Ways of online marketing in Vietnam

Thanks to the development of technology and particularly the evolution of the Internet, a new form of marketing
has been created based on how people change their perception of receiving, interacting and communicating
information. Vietnam advertising market has not been exempted from this and has seen consumers' lifestyles have
changed over the years. As consumers spent more time online on several devices, advertising has been pushed to
migrate massively from traditional to digital channels.

Internet usage in Vietnam 1

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF USERS AVERAGE DAILY
SMARTPHONE TIME SPENT USING TIME SPENT TOTAL DIGITAL AD
INTERNET USERS ACCESSING THE INTERNET TIME USERS* SPEND
(ANY DEVICE). OWNERSHIP SOCIAL MEDIA WATCHING VIDEOS SPEND IN 2000
VIA MOBILE DEVICES USING INTERNET

68,72 96,9 % OF 68 % OF 2H 09M USD 290,0

6H 47M 2H 22M
MILLION POPULATION* POPULATION* MILLION

Source: WeAreSocial, HootSuite & GWI. 2021. *aged 16 to 64

The most popular marketing channels in Vietnam

Search Engines 37,0%

Ads on Television 36,2% Digital development affected the
Recommendations or Comments on Social Media 30,1% way how the Vietnamese people
are becoming aware of the
Consumer Review Websites 29,9% products or services. The most
Brand or Product Websites 29,3% popular channels to find product
Product Comparison Websites 28,1%
information are search engines, TV
advertisements and social
Posts on Brands´ Social Media Accounts 27,8% networks. Especially in the current
TV Shows or Films 27,3% epidemic situation, these channels
have even more favourable
Word-of-Mouth Recommendations 26,4%
conditions for development.
Ads on Websites 25,6%
Percentage of Internet users aged 16 to 64 that discovers new brands or products
Source: WeAreSocial, HootSuite & GWI. 2021.
through each channel

2 Social Media Marketing in Vietnam

TOTAL NUMBER OF ACTIVE ANNUAL CHANGE IN THE NUMBER SPEND <ON SOCIAL
SOCIAL NETWORKING APPS
SOCIAL MEDIA USERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA USERS MEDIA ADS IN 2020

+10,8 % $ 58,93
72 MILLION +7.0 MILLION
94,5 %
MILLION

Source: WeAreSocial, HootSuite & GWI. 2021.

 Marketing through technology in Vietnam
Most Popular Apps in the Vietnamise
There is an increasing trend in social Market
media users in Vietnam. Vietnam users
have shown their preference for Youtube 92,0%
Facebook, YouTube and Zalo. Social Facebook 91,7%
networking apps are present in the Zalo 76,5%
Facebook Messenger 75,8%
consumers' everyday life, allowing them
Instagram 53,5%
to share content and information faster TikTok 47,6%
and more effectively than through Twitter 38,5%
traditional communication channels Skype 27,6%
such as newspapers and television. Pinterest 24,1%
Social media serves not only as a bridge LinkedIn 22,9%
to connect with the world and share Viber 22,2%
information with the community, but it Whatsapp 21,2%
WeChat 19,9%
is also an effective advertising channel
Line 18,3%
for private businesses and international Twitch 17,4%
corporations to become a success. SnapChat 16,7%

Percentage of Internet users aged 16 to 64 that has used each platform in the
Source: WeAreSocial, HootSuite & GWI. 2021.
past month (January 2021).

Facebook is leading the Vietnamese market. Over 60 million users of all ages have accounts
on the platform. Unlike western countries, where Facebook's popularity is declining among
young people, Vietnamese teenagers remain loyal to the network due to its easy-to-use
interface, providing an infinite source of information, connecting friends and relatives,
keeping data, and notably effective advertising channel for businesses.
Zalo is the third most used App. It is a pure Vietnamese social network thoroughly optimized
with domestic telecommunications infrastructure and locates servers in Vietnam. Its
messaging speed is also superior to that of foreign competitors. With the fastest and most
stable free texting, voice messages up to 5 minutes long, drawing pictures while texting, and
more efficient battery usage, Zalo has become a technological and marketing phenomenon in
Vietnam.

Popular B2C Digital Marketing Channels & Communication Methods In Vietnam 3

The first relationship 95% of internet users 90% of Vietnamese buyers

Online advertising: this is
often happens directly watch online videos trust Influencer reviews,
the most effective and
on Facebook, Zalo, every month in Vietnam compared to only 33% who
direct way to reach
Instagram. When user and usually via YouTube trust advertisements. Fast
customers online. The two
contacts you, be as and Facebook. Moving Consumer Goods
types of advertising that are
reactive as possible; Businesses often create (FMCG), Technology, Beauty,
commonly used today are
having a chat with interesting and easy-to- E-commerce and Finance are
Google Ads and Facebook
sellers before making understand video the top five industries making
Ads. There are also ads on
the final buying decision content to engage the most out of influencer
Zalo, Instagram.
is popular in Vietnam. potential customers. marketing in Vietnam.
 Marketing through technology in Vietnam

4 Popular B2B Digital Marketing Channels & Communication Methods In Vietnam

For a B2B marketing strategy in Vietnam, it is important to research the market and define the target audience to select the
most appropriate tools. 65% of B2B buyers in Vietnam are more willing to work with brands that have a clear understanding of
the market and their line of business

Matchmaker: Business clients are often cautious and discreet, so they are often difficult to reach by conventional
means such as finding business customers.
If you are referred by a reputable organization, there will be many opportunities to reach potential business
clients.
✓ The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHKs) abroad provides professional consulting services to
businesses in both Germany and Vietnam, market information, networking and other support services for
enterprises in the process of approaching and entering the market.
www.vietnam.ahk.de
✓ International Startup Campus (ISC) is a Collaboration between the Universities Halle-Jena-Leipzig to support
the internationalization of startups. Acting as a matchmaking platform for German innovative startups on the
Vietnam market. Furthermore, ISC provides German startups and entrepreneurs with specific knowledge in a
field of international business development and export management.
www.internationalstartupcampus.com

Create eye-catching content on

Make use of social
your website that will attract the
networks. This B2B
attention of your audience. This
Attending topic related strategy is not intended
content can be videos, blogs, case
events, exhibitions, to increase your sales
studies, reports, among many
associations, trade fares. but to create brand
others. By doing this content, you
recognition among
are more likely to increase your
your target customers.
clients and partners.

Final Remarks
Digital marketing has great potential and room for growth in Vietnam. Companies interested in building business relationships
with the Vietnamese market can join industry associations, attend exhibitions, trade fairs and networking events, and
matchmaking activities with third parties. On the other hand, social media marketing continues to be a success factor in attracting
customers, and Facebook is still the most popular social network among Vietnamese. This platform has become an ecosystem
that generates money for businesses through well-crafted and eye-catching marketing strategies that capture the interest of the
end customer.

Please Contact Us For Support In Entering The Vietnamese Market

Gunnar Kaßberg Nguyen Thanh Hien

Prof. Dr. Utz Dornberger
Fit4Export Coordinator Vietnam SEPT Office
SEPT Director Phone: +49 341 97-33760 Phone: +84 28 3622 2812
Universität Leipzig E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]