How SE Asian SMBs Are Leading the Way on Mobile

Facebook's Arrow Guo offers these tips to SMBs developing mobile-first social media pages.

Southeast Asia is coming online at a staggering rate. It is home to more than 600 million people, representing a mobile-first generation of consumers who have leapfrogged desktop computers in favour of mobile phones.

These newly-connected users are part of a growing consumer pie, but how do small businesses ensure they are served a slice?

The answer is simple. If you do not have a mobile marketing strategy, get one and if you do, it is time to ramp it up.

Today, more than 80 percent of people who use social platforms such as Facebook, access them via mobile.

For example, in Thailand, mobile daily active users have jumped 40 percent in growth year-on-year.

The average person checks their mobile device 100 times a day according to the IDC Always Connected report. This makes mobile an important channel for brands to connect with people, especially in Southeast Asia.

A mobile marketing strategy might sound complex, but the good news is, if you have a page you are already a step ahead. There has never been a simpler time for small businesses to connect with consumers online.

In the past, a hefty portion of digital advertising and marketing tools were only available to the big players. However, social media platforms have given small businesses a power similar to large advertisers. In countries like Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, more than half the workforce is employed by small businesses and they contribute to economic growth significantly.

Moving away from counting likes and fans to driving real business results, they are engines of innovation and have led the charge in marrying social media to digital marketing strategies with impressive results.

For example, Babi.vn in Vietnam increased its revenue by three times in one year with tools targeted to their audience’s mobile and desktop newsfeed. Similarly, Thai leather brand Bagspace grew its international business with targeted ads, which increased their return on ad spend 10 times over.

Marketing tools on social platforms are simple to use and we believe this is why the number of small businesses without a website is a growing trend across Southeast Asia.

So how do you make the most of the tools available to you?

1. Start With a Page: It is the new website or storefront for you. All your customers are already on the same social platform ready to be engaged. Whether they are accessing it through desktop or mobile, it’s the same experience, and you have a mobile marketing strategy by having a page.

2. Use Ads to Drive Business Results: Social and mobile ads can help you reach the right people with the right message at the right time. Before you start to advertise on a social platform, think about your marketing objective because an effective ad campaign ultimately supports your business goal.

Here are some more tips recommended by SMBs who have achieved great results:

Custom Audience

Reach out to customers you already know. Find your existing audiences among people who are on the social platform, driving greater relevancy and engagement of your marketing efforts.

Video Ads

Use video to attract customers. Today, there are more than 800,000 SMBs uploading video to their page.

Carousel Ads

Use tools that let you have multiple images and links in one ad, which can automatically optimize the order of the images and links shown.

Mobile Ads Manager

Some platforms, like Facebook, allow you to manage your ad campaign from your mobile device whether it’s tracking the performance of a current ad or creating a new one.

Measuring ROI

Regularly check page and ads insights to get a better understanding of what posts best engage your audience and which campaigns drive better results. Customers want to connect with small businesses on social platforms. Today, as many as 70 percent of users are connected to at least one SMB page from their home country, so ensure you are one of them.

*Image via Shutterstock

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Whitepapers

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Whitepaper | Mobile US Mobile Streaming Behavior

5y

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing habits. Streaming video, however, still comes with a variety of pesky frustrations that viewers are ...

View resource
Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

Whitepaper | Analyzing Customer Data Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

5y

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics f...

Data is the lifeblood of so many companies today. You need more of it, all of which at higher quality, and all the meanwhile being compliant with data...

View resource
Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people

Whitepaper | Digital Marketing Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people

2y

Learning to win the talent war: how digital market...

This report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. It provides expert insight on how companies can ret...

View resource
Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

Report | Digital Transformation Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

4w

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Exp...

Customers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touchpoints – globally! Make sure your brand shines in those critical moments. Read More...

View resource