Malaysia’s ICT Market is forecasted to grow to USD 36.42 billion by 2028. The current market size is about USD 25.29 billion (Mordor Intelligence)
Brands, Marketers and Advertisers, REJOICE! Bringing the view to a micro scale, there were an estimated 30.25 million social media users recorded in the country. This is effectively, 91.7% of the total Malaysian population and if you zoom in further, this is about 99.8% of the adult population. (Commission Factory) And this is just 2022.
With technology being indispensable in our daily lives, social media seems to be the next natural progression in receiving information. As a result, these channels are sporting more and more tech influencers. From tech-focused (and possibly globally recognised tech influencer) Marques Brownlee, a 29-year-old millionaire with 4.2 million followers on Instagram, to entrepreneur @nurulzulkifli, who has been recently posted on her latest tech find, it is safe to say that this is one strategy Brands should start considering in their advertising mix.
Why choose a (Malaysian) Tech Influencer?
Just to be perfectly clear, the chosen influencer should preferably be where the Brand would like to grow their market share. Using established global influencers does come with a set of perks but nothing beats content creation that is more relatable.
Tear a page out of Samsung’s book and learn from it. The mega brand created a separate social account just for its Malaysia division. The point in doing so is to centralise all country marketing efforts and deliver consistent messaging that is tailored. This allows the brand to monitor and specifically target its content and copywriting to be organised in an impactful way. This allows country-specific activities to be easily located by their followers. In addition to that, it also encourages and nurtures more context-driven user-generated content (UGC)
The same applies when engaging localised icontent delivery adopting approaches that may very well work only in specific countries. Do as Rome do, and you will reap more lasting rewards from your campaign.
Content creation aside, if you are more budget conscious, collaborating with a locally-grown influencer might be more sensible. Some other considerations could be accounting for time differences. While automation can assist with that, situations do occur. If it is time-sensitive content, play it safe and engage an influencer that is where you would like to set your mark.
FOUR CONTENT IDEAS FOR YOUR BRAND
#1 – Production Demos / Reviews / Tutorials
Understanding how your audience uses the platforms can sometimes be very informative to draw content creation. With e-commerce gaining momentum, brands are slowly shifting focus away from brick and mortar and applying the concept of JIT (Just in Time) delivery to content.
A swipe and a tap can help brands reach audiences globally and following their demands. Think of influencers as the triggers within the purchasing funnel to push the intent deeper.
Perhaps a set-up tutorial might be beneficial to assist and ease the set-up process.
#2 – Product Comparisons
Likely, most consumers are shortlisting products to compare based on features they personally value. It is not entirely impossible to introduce your brand as a potential contender (if it is not) or enhance your offering’s edge.
Just because it is a product comparison does not necessarily mean you can only feature competing brands. @juliantaytm, a Singapore techie did just the opposite and compare versions.
Credits: @juliantaytm
#3 Tips, Tricks and Hacks
With technology-based products, there are bound to be innovative uses. While brands are best telling you what features that could be, these typically fall on deaf ears / are unnoticed. Influencers are the next go-to for effective reach and communication.
#4 A Day-in-the-Life
The best way to promote your product is not promoting at all. By that, we mean the good ol’ product placement.
Everyone loves a good peek into someone else’s life. Vlogging, which re-gained its position during the pandemic now has also become a thing across platforms.
Consumers are getting more and more discerning these days and if you are a brand entering a new market, the best way might be to ease into it.
Credits: @dennislimming
A lifestyle vlogger, @dennislimming is loved for his relatable slice-of-life content. Samsung, one of the biggest tech giants opted to strengthen their product awareness of a tech lifestyle product through him. This is a refreshing twist on his content that drew the attention of his followers and benefited the brand.
Credits: @asyklax
If you are a video programme, adopting “A Day in The Life” approach might be a good way to reach out to a wide range of potential audiences.
Reaching out to niche influencers, especially in the tech industry can sometimes be extremely daunting because they likely have their preferred brands they are biased to. This is nothing personal against your brand but perhaps, due to how familiar they are with the interface and ergonomics within. Similar to how coffee is just coffee, but you will always have a preferred stall. It is hard to change minds, but agencies sometimes can convince at least a first try of your product, and more often than not, this is all it takes for your target influencer to become a new loyal of your brand.
