Social media scene in Singapore is getting better by the day, and it is fast emerging as the preferred mode to directly connect with the consumers for brands based in the country. According to a study conducted by Microsoft Advertising called ‘Social Advertising and Driving Word of Mouth: The Social Advertiser’s View’ while 29 percent of advertisers use social media to manage their word of mouth campaigns, 25 percent of businesses in Singapore look at social media to get direct response, to build traffic to their websites.
According to the study nearly half of the country’s leading marketers believe that advertising spend on social media will increase this year. However for the campaigns to be more effective the brands need to listen and engage their clients. “Social media is a platform for people to communicate with each other, whether it be one-to-one, or one-to-many. It allows brands to engage with their audiences in ways that were previously not possible. However, brands must understand how social media has changed word of mouth communication,” said Bruno Fiorentini Junior, General Manager, Microsoft Advertising & Online APAC explaining the growing importance of social media to capture consumer mind share.
Brands in Singapore are also investing in growing their social media presence in order to improve customer support, and get customer feedback, besides engaging them in promotional activities. The study highlighted that virtually all Singaporean marketers surveyed, around 97 percent, have a presence on at least one social media platform. Interestingly, Singaporean marketers also believe that it is equally important to advertise as well as have a presence on social media.
“Social media has the power to make or break a brand, yet it’s important that marketers realise that they cannot (manipulate) what’s being said about them on their social platforms. They must instead listen to what’s being said about their brands, and respond in a way that’s seen by fans as engaging, rather than telling,” added Fiorentini Junior. The study revealed that currently 40 percent of online marketing resources in Singapore are spent keeping fans engaged, while half of online advertising resources are spent on attracting new consumers.
And it is not social media alone that can help brands keep their consumers engaged. The brands need to take a step further. Although social media engagement is vital to build and strengthen relationships with current fans, it must be complemented with other marketing channels, such as paid advertising to not just assist in engagement but also to attract new consumers.
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