Not long ago, whenever we used the word “Social Media”, the first thing that came to our mind was Facebook, even though now, everyone had the same answer, I just put up a small question with my peers asking who is the king of social media. I wasn’t surprised when all of them gave me the answer was “Facebook”. So, out of sheer curiosity, I did some research and found that there are roughly 200+ active social media platforms in Nepal, and 64 lakhs Nepali people are active on Facebook that too as of June 2019, the numbers will hike to another level in the year 2020. With such huge following Facebook is undoubtedly the king of social media which has penetrated the very roots of Nepalese civilization. (Facebook making it the King of social media in Nepal at 91.6% penetration followed by Twitter at 2.4%, Instagram at 2.22%, YouTube at 2.22%, and so on.)
If you ask me, these social network platforms were not solely for networking purposes, the main aim behind them was to create something that will usher the world and leverage it for the greater good. And with that idea, the concept of the social network was born. Since its inception, Social media has spread its wings to many areas but the most significant one is marketing.
Meaning of Marketing
Marketing is the commercial process involved in promoting and selling as well as distributing a product or service. The act of selling or purchasing in a market. If I have to simplify it, marketing to me is an art. The art of research and realization of the customer’s needs and then developing the prospects in a way that best meets the customer’s demand.
Marketing is not rocket science but it has its twist and turns. Marketing is a set of activities that businesses undertake to promote and sell their products or services after well-structured market research and the same approach is followed everywhere even in Nepal.
The prevailing scenario of Social Media Marketing in Nepal
Although a professional marketer for some time now, it still leaves me in awe of how social media has transformed the role of Marketing in today’s era. It won’t be wrong to say that it has evolved into a goldmine for marketers.
Let me now discuss the prevailing scenario of Social Media Marketing in Nepal.
Nepal has witnessed and routing as well as soaring businesses that have the potential to provide customers with products that best match their standards and can compete with international brands as well. Gone are the days when Nepal-Made only applied to souvenirs targeted at foreigners. We now have a bigger and brighter picture where businesses are reaching out to boundaries beyond the border which is working well for them.
According to my research, there are plenty of top-notch brands which got conceptualized and executed in Nepal itself and are thriving! Just like any other global leader Nepal is also not lagging when it comes to using social network platforms for promotional purposes. Many companies and brands like clothing, handicrafts, accessories, fooding, and e-commerce are solely based on social media.
They have captured and tapped the power of social media for their consumption. Various companies in Nepal like clothing, handicrafts, accessories, and many more are solely based on social media and are active mainly on Facebook and Instagram
Social Media Marketing is that form of marketing that any company wants to capitalize on in some way or the other.
How Business Could Benefit From Social Media Marketing In Nepal
- Increased Brand Awareness: No matter how solid your sales funnel is or how good the quality of your product or service is, if it is not famous or people do not know about its existence, it’s of no use. Your prospective consumers deserve to know that you exist. If they do not know about your existence, the chances of them buying your product or services are very slim. It’s as simple as that. According to recent stats, 70 % of B2C marketers have acquired customers through these social media platforms. More than 91% of brands are using more than one social media platform. Joining hands with these social media is very effective and what has worked for others might work for you as well.
- Targeting And Retargeting: Since Social media marketing is all technology-oriented where one can do a galore of things that are too on the tip of their finger. Gone are the days when you throw an advertisement and pray to god that it will reach your potential consumers. Social media marketing streamlines your marketing approach and ensures that only your targeted audience will see your ads. There’s a detailed process of “Targeting Audience in Social media”
- Cost-Efficient and effective: Unlike conventional marketing, social media marketing is hassle-free as it does not require a lot of monetary resources. All you need is an internet connection and computers and you are good to go. At least you can start with the basics of social media marketing. Social Media Marketing helps an organization minimize its marketing costs by a significant margin.
- Track Your Competition: Social media is an excellent way for businesses to keep an eye on their competitors. Social media monitoring enables you to keep tabs on your major and minor competitors. You can see how your competitors are interacting with their audience, the type of content they post, the frequency of their posts, and much more important the ‘competitor analysis information’. Social media is an excellent way of scooping out your industry and determining ways in which you can stand out in your industry.
Social Media Tips and tricks
- Different Social Media Strategies For Different Platforms
Social media is seriously not that tough. But one should always remember that each platform of social media network is different from the other.
What worked for you on Facebook might not work on Instagram or what worked on Instagram may not work on Twitter. E.g. Hashtags are hot topics on Instagram but when it comes to Facebook it’s not advisable to hashtag unnecessarily. - 80/20 Rule
What is the 80 by 20 rule? One should never forget, people’s mindset is primitive. They use these social media platforms for networking purposes and not just to make a sales pitch all the time. So, the ideal rule of social media is that one should divide content in a ratio of 80% by 20%. Make sure the content that you post on social media is 80% engaging adds value to the human lifestyle and is 20% brand-oriented. The 20% here is the maximum level, the lesser the better. Draft your social media content in such a way that it is persuasive while adding value at the same time. - Posting Frequency On Social Media
There is no golden rule when it comes to the ideal publishing frequency on social media platforms. All you need to make sure is that you don’t make your potential consumer feel that your brand is going overboard by implementing an aggressive marketing approach. Don’t invade the personal space of your consumer by bombarding their newsfeed with marketing content. Instead, make sure that whatever you publish adds value to the customer experience. Do not post just for the sake of posting. - Show off positive customer feedback on Social Media platforms
“Human drives human” this statement is not a myth because it works and has practical implementations. As per a recent survey, 63% of people in Nepal ask for and research reviews before making their purchasing decision. So, make sure you encourage your customers to leave positive feedback. - Enlist the help of a local marketing agency
If there’s one way of getting your Social Media Marketing Plan on point in Nepal, it is by hiring a local digital marketing agency. A good Digital Marketing Agency will already be aware of the prevailing ins and outs of Nepal’s Social Media Marketing scenario which will always be a steep learning curve for non-natives to comprehend. A Digital Marketing Agency like Trilogy Digital Media offers a holistic and complete package of Digital Marketing without hassle.
The Main Responsibilities of these Social Media Marketers are:
- Strategizing relevant content topics to reach the company’s target customers
- Creating, curating, and managing all published content
- Monitoring, listening and responding to the community in a manner that ultimately drives business
- Nurturing and growing the community
- Overseeing the design of social assets – for example, profile cover, profile pic, thumbnails, ads, landing pages, blog
- Managing promotions and social ad campaigns
- Analyzing and reporting ROI on key metrics; creating best practices and optimizing strategy as needed
- Monitoring and optimizing trends in social media tools, applications, channels, design, and strategy and implementing those trends in their business goals
- Identifying threats and opportunities in user-generated content (UGC) surrounding the company, and reporting notable threats to management
Conclusion – Social Media Marketing In Nepal
The growth of Social Media in Nepal is exponential and the rise of Social Media platforms has made Social Media Marketing the strongest pillar of Nepal’s economy. Social media marketing in Nepal was initially a leap of faith but today it has helped many businesses derive fruitful results efficiently.
Be it small-scale organizations or multi-billion companies, they all are backed by a strong social media marketing campaign. Even in Nepal, some institutions are solely operating and making big profits just by using Social Media.
Optimum use of Social Media Marketing in Nepal can leverage your brand in the most unparalleled ways. They increase brand loyalty, and visibility, derive consumers and facilitate a better reach to customers through a cost-effective marketing approach. You can achieve all of this by following the simple social media marketing rules that I have mentioned above.
Recently Facebook reduced its organic reach so that people are not flooded with sales pitches all the time on social media platforms. Since the organic reach has decreased, the need for Facebook ads has escalated quickly. Not just Facebook, this applies to all social networking platforms where marketing takes place.
A commerce graduate from Delhi University and pursuing her Chartered Accountancy from the Institute of chartered accountants of India (Delhi Chapter) Pratiksha is a Social Media Marketing Manager/Trainor at Trilogy Digital Media. Her experience in the corporate sector helps her in the field of social media marketing training. In her free time, she cooks, reads, and travels solo.
Courtesy: Trilogy Digital Pathshala – Best Social Media Marketing Certification Training Course in Nepal