Singapore is one of the countries that is most urbanized in the greater South East Asia expanse. Situated in a region with approximately 160 million people, Singapore faces stiff competition from emerging economies such as China and Japan. 

Discussing social media in Singapore would be incomplete without looking at two key parameters that largely form the premise upon which social media operates; these parameters are internet and mobile penetration. With a population of 5.4 million people, 3,971,318 of these have access to the internet. This puts the internet penetration at 73% while the mobile penetration stands at 148%. This is according to a research done by We Are Social. 

Looking at these statistics, it is clear that Singapore has embraced internet usage and this includes the use of social media.

The major social platforms in Singapore

Singapore has grown in terms of social media usage and presence. While other countries like China still facing conservative policies on the usage of social networks, Singapore has opened its doors wide to interact with the rest of the world. The major social media platforms in Singapore include Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Far and large these platforms are a reflection of the face of social networks.

The popularity and penetration of the social media in Singapore

Despite the presence of many social networks in Singapore, there are some that are more popular than others. According to 2012 social media data displayed on the infographic website, YouTube was the leading channel with 3.93 million users and a 76% penetration level followed by Facebook with 3.22 million users and 62.2% penetration, Twitter was third with 2.56 million users and a penetration level of 49.4% . LinkedIn and Pinterest closed the top five social media sites with 520,000 and 96,000 million users each and 10.1% and 1.7% penetration levels respectively.  Should read: 3 Day Trading Strategies That Work in 2014.

Consumer trends with regards to social media

Data reveals that social media is playing a key role in Singapore as far as consumer research and decision making is concerned. Close to 46.2% of the consumers in 2012 used social media sites as their first research points before proceeding to making purchases elsewhere. In a similar vein, 51.2% of consumers used social networks to make their purchase decisions. This trend coupled with the 74% forecast of social media growth in 2013, will make the social media sensitivity of the consumer market an important parameter for business marketing and brand publicity in the country.

Small businesses and major brands in Singapore are moving with haste into embracing social media marketing to boost their brands and sales revenue. Social media consultancy is one of the fastest growing niche markets in the country. The question however remains, “is it really necessary to hire a social media consultant?” Well, a social media strategist or consultant has lots of benefits that he can bring to a firm or organization:

He will design your social media policy

A social media consultant will craft a policy that suits the unique needs of your company. He will work with your internal marketing team to help them understand on how to interact with the social networks to popularize your brand.

He analyzes your social media data

Using online analytic tools, the consultant will go deep into looking at the trends and traffic movements into and out of your site. He is more interested in the quality rather than quantity of your followers.

A consultant integrates your social media content

Through his experience and practice in the industry, a consultant in social media will help you to link all your social networks so that they resonate with one theme. For instance your twitter, LinkedIn, Google + and Pinterest should have interconnecting buttons and all should in turn link up to the main blog or website. Recommended reading: Secure Strategic Business Needs Without Dubious Web Marketing Experts Plans.

Designing and integration of social media strategy

A social media consultant plays a key role in designing the social media strategy which is your pathway into social media engagement. He also integrates this strategy into the overall marketing and organization strategy. This makes social media an integral part and parcel of business growth and brand visibility.

In light of the above discussion about the state of social media in Singapore and the critical role that social media consultants play in business growth and development, it can be concluded that social media is such a powerful marketing niche. It has the potential of changing the face of business and commerce.

Marcus Ho is a highly sought-after Social Media Strategist who specializes in revenue-driven campaigns on social media for businesses. Well known for his cutting-edge, fresh insights and proven strategies, Marcus has successfully helped over 200 corporations and SMEs to rake in hundreds of thousands within very short periods of time.

Some of his clients include:

Qatar Airways, 3M, PernodRicard, DassaultSystèmes, FreshKon, Home-Fix, Scanteak and Singapore Management University. Most recently, his campaigns have also won internationally acclaimed awards such as Smitty’sTravel+Leisure.