How to Win the Hearts and Trust of Korean Consumers

South Korea is the 4th largest economy in Asia and the 11th largest in the world. The country boasts powerful industries in mobile, automotive, beauty, fashion, entertainment, and technology as a result of its substantial workforce that has usually put career over family. In the past, the average worker in Korea worked around 70 hours a week. However, to achieve a better work-life balance and change the Korean working culture, the national government lowered the maximum working hours to 52 hours. Consequently, Korean consumers now have more time to spend their disposable income.

In addition, South Korea is also recognized as the trendsetter for Asia. As such, the country holds a lot of potential for international brands who wish to penetrate the Asian market. If a brand is successful in the Korean market, it is also most likely to succeed across the continent.

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Guide to Marketing Using Manga

In most places across the globe, comics are considered as something merely for children. However, in Japan, manga can be a brand’s key to penetrate the market. Manga are comics or graphic novels corresponding to a style developed in Japan.

Rather than being for children, manga can be for anyone. Manga is consumed by readers of any age, from elementary school students to senior citizens. In fact, a survey by Shinfield, a Japanese firm specializing in manga marketing, found that 69.7% of respondents aged 40 and up still read manga. One of manga’s greatest strengths is that it appeals to readers, whether young or old.

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What’s Content Marketing?

There is value in the consumers’ perception of a brand’s image, whether true or false. Thus, it’s every company’s task to maximize positive user experiences and minimize customer pain points online in today’s digitized world. One of the solutions to this challenge is content marketing.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing is defined as “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” With this approach, brands provide genuinely relevant and useful content to prospects and customers to help them solve their issues rather than directly pitching products or services.

Within content marketing’s definition, the word “valuable” must be emphasized. This quality is what sets content marketing apart from other forms of advertising. Content can be identified as part of a content marketing campaign if people seek it out and want to consume it instead of avoiding it.

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What’s Inbound Marketing?

For years, businesses have struggled to reach consumers online using traditional advertisements such as banners and embedded videos. However, these businesses are often unsuccessful in making an impact due to ad-blocking software that has become widely used. Additionally, numerous Internet users may find these forms of marketing to be more annoying than engaging because these are content that they did not choose to view. Rather than interrupt a user’s content with advertising, inbound marketing can be used by marketers as an alternative approach.

Inbound marketing is the strategy of engaging with potential customers through content and experiences in which they find value. This method is characterized by creating entertaining and informative content, using various media, which users will willingly seek out. This more personal approach to marketing has the extra benefit of reaching those who have already taken the initial step toward a purchase. This article will discuss and elaborate on what is inbound marketing, provide several examples, as well as enumerate current trends.

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Influencer Marketing In Hong Kong 2019

With a population of over 7 million, Hong Kong serves as a gateway to opportunities in Mainland China and also a strategic location in Southeast Asia. This city holds much potential for marketers because it is a multicultural hub wherein more than 2,400 regional headquarters of global companies are located.

Due to the rapid digital transformation across the globe, and Hong Kong, in particular, there has been an increase in demand for digital advertising and online marketing services. In fact, a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Advertisers Association (HK2A) and market analytics company Nielsen found that the region’s 100 major marketers plan to spend about 51% of their budget on digital advertising and 49% on traditional media strategies. Additionally, a survey also done by the same institutions in 2018 indicates that online advertising spending is expected to continue to rise with 64% of respondents saying that their company will spend more money on online advertising in 2019. Out of the budget allotted for digital, a substantial portion is spent on social media marketing.

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Taiwanese Influencer Marketing 2019

In today’s digital world, people are constantly being connected through the World Wide Web. The widespread use of online social media platforms has brought forth new opportunities in terms of marketing. One of the recently emerged marketing trends is the collaboration with social media influencers. These influencers are not only exclusively celebrities since social media is accessible to almost everyone. Anyone can have a huge and loyal following by providing the right content to the right audience.

As markets continuously grow and change, people have become more particular with the products and services that they want.  The prevalent use of technology in their daily lives has also influenced their buying behavior. Furthermore, the endless influx of online content has shortened people’s attention spans. Thus, marketers now have to accept the challenge of creating content that stands out and engages the target audiences on a personal level. By collaborating with the right social media influencer, companies can effectively roll out their campaigns and achieve success.

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Chinese Influencer Marketing

China, the second-largest economy in the world, is still relatively uncharted territory for numerous foreign brands. Due to the differences between Western and Chinese social media landscapes, approaching target audiences effectively and efficiently can be a big challenge to marketers. For most established brands in China, one of the best solutions to this problem is to work with Chinese influencers.

China is a vast country that is composed of numerous markets. Hence, consumers from different regions and diverse groups do not share the same needs nor experience the same trends. Rolling out a one-size-fits-all strategy won’t be effective, and it would be expensive and time-consuming to create individual strategies that are tailored for each sub-market. For that reason, collaborating with KOLs who regularly communicate with their followers helps brands reach their target audience more quickly and easily.

In fact, according to the Digital Commerce Trends Report for 2017, 72% of brands interviewed in China responded that they would continue to concentrate on social media marketing, while 63% indicated they would increase their collaboration with influencers in terms of promoting their brands or products because they believe in the Return on Investment (ROI) of influencer marketing.

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Naver Blog Guide 2019

Since its debut in 1999, Naver has remained as the number one online platform in South Korea, with over a 70% foothold on the country’s search engine market. It’s the first in the world to introduce the comprehensive search service, which has expanded to include different segments such as news, blogs, and even a Q & A database. Naver also pioneered user-generated content, allowing users to browse a variety of rich media content tailored to their interests. As such, Naver is not just a web portal, but a social search engine that helps users easily find more relevant results to their searches.

Naver’s services have seen equal success with the South Korean market, such as Naver Blog, one of the most important digital platforms in the country right now. With its own segment on the Naver search engine, South Korean users flock to this page for online travel research, product reviews, food culture, and so much more. Additionally, thousands of influencers are on the service, thus, it is an important platform for influencer marketing strategies. Thus, businesses looking to penetrate the market must create their business plans around the unique role of Naver Blog among their audiences.

This article will discuss Naver Blog, one of Naver’s main services, its basic functions, and features, how to open an account, and examples of brands utilizing the service.
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Social Media Marketing Trends in Asia 2019

In Asia, everyday life is becoming increasingly digital. As such, the region covers a formidable chunk of the global social media landscape. According to We Are Social and Hootsuite’s 2019 Global Digital report, Eastern Asia, along with Northern America, has the highest social media penetration rate in the world at 70%.

However, Asia’s social media landscape is different compared to the West. In most Asian countries, native platforms dominate the online scene instead of giants like Facebook and Twitter, who are then forced to compete in the market. With the large and diversified culture present, a variety of different strategies are needed to achieve success within each country in the region. It may seem a daunting task, but this can be made significantly easier by laying the groundwork through social listening in its major social channels.

This article will discuss Asia’s social media environment, the biggest social media marketing trends, opportunities, major channels, and success stories.

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Korean Influencer Marketing

One of the biggest marketing trends in this age of digitalization rides on the prevalence of social media influencers. Thanks to the accessibility of social media, these influencers are not only exclusive to celebrities. With the right content and audience, literally anyone can have a huge, loyal fanbase with just as much influence as a Hollywood celebrity – and maybe even more.

As people become accustomed to the use of technology in their daily lives, they also become more particular with the products and services they want. Additionally, the constant influx of online content further shortens their attention spans. Brands must now take on the challenge of creating content that stands out and communicates on a personal level with their target audience. With the right social media influencer, brands can effectively deliver the value of their campaigns and achieve fantastic results.

In South Korea, businesses have quickly integrated this trend into their social media campaigns. According to We Are Social and Hootsuite’s Global Digital report, the country places third for the largest social media penetration rate in the world at 85%. With the younger generation spending more time on social media platforms, the Korean online landscape can definitely offer vital insights into the unique function and power of influencer marketing.

This article will discuss the status of influencer marketing in Korea, particularly its most popular social media platforms and influencers, and ways on how to reach them.

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