Social media use growing at firms in Thailand, New Zealand

Posted by Leah McBride Mensching on February 16, 2010 at 4:24 PM

Public relations professionals and advertisers are meeting consumers on social media, where younger consumers and professionals spend an increasing amount of time, the Bangkok Post reported. According to January figures, Thailand is Facebook's second-highest growing market, with more than 150,000 new accounts set up weekly.

In New Zealand, a new survey found that 70 percent of respondents feel social media is a good way to communicate with customers, TVNZ reported. However, the Communication Agencies Association of New Zealand study also found that firms are reluctant to spend money on social media marketing budgets, with 85 percent of businesses saying they plan to invest 5 percent or less of their marketing budgets on social media in 2010.

However, businesses are planning for future investment in social media. The biggest hurdle is that many have a lack of understanding of social networking, and it is also difficult to find qualified staff in that area, CAANZ Digital Leadership Group chairman Tony Gardner told TVNZ.

"Companies today cannot afford to overlook social media if their target audience is represented online. However, you still have to identify the right online communities and engage yourself with them in a way that will capture their interest and loyalty to the brand," Kanpirom Ungpakorn, managing director at PR firm Hill & Knowlton Thailand, told the Bangkok Post.

Social media strategies take time, and continual upkeep, and it's important for companies to maintain their credibility through these channels. Relevance is also key; if the content sent to consumers isn't relevant, it "will be seen as spamming and not only will the company lose credibility, but also can be blacklisted by online platforms," the article stated.

Social media also enhance two-way communication, and keeping those lines open is key. Facebook groups, for example, allows firms to create dialogue within those groups.