The Philippines is truly the country that never sleeps. With the third-largest population of people in the world, you’ll find people in the streets trading in all kinds of goods, from clothes to electronics to real estate. If you happen to be selling something online, however, you might want to consider adapting your marketing to take advantage of the digital nomad crowd that currently inhabits the country.
If you’re looking to enter the Philippine market, you’ll need to understand what it means to do business there. You’ll also need to figure out how to make the most of the large online audience that the country’s booming digital economy has developed. If you can pull off these two tricks, you’ll be able to dominate your niche in a market that’s ripe for the taking.
Niche, Niche, Niche
The first step to entering the Philippines market is to define your niche. Simply put, a niche is a ‘small market or segment’ within the large market for a product or service. Your niche is the group of people and businesses that have a shared interest in your product or service – in other words, you serve a particular niche, and they will gladly pay you for it.
For example, if you’re selling fashion accessories, consider tailoring your marketing to appeal to female Filipinos between the ages of 18 and 24. For these consumers, fashion and style are key considerations, and you can be sure that they’ll be among your clients if you target the right market.
The Digital Nomad Trap
While millions of people have moved to cities around the world in search of better economic opportunities, plenty of others have taken the opportunity to pursue a digital nomad lifestyle. In other words, they travel the world, working from one or two different locations, generally for digital marketing agencies or business-to-business (B2B) companies that sell online. This population of digital nomads is largely made up of marketers and content creators who thrive on surfing the web and taking advantage of the opportunity to connect with potential customers in near-real time. By adapting your marketing to take advantage of this population, you can develop a solid foundation for your business in the Philippines.
If you’re new to the Philippines, consider moving there in the first place, rather than outsourcing your marketing to a different country. Not only will you find more opportunities, but you’ll also be able to team up with local entrepreneurs who can help you navigate the complex legal and bureaucratic environment that frequently comes with doing business in the Philippines.
Why the Philippines?
With so much opportunity in the Philippines, it’s no surprise that businesses are flocking there. With the third-largest population in the world, over 100 million Filipinos use the internet. According to a 2016 report from the Asia Internet Marketing Association (AIMA), the Philippines had the third-largest online population in the world at that time, with over 101.9 million people using the internet. While other countries were embracing online marketing, the Philippines was leading the way, with 80% of its population already using digital marketing.
A major advantage of running a business in the Philippines is that internet access is extremely affordable. There are many rural areas in the Philippines where internet isn’t even available yet, but in the cities, it’s almost common to find people who only make enough money to cover their daily expenses through digital marketing agencies and freelancing, or by establishing a blog.
With so much opportunity and competition staying at home, the Philippines is a great place to be for a digital nomad. If you’re looking to enter the market, consider moving to the Philippines.
Marketing in the Philippines
The Philippines isn’t a country that stands out for its marketing efforts, at least not in comparison to other Asian countries. In fact, the AIMA report states that the Philippines ranked 47th out of 49 countries for brand awareness. The score for ‘brand recall’ was even lower, at 45th place. If you’re looking to do business in the Philippines, you’ll need to do a bit of research before you approach potential customers. Fortunately, the internet makes this a bit easier. There are many successful marketing campaigns and case studies from around the world that you can learn from.
What is marketing in the Philippines?
While it’s not uncommon to find businesses that are solely focused on marketing and advertising in other countries, in the Philippines, marketing is often a combination of advertising, merchandising, and sales. This can make it a bit more challenging, especially if you’re just starting off.
As previously mentioned, the Philippines has the third-largest online population in the world. According to a report from the Global Marketing and Advertising Agencies Market Share 2018, marketing and advertising agencies in the Philippines collectively handled $29.1 billion in revenue in 2017.
In addition to having a large online population, the Philippines also has a very ‘digital-savvy’ population. According to the AIMA report, 80% of the country’s inhabitants use the internet. This makes sense, as the Philippines was one of the first countries in the world to have their own internet zone. In 2015, the country even got its very own app, which handles various functions, such as tracking retail goods and businesses, discovering local attractions, events, and more.
If you’re looking to enter the Philippines market, you’ll need to understand what it means to do business there. You’ll also need to figure out how to make the most of the large online audience that the country’s booming digital economy has developed. If you can pull off these two tricks, you’ll be able to dominate your niche in a market that’s ripe for the taking.