You Must have digital in your South East Asia Strategy
I have been living in Asia for 17 years but when it comes to news about Social Media, Digital marketing and usage trends, they are mostly focused around the United States. But it is always a surprise when I have discussions about the most active nations on Social media. They are not the places we think.
According to Statista, these are the top 10 most active nations on Social media.
Find more statistics at Statista
Even though Facebook usage is very US centric, the US doesn't have the most number of users. In fact, 5 of the top 10 countries are in South and South East Asia. Now how many of those are fake or duplicates is a different story but even if we assume that 5% are fake or duplicates, it still puts the numbers high in this region.
When I started working on my company's Philippine operations we were struggling with sales. We were using methods from the US and Japan...countries with long history of direct marketing and great infrastructure. But something was different and no one could put their fingers on it.
A little research into customer behaviors showed that Filipinos use Facebook religiously. They check it often, update often, communicate about what they see on TV, Follow up on things they see on TV and in stores, they are essentially living in a Facebook world.
So we added the Facebook icon and page address to our TV show resulting in a massive influx of fans, product information requests and sales. People ask about products seen or promoted on TV via Facebook and then make purchases online or we called them to take their order. Without Facebook, the operation would not have worked and we would not have the success we attained.
When working on launching operations in Vietnam, it was even more extreme. People had Facebook open on their phones and computers at the same time. They spend close to 6 hours on the internet, of that 2hours 40min are on social media. They use it as a main communication tool and it is the most recommended ways of getting a product known and sold. Sure there are influencers in the market but in most people's lives the most influential person is not famous but those closest to you. The group benefit and trust comes from families and friends.
These are just two countries in Asia that are online all the time!
Even though South East Asia doesn't have the networks nor the best infrastructure, they will bypass the infrastructure that built the west. They won't need landlines...many people just go mobile. They won't use TV shopping...they have Lazada, Alibaba, other online shopping sites and soon Amazon. Korean eCommerce and even TV shopping companies have been approaching these markets early and in force to position as leaders so that other company struggle to take over. Get in early, make a name, make profit and diversify; these are their tactics. They are using O2O strategies to encourage people to go online, then visit stores or do events.
So what does this mean for marketers?
When planning to go into Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia or any country in South East Asia, start early, go big, go mobile and be digital at all touch points.
Consider your Digital strategy as part of your overall strategy. Even if you are selling pillows or fry pans, make it interactive, mobile and build trust through digital channels. Then you can reach your goals and grow effectively.
According to Statista, these are the top 10 most active nations on Social media.
Find more statistics at Statista
Even though Facebook usage is very US centric, the US doesn't have the most number of users. In fact, 5 of the top 10 countries are in South and South East Asia. Now how many of those are fake or duplicates is a different story but even if we assume that 5% are fake or duplicates, it still puts the numbers high in this region.
When I started working on my company's Philippine operations we were struggling with sales. We were using methods from the US and Japan...countries with long history of direct marketing and great infrastructure. But something was different and no one could put their fingers on it.
A little research into customer behaviors showed that Filipinos use Facebook religiously. They check it often, update often, communicate about what they see on TV, Follow up on things they see on TV and in stores, they are essentially living in a Facebook world.
So we added the Facebook icon and page address to our TV show resulting in a massive influx of fans, product information requests and sales. People ask about products seen or promoted on TV via Facebook and then make purchases online or we called them to take their order. Without Facebook, the operation would not have worked and we would not have the success we attained.
When working on launching operations in Vietnam, it was even more extreme. People had Facebook open on their phones and computers at the same time. They spend close to 6 hours on the internet, of that 2hours 40min are on social media. They use it as a main communication tool and it is the most recommended ways of getting a product known and sold. Sure there are influencers in the market but in most people's lives the most influential person is not famous but those closest to you. The group benefit and trust comes from families and friends.
These are just two countries in Asia that are online all the time!
Even though South East Asia doesn't have the networks nor the best infrastructure, they will bypass the infrastructure that built the west. They won't need landlines...many people just go mobile. They won't use TV shopping...they have Lazada, Alibaba, other online shopping sites and soon Amazon. Korean eCommerce and even TV shopping companies have been approaching these markets early and in force to position as leaders so that other company struggle to take over. Get in early, make a name, make profit and diversify; these are their tactics. They are using O2O strategies to encourage people to go online, then visit stores or do events.
So what does this mean for marketers?
When planning to go into Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia or any country in South East Asia, start early, go big, go mobile and be digital at all touch points.
Consider your Digital strategy as part of your overall strategy. Even if you are selling pillows or fry pans, make it interactive, mobile and build trust through digital channels. Then you can reach your goals and grow effectively.
Thanks for sharing. Nice post.
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