Thailand
Cambodia: Social media is ‘key’ as local SMEs seek to enter global market
With more than 90 percent of registered companies in Cambodia being small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), experts yesterday highlighted the need for firms to embrace social media strategies if they wish to enter the global market.
The yet-to-be ratified Regional Comprehensive Economic Framework trade deal and other free trade agreements (FTAs) have forged a path for SMEs to export their goods to foreign markets.
SMEs, despite being a key pillar of the economy, account for less than 10 percent of national exports, according to 2018 data from the Federation of Associations for Small and Medium Enterprises of Cambodia.
“Whether it is locally and especially if it is internationally, people expect to see you online and be able to reach you. It is kind of like not having a business card. Having a social media presence makes you reachable and findable,” said Nancy Jaffe, advertising firm Mango Tango Asia’s chief strategy officer.
“Focusing on the right channel is important. As everyone knows, in Cambodia Facebook is the internet and it comes first, but that is not the case in other countries, especially in the US and Europe,” added Mango Tango Asia Chief Executive Officer Chris McCarthy.
Mango Tango Asia stressed that different social media sites serve different purposes and can have different results.
Jaffe and McCarthy said that Twitter and LinkedIn work best for clients wishing to reach an international audience for exports. However, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Tik-Tok serve lifestyle brands better in catering to the domestic market.
Guillaume Maltaverne, Arise Plus Cambodia’s trade information and advocacy adviser, noted that Southeast Asia has seen an increase of more than 90 percent in digital consumption during the pandemic, resulting in many people using digital services for the first time.
Arise Plus Cambodia is a part of a broader regional programme that aims to foster connectivity between Cambodia and ASEAN with financing from the European Ministry and German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
“One of the key findings is that when restrictions were lifted, individuals continued using digital services. COVID-19 has accelerated this trend everywhere and it does not matter what the level of economic development is, as Singapore and Indonesia have similar figures,” said Maltaverne.
Vanna Sann, founder of Kampot province-based fashion label Dorsu, said his firm has driven exports to the US, Australia, Germany and Japan among other countries via the firm’s dedication to using social media for storytelling.
The firm was invited to the forum as an model of how SMEs can convert followers to customers.
“We don’t want to be interpreted as saying that social media is the solution to all of your problems because our social media would mean nothing without a great team behind it,” said Sann.
Dorsu offers an alternative to the pitfalls of the fast-fashion industry by recycling high-quality discarded clothing into stylish and sustainable clothing options.
“People are interested in learning how ‘the sausage is made’, so whether it is behind the scenes for a photoshoot, fabric shopping or if we don’t know whether we should go with grey or burgundy for a particular item, we just ask our audience for feedback,” added Sann.
Carola Krainz, a consultant at Cambodia’s Ultimate Lifestyle Trade (CULT), stressed that firms must lead with purpose-driven content to reach out to international clients.
“It is extremely important to remember that social media is a two-way conversation and to foster a positive relationship [and also] important to respond to both positive and negative comments as quickly as possible to keep people engaged,” said Krainz.
The forum was held in cooperation with the European Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Arise Plus.
Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50836284/social-media-is-key-as-local-smes-seek-to-enter-global-market/