emotional storytelling, festival trends, and LOTS of share-to-WhatsApp activity
- Dominated by Tier 2+ audiences — a goldmine for FMCG, fintech, edtech, beauty, and D2C brands that want deep India reach
For comparison:
- YouTube: top-down consumption
- ShareChat: side-to-side sharing, hyperlocal vibe
👉 In other words: ShareChat is how India talks to itself.
3️⃣ Why U.S. Brands Should Care?
Because India’s not one market. It’s 30+ cultures, 20+ languages, and millions of micro-communities.
Instagram? Too urban.
Facebook? Old news.
Google Ads? Expensive.
ShareChat? Cheap reach + cultural match + action-driven.
If you sell:
- Budget electronics
- Regional snacks or drinks
- Crypto education
- Affordable beauty/skincare
- Spiritual/lifestyle products
…you need ShareChat in your playbook.
4️⃣ How to Run Campaigns on ShareChat (No, You Don’t Need to Speak Hindi)
You don’t need to become a Hindi poet overnight.
✅ Step 1: Open ShareChat Ads (https://ads.sharechat.com)
✅ Step 2: Choose campaign type (Branding or Performance)
✅ Step 3: Choose language & region targeting (Hindi in UP? Telugu in Andhra? Marathi in Pune? You decide.)
✅ Step 4: Upload creatives — video works best, followed by meme-style images
✅ Step 5: Track via pixel or basic events
Pro Tip: Use AI to generate regional content, then run A/B tests like a growth hacker with street smarts.
5️⃣ Use ShareChat Influencers (They’re Not “Influencers”, They’re Digital Elders)
Forget shiny influencer agencies charging $10K/post.
On ShareChat, you get real community leaders — people whose content gets shared on family WhatsApp groups, temple chats, and even forwarded to sarpanches (yes, village heads).
Look for:
- Local video creators (in local dress, using local dialects)
- Regional joke tellers / meme accounts
- Teachers / housewives / small biz owners with loyal followings
Prices? Way cheaper than Instagram. Trust level? Through the roof.
6️⃣ Key Features That Matter (And How to Hack Them)
🌀 Share-to-WhatsApp button — That’s where virality comes from. Design for it.
🎯 Location-based targeting — Run Tamil content in Coimbatore, Telugu in Hyderabad, etc.
💬 Comment + Thread interaction — Encourage UGC & testimonials
📈 ShareChat Pixel — Integrate for performance tracking
🛒 Click-to-buy CTAs — Test with offers & festival season bundles
🤫 Insider trick: Use festival-specific creatives (Diwali, Holi, Rakhi) + regional language punchlines = 3x better CTR
7️⃣ Payment Methods & Monetization Nuances
In India, don’t expect Apple Pay or Stripe to dominate.
Your campaign should reflect local buying behaviors:
- Cash-on-delivery is still king
- UPI (via PhonePe, Google Pay) is booming
- ShareChat users are price-sensitive — offer discounts, rewards, referral bonuses
- Partner with local resellers, delivery services, or regional distributors to convert
💡 If your product doesn’t ship in India — consider dropshipping to local partners or collabing with Indian affiliate networks.
8️⃣ Common Mistakes U.S. Brands Make on ShareChat
❌ Running English-only creatives
❌ Using generic stock visuals that scream “not from here”
❌ Forgetting that Indian users screenshot, share, and spread
❌ Treating India like one language, one audience
❌ Not giving enough “reason to click” — Indians love offers, rewards, referrals
✅ Fix this by hiring a regional strategist, or better: collab with an Indian agency that knows the streets.
9️⃣ Real-Life Case (Unofficial)
One U.S. wellness brand launched on ShareChat with this flow:
- Ran 4 creatives (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali)
- Used local festival themes + health hacks
- Offered ₹1 trial packs for UPI users
- Tracked via Telegram community join rate
- ROI? 5x ad spend within 14 days
And no, they weren’t even in India physically.
💬 Final Words｜You Don’t Market to India. You Localize In India.
If your plan is to copy-paste your Instagram strategy to India, you’ve already lost.
India isn’t a copy-paste market. It’s a remix culture.
And ShareChat? That’s the remix engine.
So get local. Speak their language. Respect the culture. And yeah, maybe drop a meme with a masala twist 😉
