Are you ready to conquer the Asia-Pacific market? This region is booming and it's not just the big players taking notice. Advertisers need to get in the know on specific marketing strategies in Asia to stay ahead of the game. And let me tell you, influencer marketing is leading the charge.
Influencer marketing has been on the rise and it's not slowing down anytime soon. In fact, the influencer marketing industry is set to grow to $24 billion by the end of 2024! You might be asking, why is it such a hit in Asia-Pacific? Influencers bring something special to the table. They offer brands the chance to tap into their well-established trust and relationship with their followers, all built up over time. That means they're able to help businesses get killer influencer marketing campaigns that increase online presence, brand engagement, and conversions. That's pretty hard to beat!
Influencers in Asia are from all shapes and sizes. You may find influencers across various platforms, from TikTok, YouTube, to Instagram. You will also find them varying in niche, from tech, beauty, crypto, to health and fitness. No matter what product or service you offer or who your target audience is, there's an influencer in Asia waiting to collaborate with you.
With so many different countries and cultures in Asia, you might be wondering what's hot in influencer marketing right now. Well, get ready to jot down some notes because we've got the top 11 influencer marketing trends in Asia right here. If you want to expand your business in this region, you won't want to miss out on these insights!
Top 11 Influencer Marketing Trends in Asia ⬇️
1. Content Creators with Clear Niche
Brands are on the hunt for influencers who align with their brand values. After all, partnering with a niche influencer can result in more authentic sponsored content and greater audience trust, leading to better conversions and organic spread.
Take for example, Backpacker Tampan, a popular travel influencer in Indonesia. He recently promoted the DJI Air 2S by sharing a compilation of his travels in Bali and Turkey, showcasing the stunning footage captured by the drone. It's hard to think of a better way to promote a drone than by demonstrating its capabilities through epic travel videos, right?
2. Influencer Marketing Platforms and Full-Service Agencies
Traditional influencer marketing agencies are losing steam as brands look for more efficient solutions. In 2024, brands will rely on influencer platforms and full-service agencies to streamline the influencer marketing process, increase efficiency, and achieve a better return on investment (ROI).
Take DIA PICK, an influencer marketing platform from Korean creative agency DIA TV, as an example. Brands can search thousands of Korean YouTube creators and sort them by audience data such as geography, age, and gender to find the perfect influencer for their campaigns.
3. Video Content Marketing
Asia's rapidly improving digital infrastructure, quality, and speed, combined with hundreds of millions of internet users, creates a prime opportunity for video content marketing.
Collaborating with influencers can lead to some of the most creative and impactful video content around. Influencer-created videos tend to be more powerful than scripted ones and influencers already have a devoted audience eagerly awaiting their latest videos on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Just take a look at Korean creator Jella and her full-length reality show "Bed on The Beach." This show is pushing the boundaries of influencer video content, from short TikTok dance videos to full-length reality shows on YouTube. It's the perfect opportunity for brands to showcase their products in a unique and engaging way.
4. More Genuine Creators
Being a true influencer is all about having a genuine interest in a particular topic and being an expert in the subjects that surround it. Simply having a large following is no longer enough to get brand partnerships. This trend has been gaining momentum in 2023, and it's expected to become even more popular in Asia in 2024.
Why are genuine influencers so valuable to brands? Because they add more value when it comes to conversions. They do this by promoting brands by telling real, authentic stories that connect with their audience.
Just take a look at this Instagram post from Cadbury. They teamed up with Jeff Ong, a popular Filipino influencer, to share his Valentine's Day date story. He went to a concert with his girlfriend and got the tickets by buying a Cadbury chocolate bar. How cool is that?
5. Engagement is the King
There's a common belief that the number of followers equals influence. But the truth is, engagement rates play a more significant role in determining the return on investment (ROI) for brands.
Influencers with high engagement rates are more effective in influencing their audience because their fans are more likely to act on the information they share. This applies to both mega and micro influencers, as long as their audience is actively engaging with their content by liking and commenting.
Let's take K-pop sensation Lisa from Blackpink as an example. She's the brand ambassador of luxury fashion brand Celine. She's often seen wearing Celine in public and showcasing the brand's apparel on her Instagram account. The reason Celine chose to work with Lisa wasn't just because of her 70 million Instagram followers, but because of her ability to maintain a consistently high engagement rate of over 10%.
6. Long Term Relationship With Influencers
In 2024, it's essential to build a long-lasting relationship with influencers in order to achieve a higher ROI. Consumers can easily spot short-term influencer campaigns and tend to ignore one-time content. That's why brands have started to focus on creating more content with fewer influencers.
Brands are creating influencer communities and ambassador programs to foster long-term partnerships and inspire brand loyalty. This way, they can get the most out of their influencer marketing campaigns and truly engage their target audience.
7. Data Based Campaign
If you're in Asia, you're in the center of social media action! With so many people active on social media platforms, a massive amount of data is generated daily.
This is where advanced analytics and big data come in handy. By organizing all this data, you can gain valuable insights that can help you create campaigns tailored to your target audience's values. This is especially useful in countries where omnichannel marketing strategies are big, like China and Indonesia.
Big data helps you accurately target individuals based on their interests, hobbies, emotions, likes, and dislikes, allowing you to create unique brand experiences for your customers through personalized content.
Take Coca-Cola for example. They used a data-based campaign to create a video where consumers could get a personalized Coca-Cola packaging. Who wouldn't love to see an advertisement with their name on it?
8. Nano and Micro Influencers
In Asia, micro- and nano-influencers are taking over the influencer marketing scene.
Nano-influencers are individuals with less than 1,000 followers on social media platforms, while micro-influencers have less than 10,000 followers. These influencers post quality content that their audience loves to see, whether it's on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok.
Did you know that micro-influencers are getting the most brand deals in Asia? In fact, 38% of all brand deals go to micro-influencers. This is a cost-effective way for medium-sized brands to do influencer marketing. Working with micro-influencers takes more time and effort, but it also opens up opportunities for price negotiations.
9. Sponsored Posts by TikTok Creators
TikTok is the new king of social media platforms and marketing tools in Asia. More and more influencers are using TikTok to spread awareness about products.
TikTok sponsored posts are all about entertaining the people who use TikTok, and connecting with friends through short videos.
For example, Indianadap, a famous beauty influencer in Indonesia, partnered with SK-II PITERA to create a sponsored TikTok post reviewing the Street Art Limited Edition gift box and Furoshiki wrap! This not only showcases the product in a fun and creative way, but it also allows Indianadap's followers to get a first-hand review of the product.
TikTok's video-based format makes it the perfect platform for influencers to not only reach a wider audience but also engage with their followers in a more meaningful and interactive way.
10. Instagram Sponsored Post
Instagram is still killing it with sponsored posts in 2024, especially in Asia where it's a leading content platform. It's overtaken YouTube in countries like Malaysia and Singapore.
Why? Instagram is all about visual storytelling, which is super important to the people in Asia who love great imagery. Instagram may not be as popular in other parts of the world, but in Asia, it's definitely the real deal.
11. The Rise of Social Commerce
Influencer marketing has taken the world by storm, and it's not just limited to the digital world anymore. Brands are becoming smarter about how they use this powerful tool, and social commerce is one of the best ways to do that.
Marketers have discovered that partnering with influencers for their social commerce strategies can seriously level up their game. Take the above post by Nicole, for example. She's taken over Instagram feeds with shoppable posts, resulting in increased conversions and better ROI.
With shoppable posts and videos, consumers can buy products without ever leaving the post or video page. The shoppable post can also show viewers where to find the product online and how much it costs. Influencer marketing has always been a vital part of marketing plans, but now, with the rise of social commerce, influencers are offering even more value.
Conclusion
To stay ahead of the competition, brands need a marketing strategy that's always on the lookout for new trends and tech advancements. Influencer marketing is one of the top marketing trends in Asia, and it's a surefire way for brands to succeed in expanding there.
There are endless opportunities for brands to use influencers to reach their target audience. But smart marketers will always stay up to date on the most popular trends in the region before creating their campaigns.
We hope this list has given you a better understanding of influencer marketing in Asia.
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