The Dominance Of Influencer Marketing In Southeast Asia

As a mobile-first region, and one with a youthful demographic and spread of social platforms, it has all the raw ingredients to make influencer marketing fly. 

Furthermore, our region’s internet economy hit $100 billion for the first time in 2019, after more than tripling over the last four years. By 2025, the internet economy is expected to grow to $300 billion. 

This explains why 94% of marketers use influencer marketing because it drives 11x more ROI than traditional marketing. 

So, what is it all about?

What Is Influencer Marketing? 

Influencer marketing is defined as a means to promote your brand by employing an influential person to share it with their followers. 

Whilst Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are the most popular social media sites in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam; it’s worth remembering that Southeast Asia is also home to nearly 40% of TikTok’s global users. With an estimated 190 million users in the region alone, that’s a lot of new eyes available to marketers and its 15-second video format is revolutionising the way stories can be told. 

When you combine these with native platforms like LINE and WeChat for example, there is a wealth of opportunity to increase brand awareness, drive engagement, and reach new audiences – providing brands understand the best way to leverage not only influencers themselves, but also the nuances of each social media partnership. 

What social media brought to the table was imagery

As much as you could read about the latest new product it is somehow more convincing when you see a reputable figure using said product. Think about it, if 100 plus came out with a new drink, the chances are high that you would try it. But if Nicole David was seen drinking this drink, citizens would be way more likely to give it a try. 

Who Is Considered an Influencer Anyway? 

Influences are considered people with the power to sway purchasing decisions of others. They are able to do this due to the air of authority they have curated therefore making them an authority figure in their area of expertise. 

Social media is the perfect tool for influencers as they can build up large followings of people who value their opinions. There are several ways that influencers become influencers: 

• Celebrities – the original influencers, boasting huge audiences, but costly • Industry experts and thought leaders – qualified in a particular niche, both macro and micro • Bloggers/Vloggers – big followings and readers who seek out their opinions

While a large following is impressive, it only confirms that a person is popular. In order to be influential, they must be trusted.

Is Influencer Marketing a New Thing? 

That’s a common misconception that influencer marketing is a new concept. This is far from the truth. One of the first influencer marketing campaigns can be seen in the 1920s. Coca-Cola introduced Santa Claus as their main influencer. They used him to sell millions of cans, making him one of the most popular influencers to date. 

So, no. Influencer marketing is not the next big thing. It’s been a big thing for a very long time.

Why Does Your Brand Need Influencer Marketing? 

Traditional advertising took a hit in recent years. As consumers, we’re turned off by brands using hard-sell marketing techniques. We put our trust in people. McCann WorldGroup’s Truth About Global Brands study revealed that APAC consumers trust local brands more than global brands. 

Nowadays, traditional online marketing, for example, banners ads, pop-ups, etc., is gaining lesser and lesser attention. Many find them intrusive even, making AdBlockers the way to go. According to Google, the average click-through rate for banners is 0.06%. 

As marketers, how can we address this issue? 

The obvious answer is social media marketing. With the hours we spend scrolling, tweeting, and posting, the number of hours being spent on social media has never been higher. 

Social media networks, realizing their advertising worth, have made it harder for businesses to engage with organic posts. Facebook changed its news feeds so that users see more status updates from friends and family leading to many business pages losing visibility. 

In Summary, Here Are the Top Reasons Why You Need to Include Influencers in Your Marketing Strategy: 

• Consumers trust influencer recommendations – 83% of consumers trust recommendations from their peers over brands, and 66% from opinions posted by consumers online.
• Influencer marketing delivers healthy ROI – according to Adweek, influencer campaigns earn $6.85 in earned media value for every dollar spent – you can’t lose!
• Influencers boost brand awareness – bringing authenticity to your brand and strengthening your social media presence.
• The dominance of social media – Instagram is the champion of influencer marketing with 12.9 million brand-sponsored posts in 2017, expected to double in 2018. With a market size of nearly $1.7 billion.

If you do influencer marketing like a rock star, everyone wins. You, your influencer, your influencer’s followers. 

What Now? 

Get on it! Spend some time assessing your current online marketing strategies and decide whether or not influencer marketing can benefit your brand. 

Now that you know why it is important and what influencer marketing is all about, it is integral for your brand to get ahead of the situation.