Singaporean in China: Web Consultant, Social Media Consultant

This is for the Singapore Tourist Board who thinks Facebook pwnz China.

Web2Asia - Online Social Networks In China

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Web2Asia - Online Social Networks In China

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The Singapore Tourism Board recently launched their S$90m (circa $60m usd) BOOST Campaign.

Focus will be on Asian countries.

STB will place emphasis on four major regional markets – China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia – and one emerging market, Vietnam. Within these markets, key customer segments targeted include Free and Independent Travellers (FIT), group travellers and MICE visitors.

(wow. mice visitors. coolness.)

 
Engaging these asian countries with online social media such as…Facebook.

To create more buzz about Singapore, STB will leverage online media and viral marketing channels such as Facebook to launch attention-grabbing promotions under the “2009 Reasons to enjoy Singapore” campaign. “Fly on US” is the first major online promotion, and offers Sin$500,000 worth of free air tickets to Singapore, as well as Sin$10,000 cash to be won monthly. The campaign will be launched on 19 February 2009 and last till end-May 2009.

 
Here’s what I think.

Right approach, wrong target
Facebook is arguably the most popular social network on the www, but there are credible and more popular social networks in Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Nicholas Guan posted some convenient numbers:

In China, Facebook has an estimated reach of about 243,000 users. However, Xiaonei, a local social networking site similar to Facebook, has more than 15 million.

In Indonesia, there are more than nine million Friendster users, compared to Facebook’s 1.44 million.

More than 7.2 million Indians are on Orkut, compared to the 1.2 million on Facebook.

And in Vietnam, there are only an estimated 45,000 users on Facebook. However, Yahoo 360plus has more than two million users.

In fact, Friendster set up shop in Singapore few months back, and received 20mil in funding from IDG Ventures. I noticed their Friendster umbrellas when I was at the IDG office for a meeting. Apparently they do have an Asian strategy too.

Social marketing is not social advertising
You can’t just purchase prime online space, and run fancy slogans or contests and tour package offers, and forcing the message to the viewer’s screen. That’s advertising. That’s not social media marketing.

People are drawn to social network sites, not for the content, but for the conversation. One needs to have a social agenda, to converse and engage in a sincere manner. The campaign also needs a face to it, or better still, faces - shining living examples of overseas Singaporeans. Quality does not necessarily compromise on quantitiy either. Andrew Peters engaged online users, and managed to bring in the crowd for the inaugural Singapore Tattoo Show.

 
So I asked Andrew.

JD: also, regarding STB’s 90 mil, have you any plans?

AP: yes they should give the lot to me - and i will keep saying how fabulous singapore is