It isn’t just the number of users that makes it imperative for brands and businesses to be aware of emerging trends; it is also the time users spend on social media daily.
APAC SOCIAL TRENDS
Trends within social media develop fast. This makes it essential for brands and businesses to stay updated with these trends and how their customers use, modify, and adapt to new social media developments and platforms.
This article looks at three social media trends occurring in countries within the Asia-Pacific region, particularly as social media consumption has increased rapidly within this region. As of January 2023, the three leading countries in terms of monthly active users on social media were China (999 million), India (467 million) and Indonesia (167 million). These figures compare to Australia, which had 21 million users. It isn’t just the number of users that makes it imperative for brands and businesses to be aware of emerging trends; it is also the time users spend on social media daily. For example, young people between the ages of 16 and 24 in the Philippines spend an average of eight hours and fifty-two minutes daily on social media.
As the Asia-Pacific region has become increasingly connected with faster and more robust internet access, consumers are no longer simply using social media to connect with family and friends but are increasingly using social media as a social commerce tool as platforms add e-commerce facilities that enable people to shop, review and discover new products.
TREND 1 – TIKTOK’S GROWING DOMINANCE
Despite being banned for government and public service members in several countries, TikTok's popularity continues growing, particularly in countries like Indonesia, Japan, China, and South Korea.
The popularity began during the pandemic when people sought new forms of entertainment. During this time, a new breed of TikTok Influencers established themselves. This popularity has continued post-pandemic, with TikTok being the most downloaded app in Southeast Asia for September 2022, with an estimated 12.2 million installs. In 2023, TikTok’s growth in the Asia-Pacific was anticipated to account for 67% of the increase in social users globally for that year.
Indonesia is playing a significant role in TikTok’s success. It ranks second globally, boasting 109.9 million active users. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, acquired a 75.01% stake in the Indonesian marketplace Tokopedia. This move created an eCommerce monolith within the Indonesian e-commerce world as it combined TikTok’s user base with TikTop Shop and Tokopedia. In addition to Indonesia, other countries within the region are contributing significantly to TikTok’s growth. For example, Vietnam is 6th, the Philippines 7th, and Thailand is 8th worldwide for the number of TikTok users.
Given the growth of TikTok and the number of active users, brands and businesses must have an effective presence on TikTok. TikTok has made it easier for brands to get maximum exposure by ensuring the “For you Page” algorithm targets the right people for the brand or business. However, it is essential for brands and businesses to:
● Create quality content.
● Use smart hashtags; and
● Keep up to date with the latest TikTok trends,to maximise the “For You Page” and attract new leads.
TREND 2 – SOCIAL COMMERCE
According to Forbes, social commerce is the next digital shopping revolution and will change people’s shopping behaviour as profoundly as internet shopping has done over the past twenty years.
Social commerce is defined as the entire shopping journey, from product discovery to check-out, conducted on a social media platform. As mentioned above, TikTok has already opened its TikTok shop to facilitate social commerce. In Indonesia, its acquisition of a 75.01% share in Tokopedia for $781 million demonstrates its belief in the growing power of social commerce and the need to position itself as a leading player in this shopping revolution.
Other platforms such as WeChat, Instagram and LINE are following TikTok’s example and integrating shopping features directly into their apps.
Forbes estimates global social commerce sales will grow from $492 billion in 2021 to $1.2 trillion by 2025.
In addition to the large consumer base and time spent on social media across Asian Pacific countries, another factor driving the success of social commerce is that consumers are using social media as the main channel for new product discovery, brand consideration, and product research.
However, while social commerce may be the next shopping revolution, consumers who use it are still experiencing significant challenges and barriers. For example, many people experience expensive shipping options, and no return or exchange policies are problematic for many Southeast Asian shoppers. Product fraud is also a significant problem, with one survey showing 70% of shoppers have experienced fraud. As these barriers and challenges are addressed, consumer confidence and revenue from social commerce will grow.
ACTIONS BRANDS AND BUSINESSES CAN TAKE TO PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR SOCIAL COMMERCE
There are actions brands and businesses can take to position themselves to take advantage of this growing trend.
1. THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING
While most brands and businesses recognise the importance of advertising, most of their advertising budgets are spent in traditional advertising areas such as online and digital advertising. While these areas are important, it is also essential to be advertising and marking directly on social media.
Given that most people spend their time on social media, most of a brand’s advertising should take place on this platform because it will be seen by the majority of people.
2. THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPERIENCE AND NETWORK-DRIVEN ADVERTISING
It is easy for brands and businesses to fall into the trap of providing content-based advertising, as most traditional advertising is done this way.
With social media, it is important to provide consumers and social media users with experiences, such as gamification, live streaming or being able to participate in social audio. We have written about the importance of including consumers in the article on Marketing to Digital Tribes [1].
Social audio is a new trend linked to this aspect of creating experiences and strengthening networks for consumers and clients through the power of the human voice.
With social media, it is important to provide consumers and social media users with experiences, such as gamification, live streaming or being able to participate in social audio.
ACTIONS BRANDS AND BUSINESSES CAN TAKE TO PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR SOCIAL COMMERCE
There are actions brands and businesses can take to position themselves to take advantage of this growing trend.
1. THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING
While most brands and businesses recognise the importance of advertising, most of their advertising budgets are spent in traditional advertising areas such as online and digital advertising. While these areas are important, it is also essential to be advertising and marking directly on social media.
Given that most people spend their time on social media, most of a brand’s advertising should take place on this platform because it will be seen by the majority of people.
2. THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPERIENCE AND NETWORK-DRIVEN ADVERTISING
It is easy for brands and businesses to fall into the trap of providing content-based advertising, as most traditional advertising is done this way.
With social media, it is important to provide consumers and social media users with experiences, such as gamification, live streaming or being able to participate in social audio. We have written about the importance of including consumers in the article on Marketing to Digital Tribes [1].
Social audio is a new trend linked to this aspect of creating experiences and strengthening networks for consumers and clients through the power of the human voice.
TREND 3 – SOCIAL AUDIO
One of the challenges many face post-pandemic is video fatigue, particularly in online meetings. Jeremiah Owyang, a tech industry analyst, calls social audio the Goldilocks medium of the 2020s. Text messages are no longer enough; video is too much, but audio is just right because it provides the opportunity for connection and empathy.
WHAT IS SOCIAL AUDIO?
Voice-based social media and social audio refer to social media products that use audio as the primary means of communication. It covers a range of products such as conversation rooms, voice messaging, audio creation, podcasts and more.
The audio-based social media app Clubhouse launched in 2020 and had 680,000 monthly downloads by May 2022. Since Clubhouse commenced, social audio apps such as Beams, Spotify Podcasts, Twitter Space, and more have proliferated.
WHY IS SOCIAL AUDIO GROWING?
The human voice is one of the most intimate tools for relating to other humans. As people become fatigued with videos and look for new ways to engage with family, friends, and communities, the power of the human voice is being rediscovered.
With social audio, people can share their stories and feel connected to the other users they are talking to.
The uptake and use of social audio are growing in Asian Pacific countries. This provides a new opportunity for brands and businesses to create narrative-based audio that involves audiences and has three other main benefits.
1. ENGAGEMENT
Social audio allows the audience to participate in conversations, ask questions and be engaged
in ways they may be reluctant to do with video or text.
2. NUANCED CONVERSATIONS
One of the disadvantages of text-based communication is there are often character limits.
Audio allows for more in-depth discussions and quick clarifications.
3. CREDIBILITY AND OPENNESS
As mentioned, the human voice is one of the most intimate tools for engaging with others. By
offering audio-based content, brands and businesses demonstrate their willingness to be open
with their audience, building credibility and connections with people.
Social audio offers a fresh way to connect, share stories, and engage with others through spoken communication.
Given the population, the number of Gen Zs and their uptake of social media, the countries in the Asia Pacific region present untapped opportunities for brands and businesses. However, to fully utilise these opportunities, businesses and brands must be aware of emerging trends and consider how to capitalise on these opportunities. For example, some questions to consider are:
● Is your brand utilising TikTok and marketing itself well on this platform? This may mean developing messaging specifically designed for TikTok rather than adapting other advertising material.
● Is your brand allocating part of its marketing budget to advertising on social media?
● Are you considering both the opportunities and challenges social commerce will provide?
● Are you beginning to experiment with using social audio to engage with your target audience and, more importantly, provide opportunities for your audience to engage with your brand and each other?
