Singapore has been and remains ripe with digital marketing opportunities for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
If you operate in Singapore and haven’t already shifted a significant amount of your budget to digital marketing – the time is now.
92% of Singaporeans use the internet daily, and nearly 90% actively use social media. Oh and there are 50% more cell phone connections than there are people in Singapore. It goes without saying, we love technology and media.
Hootsuite / We Are Social
So how can you take advantage of our obsession with digital to grow your business? We’re going to look at six key digital marketing opportunities in 2022-2023, and then we’ll look at five developments in Singapore and how you might be able to take advantage of each in 2022 and 2023.
If you’re unsure how to adopt strategies based on this trend, consider working with a digital marketing agency to be your guide.
The Continued Growth of TikTok and Video
TikTok catapulted onto the digital scene a few years back – and it’s not going anywhere any time soon – in Singapore or around the world.
For two years in a row, TikTok has been the highest grossing (non-game) app in the world. By the end of 2021 it was actually the highest grossing app including games.
In Singapore it’s not quite the most used social media platform, but it is securely in the top 3 – just behind Facebook and Instagram. But we know that it is used very frequently. TikTok users spend an average of 95 minutes per day on it and open it 8 times a day.
Engagement is through the roof. People love short form video.
Ann we know that TikTok is no longer just a space for children and teenagers. Even B2B and healthcare companies are starting to step into TikTok for marketing.
Image via TikTok
Let’s quickly shift to YouTube – the other massive platform for video in Singapore.
Thought not quite on the same level as WhatsApp and TikTok, YouTube offers incredible digital marketing reach to Singaporeans. In Singapore, people spend two-fifths of their online time watching videos.
And just like TikTok, YouTube isn’t only being frequented by kids and teens. When you advertise on YouTube in Singapore. 88% of your reach will come from users over 18.
Their ad revenue continues to grow.
So how can you take advantage of it?
Two ways:
- Advertise. TikTok advertising and YouTube advertising revenue will continue to grow as more businesses tap into it. Don’t be late to the party. They’re very affordable and effective.
- Be Active. On top of advertising, consider creating your own video content and give organic growth a shot. Post valuable video content regularly and see what happens.
Our Advice:
Create a trickle-down content calendar. Start with long form content pillar blog posts, podcasts, or videos. Post a longer form version of this content on YouTube. From there, cut it up into multiple short form videos for TikTok.
This way when it’s time to plan content for the month, you’re not having to brainstorm ideas for each platform. You’ll just have a handful of content ideas to generate that then trickle down to other platforms without too much effort.
WhatsApp Growth and Digital Advertising Options
As of February 2022, WhatsApp was the most used social media platform in Singapore. It’s far and away the most used messaging app.
Which means Singaporeans are within the WhatsApp app everyday, all day long – even more frequently than TikTok.
How can you capitalise on Singaporeans constant use of WhatsApp?
Well WhatsApp doesn’t necessarily allow you to run ads directly on its platform, but you can utilize WhatsApp to start conversations with prospects – as long as you’ve created a WhatsApp Business account.
It will allow you to set up a Chatbot that integrates with WhatsApp, as well as run ads on Facebook that will direct clickers to a conversation in WhatsApp.
Once you’ve created a WhatsApp business account, you’ll be able to connect it to Facebook or a chatbot of your choice and integrate the two.
Our Advice:
WhatsApp might not be the best route to widening your pipeline, but it’s an incredible tool for nurturing Singaporean prospects into qualified leads and customers. Consider integrating it into your existing marketing campaigns and see if you can’t increase your MQL to SQL conversion rate.
Podcast Advertising in Singapore
Singaporeans have spent 56 minutes listening to podcasts every day thus far in 2022. That’s roughly the same as the Americans who have a drastic increase in podcast ad revenue, from USD 842.3 million in 2020 to USD 1.448 billion in 2021!
Some marketers have predicted a downturn in podcast use, but it continues to rise – and it’s probably not stopping.
So you could start your own podcast and try to build a community of listeners there. Or you could just take advantage of other podcasts that have already built an audience of listeners through podcast advertising.
If you’ve listened to a podcast before, you’ve inevitably heard advertisements interspersed throughout the episode. There are two main ways brands advertise on podcasts:
- Native Ads: This is a standard ad created by a brand for the podcast. Think: a 30 second clip that plays kind of like a commercial during a podcast break.
- Product Placement: In this case, a brand will pay a podcast simply to mention a product during the podcast. It can appear natural – and if the hosts actually like the product – can be very effective.
- Sponsored Content: You pay the podcast production team to create interesting content about a topic related to your industry and company. For example, awhile back Gizmodo did an entire mini-series on McDonald’s sauces.
- Paid Interviews: If you can find a podcast that does interviews on people in your industry, you can pay them to interview you. You’ll get a whole episode and increase your chances of being remembered by the audience.
- Streaming Ad Insertion: With streaming ad insertion, the platform will automatically insert your ad into podcasts or networks of your choosing. This is a great way to test different messages and podcasts frequently, as well as gain really solid data on reach.
There are plenty of Singapore focused podcasts across a range of topics. Find a few that your audience are likely to listen to and approach them about partnerships or sponsored content before the end of the year!
Our Advice:
If you’re not sure what route to start with, consider native ads or sponsored content with a local Singaporean podcast. Doing a larger campaign can be pretty expensive, so if you’re not quite sold, this is a great option to get your feet wet in podcast advertising.
Taking Advantage of Gaming in Singapore
Singaporeans love gaming – whether on mobile phones, computers, or consoles. More than 1.4 million Singaporeans game regularly, and they do it for almost 8 hours per week.
Many marketers have been hesitant to advertise within gaming apps, thinking that most gamers are too focused on what they’re playing to consider a new brand. But times are changing and in-game advertisements are becoming more intrusive – which is great for marketers looking to take advantage of this opportunity.
In addition to in-game ads, the rise of eSports is providing ample marketing opportunities for larger brands.
Our Advice:
If your marketing budget doesn’t allow you to sponsor the next eSports competition in Singapore, consider starting with localised in-app display ads.
If your marketing budget allows for it – and your audience is there – think about setting aside budget to sponsor an eSports competition in Singapore in 2023.
Localised SEO Content for Singapore
When you perform a Google search, the algorithm tries to determine whether you’re looking for local content or if a page from anywhere in the world would suffice for your search.
For example, if you were to Google “pizza near me” in Singapore, you’d be served only local businesses. But if you were to Google “best shoes for runners,” you’d get blog articles and lists from all over the world. If this is confusing, hence the need for an SEO agency!
Often, Singapore businesses are outranked by larger global brands. That said, we’ve been seeing Google prioritise local results more and more over the years – and that likely won’t be changing.
Even though the best shoes for runners probably don’t differ much in Singapore or Great Britain, there are aspects of running in Singapore that are probably different than running in London! So many SEOs have predicted that in the future – even if the searcher doesn’t indicate “Singapore” or “London,” they may start seeing results relevant to their location.
Our Advice:
As you’re creating and planning blog content, try to find topics and subtopics for which you could add a Singapore spin, in hopes of beating out global content for local searches.
For example, if you were a physiotherapist, you might want to write a blog on common back pain causes and treatments. Sure, they’re probably similar no matter where you are in the world, but you could list the most common causes in Singaporeans and how that compares to the rest of the world.
Marketing Trends in the Metaverse
AR and VR stay in the news cycle as more and more people are giving them a shot. Over in the US, 100 million people are active AR/VR users. We expect to see a similar rise in Southeast Asia, too.
What will this mean for marketers?
We’re not certain yet, but we know big brands will soon be experimenting with advertising in the metaverse. Facebook has already been testing ads within their Oculus (though it’s not going great so far).
Our Advice:
Keep an eye on how things develop and be ready to take advantage of advertising opportunities when they arise in the next year or two.
Stay on Top of Digital Marketing Trends in Singapore
Successful marketers may not adopt every trend they come across – but they’re certainly aware of them. We’d recommend keeping a close eye on new marketing developments in and around Singapore.
Not really sure where to start. Check out some of the top digital marketing courses in Singapore to build a solid foundation before jumping on any trends.
As you seek to grow your business, be smart about what you choose to adopt or ignore. Always consider your audience, your goals, and your messaging when contemplating jumping on different trends.
