dimanche 15 décembre 2013

How Locals Use Social Networks In South Africa

By Cornelia White


Social networks in South Africa are developing quickly. The most popular networking site currently has over nine million daily users, while the most successful mobile networking app has more than seven million members. There are lesser known applications for smartphones that are generating significant attention from consumers, so those wanting to establish a marketing campaign in the country cannot do so without a thoroughly integrated digital extension.

The aspect that makes South Africa unique from other countries is the fact that it combines both third and first world countries into one domain. At the same time, many still existing in third world conditions have not limited their use of technology. While computers prove too costly for many earning minimum wage, smart phones are not. For this reason, SA's users are uniquely focused on mobile networking applications.

The type of networking sites marketers choose for their campaigns is relatively simple to choose when there is a comprehensive definition of one's demographic. Mobile app users, for example, spend an average of an hour on the application daily, and the fact that it offers a budget-friendly way to socialize creates a specific target market for those focused on middle income groups.

Social networks that integrate image sharing, video and news feeds are SA's most popular. These members are mostly middle and upper income groups. Professional sites, on the other hand, are growing at a slower rate. Their members are typically white collar professionals working in the finance sector.

SA's more obscure networks often target lower income groups via smart phone apps. Many have collected their membership numbers through campaigns on consumer products, and their membership numbers are large enough to compete with some of the world's most successful networking media. Those with low to middle income earners as target markets can't afford to market without the use of the more obscure mobile applications, since they often have as many as one million active members.

SA demographics are easily split into the locations of digital users. For example, Natal locals are showing more interest in mobile media. This laid back, sporty demographic has a sociable, relaxed attitude to life. Those in Gauteng are the most avid professional network users. Gauteng locals are famously career-focused, and have significant earning power.

Picture sharing sites are increasing in popularity country-wide. Video sites are most popular among those living in the Western Cape. This market is usually focused on quality of life more than career, but many Capetonians sustain high incomes through their professions. More sedate lifestyles make these professionals more slow paced than Gauteng locals.

Networks in SA are growing far faster than in many other countries, with some sites demonstrating more than 100% growth in only a year. Corporations are a large part of this development, with brand managers using their own internal marketing departments to develop their social media campaigns.

Marketers and advertisers who are savvy and strategic enough to excel in the formation of their digital marketing campaigns gain a significant amount of competitive advantage. This is because, in general, SA businesses are not approaching their integrated campaigns in as efficient a way as they approach the rest of their advertising. In a country with such a thriving advertising industry, social networks in South Africa still need to be mastered.




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