The growth of influencer marketing in Southeast Asia

The pandemic has been like a catalyst for the growth of influencer marketing in Southeast Asia, not only people explored new content creators but more brands embraced influencer marketing for their respective goals.

During the peak lockdown, users stuck at home spent time on social networking, gaming, and watching OTT content. The greater than before time spent online prompted brands to work more with social media influencers as engagement on platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram surged.

Pandemic has intensified digital consumption

The pandemic has boosted digital consumption and online purchasing and this is likely to continue in times to come.

Not only established brands but startups are also exploring this marketing strategy as it can easily skyrocket the brand’s awareness and draw a large number of audiences. Furthermore, influencers are able to target niche markets that the startups usually look for.

For instance, Singapore-based ecommerce startup ShopBack that offers cashbacks to its users on online stores and restaurants has been engaging influencers to spread awareness through vlogs on YouTube. The Vlogs usually shows the influencers daily routine with a snippet of how difficult it is to decide where to eat. The influencer conveniently pulls out the app Shopback Go to talk about their latest service.

The one trend that is likely to grow in 2021 is the rise of Nano and Micro influencers mainly due to high engagement, low costs, and authenticity. With a lot of consumers moving to online purchasing, skincare and cosmetic brands are relying on influencers as they can display the usage and benefits of the products.

Similarly, lifestyle ecommerce businesses are using influencers to push traffic to their websites with swipe-up links through stories. Nowadays, people are steering away from pictures and are consuming more videos than ever. Consumers like to be updated with influencers’ lives which is creating space for smart product integrations that brands are cashing in.

Southeast Asia an ideal ground for influencer marketing to fly

Southeast Asia is a fertile ground for this form of marketing with large numbers of internet users and nearly 90% of them connecting to the internet primarily through smartphones.

The regions internet economy is thriving and by 2025 it is expected to grow to $300 million.

Being a mobile-first region along with its youthful demography and growing popularity of social platforms, Southeast Asia has become an ideal ground for influencer marketing to flourish.

Besides that, the region has a huge global appeal, there are significant opportunities for the local brands to leverage this form of marketing. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are very popular in the region and it’s worth noting that Southeast Asia has largest the share of Tik Tok users.

With many new short-video formats coming up lately, there is a wealth of opportunity to drive engagement, increase brand awareness, and reach new audiences for businesses. However, marketers have to hunt down those influencers who have an authentic connection with the audience.

Conclusively, brands in the Southeast Asian region are willing to invest in authenticity and a deep understanding of social media platform trends and market- influencer marketing will continue to grow further.