Thinking about starting a company in Thailand? You might want to consider joining the digital marketing industry.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital services in Thailand experienced rapid growth. Smartphones continue to be commonplace and more people are spending time online. So, it comes as no surprise that the country’s digital services sector is estimated to be worth 244.8 billion baht.
This means more businesses will see the need to build a digital presence, which makes the demand for a digital marketing start up business in Thailand high.
Here’s what you should know before starting one:
What Is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is the type of marketing used to target online audiences. Businesses employ a variety of digital marketing strategies to get more people to learn about their brands. These include:
Content Marketing
This form of digital marketing uses content to reach and connect with target audiences. Content can be anything from blog posts and infographics to videos—anything that gives online users value.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is all about getting a business to appear higher in search engine results. The goal is to get more traffic to its website. To achieve this, SEO specialists research words that people use to search for products or services. Then, they use those keywords in their content.
Social Media Marketing
To say social media is big in Thailand is an understatement. 56.85 million Thais use social media as of January 2022, which is around 81.2% of the country’s total population. This makes social media marketing quite popular among marketers.
With social media, Thailand business service providers become more accessible to the average internet user. They can run targeted ads, share exciting news, and interact one-on-one with followers.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is still going strong, even with the enduring popularity of social media. It’s an effective way for businesses to introduce themselves to new customers while also keeping existing customers in the loop.
Email campaigns can be segmented based on criteria like interest and demographics. This enables a business to send the right message at the right time to the right people.
What Are the Benefits of Digital Marketing?
If businesses want to succeed in this day and age, they need to have an online presence. Digital marketing isn’t an option these days. Rather, it’s a necessity for businesses that want to succeed.
Here are some of the many advantages of digital marketing:
The Industry Is Still Growing Strong
Like we said earlier, digital marketing is popular and isn’t showing any signs of stopping. Almost everyone who is starting a business in Thailand uses some form of digital marketing. They know that going digital is a must if they don’t want to get left behind by the competition.
Even established companies see the importance of digital marketing and know that they must adapt to the new norm.
It’s More Effective Than Traditional Marketing
Print ads, TV commercials, and billboards are still present. But with traditional newspapers and magazines losing traction and people giving up their cable subscriptions in favor of streaming networks, these no longer have the same effect they did in their heyday.
What makes digital marketing so effective is that makes businesses appear more human. With social media, for example, brands can speak directly to their audience. They can also create targeted ads that are in line with a customer’s specific interests.
It’s Convenient
People love doing things online because it’s just so easy. They can Google whatever information they want to know, watch the news on YouTube, and buy almost anything they can think of via online shopping apps.
In the same vein, digital marketing is much more convenient than traditional marketing.
Businesses can make their own social media accounts and upload pictures they’ve taken themselves. Using hashtags can also make posts seen by a wide audience—people that are interested in their products or services. Plus, they can find out whether a campaign was successful by looking at the analytics.
How Do You Build a Digital Marketing Business?
If you’re interested in establishing a Thai startup that specializes in digital marketing services, here are the things you need to get started:
1. Build Your Skills
You do not have to be a digital marketing professional to start a business in this industry, but it does help to learn everything you can about digital marketing.
Ideally, you should understand how digital marketing works, how to get conversions for clients, and how to use at least one type of digital marketing channel. It would be good to grow your knowledge of SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, and Google Advertising, among others.
Aside from digital marketing skills, you also need to know how to run a business. Here are some business management skills you will need to work on:
- Time management
- Contracts
- Project management
2. Think of the Services You Want to Offer
What digital marketing services do you want to provide to your clients?
These are the typical services that digital marketing agencies offer:
- Web design and development
- Content marketing
- Search engine optimization
- Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing
- Social media marketing
- Email marketing
For startups, providing all of these services may be too ambitious during the early stages. You may want to consider concentrating on one thing first.
Out of the digital marketing services we listed, which one are you most confident with? Start with that! Then, once your business is better established (e.g, having more manpower and clients), that’s when you can offer more.
3. Check Out the Competition
One crucial step to starting any business is knowing who your competitors are. What can you replicate from their website or content marketing? What will you do differently? Answering these questions will help you decide on a strategy to surpass them.
4. Be Visible on Social Media
Making accounts on social media is free, so it’s a great way to spread the word about your business and services.
You can focus on social media before devoting energy to your website if you want to gain a following first. Social media can generate leads while you’re working on optimizing your website.
5. Launch Your Website
Think of your website as your company’s virtual version of a brick-and-mortar window display.
It’s what potential clients will see when they click on your URL from Google or social media. That being said, your website should tell visitors what your business is all about. It should showcase your values, services, and how you can be contacted.
You can get inspiration from other companies’ websites. You also need to think of a good domain name as well as a hosting service.
6. Get Your First Client
Reach out to friends or family. They may have a project that you can work on, or they can refer you to someone who needs help. Make a proposal that will convince them to get your services. Show them how you plan to improve their website, social media pages, or blogs.
Take note that you should offer your services at a price that is attractive to them. The goal is to build your portfolio first. Making a profit comes afterward. Anyway, having a portfolio will help your startup gain trust and credibility.
7. Build Your Processes and Team
Once your business gains more clients, you may not be able to handle everything anymore. It may be time to add a person or two to your team. But make sure to establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) they should follow. Use your experience as a guide.
Want to Create a Digital Marketing Start Up Business in Thailand?
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