Social Media: The Business Perspective in the Asian Market
Social networking platforms have had an enormous impact on marketing, offering companies better ways of connecting to their customers and branding their products and services. Companies in Asia have made a particularly effective use of these technologies. After all, social media is part of modern people’s lifestyles and new generations are born into a world where their main way of participating in communities is digital.
Businesses are starting to realize this and investment into online and social media has increased, especially in the Asia Pacific market. New technology and the way it helps humanity to communicate is increasingly becoming a cornerstone of marketing in the region.
Game changing technologies
Cloud computing, mobile and social technology, social networks, and increased access to information and data storage has changed the game for many companies around the world. These technologies not only allow humanity to connect in a better way than before, they have dramatically increased the speed at which information flows, while at the same time helping information and human interaction become more transparent.
As demographics change, the role of social media and other emerging technologies becomes more important, making online marketing a particularly important part of any company’s business strategy. These technologies have effectively turned marketing into a two way street, especially in markets like South Korea, where user generated content and online communities have a very important role in society and in business.
Companies can no longer ignore the benefits
Due to the proliferation of these platforms, companies cannot afford to ignore these services. Even if a company does not participate in social media marketing, customers can use social communication to voice their dislikes about a particular company. Since this the main way in which many consumers in the Asian market receive their news or communicate with others, a lack of presence or monitoring can effectively mean that a company is doomed to fail in some way. It is also important to remember that a successful social media strategy is not simply added on to existing marketing strategies but is a actually a dedicated effort to connect to the public.
The move to Western social media models in Japan
Japan, in particular, has had a curious social media development. While social media was initially centered around mobile networks and gaming, Facebook and Twitter gradually took a hold on the Japanese market. One event that gave these networks a boost was the earthquake of 2011. Social networks played an enormous role in getting news out and allowing the population to stay in touch and provide updates about your whereabouts and as well as your friends and family. Since then there has been a marked increase in the user base of Western social media platforms, toppling long established giants in this market like Mixi. The move to these networks is also related to a younger generation of Japanese users that have embraced the potential for communication that these platforms hold.
The increase in the use of these social media platforms in the Japanese and other Asian markets means that these markets are more open than ever before to social media marketing techniques that may not have been as effective only one or two years before. Social media marketing is all about the user base of a particular platform thus affecting the reach and effectiveness of a company’s message. For businesses interested in penetrating these markets, the user base now exists to ensure that social media marketing techniques in the region are more profitable than ever.
In Japan, this is mainly due to a generational shift that has led to many users shifting to Western models of social networking. In this country and other developed economies such as Singapore and South Korea, increased broadband speeds, improved mobile technology, and better infrastructure have influenced the reach of social media marketing. Countries where these strategies would not have been feasible only a few years ago are also exploding into the scene, with particularly attractive markets in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
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About the Guest Author:
Nida Rasheed is a freelance writer and owner of an outsourcing company, Nida often finds herself wanting to write about the subjects that are closest to her heart. She lives in Islamabad, Pakistan and can be found on Twitter @nidarasheed.
