Google CEO Eric Schmidt told us through his speech that the Chinese will dominate the web in the future.
Not just the Chinese, but I think the whole of Asia is rising up in the booming days of social media.
With such a big population and diverse cultures, how should businesses craft their messages to specific Asian markets?
Firstly, how true is it that the juggernaut is rolling in Asia?
Just by looking at the chart below, we can see the red block representing Asia’s online population growing in the expense of Europe and North America. With greater Internet penetration, more Asians would also be engaging in social media for both personal and business use.
Also, Internet activities in China are going social media. It has a larger percentage of Internet users (right) using social media such as forums, blogs, online videos and music than US.
What To Use and How?
Social media messages are not a one size fits all. Customize your messages in such a way that is appropriate in your target market. Also, popular social media sites in one market might not be as popular in another. Careful research has to be done before determining what tools to use and what to say.
Basically what I am trying to say is, take time to understand how your market consumes social media.
Take a look at the Japan market as a whole, 72% of them consume social media as spectators. They read blogs, listen to podcasts, watch videos and read online forums. What a business has to make sure is, consumers are reading its blog, watching its videos and reading positive reviews about its brand and products. Use these information to your advantage!
As for China, a bigger percentage of people are on the upper part of the ladder. They are more prone to using RSS feeds and tags but less involved in social networking sites when compared to Japan. However, we will realize that Asians mostly still fall under spectators.
China
Of course, these statistics are looking at each country’s market in a very general sense, but it gives a adequate understanding of online behaviors in different cultures. Targeting specific markets is another issue altogether. Younger users might consume social media very differently from working adults. Pay attention to what your target audience uses and what makes them tick. Be updated on trending topics and buzz to formulate your short term messages better.
Inspired by @communicateasia
