PRESS OFFICE: The digital landscape in South Africa can be quite challenging to marketers because of the various factors. Despite the many trials, the digital marketing sector has remained broadly unscathed. At the same time other marketing companies, advertising and marketing channels have had success in the digital arena.
While other industries are suffering, digital marketing in South Africa has increased at a rate of 35%. Owing to this, there are certain trends that will increase in popularity which will have to be taken into account.
Mobile first
It’s not surprising that the mobile market is very large in South Africa. Eighty percent of South Africans have a subscription to a mobile service provider. A Mobile Market Report published by Effective Measure in February 2016 stated that: “84% of respondents have knowingly accessed the Internet on their devices in the last 24 hours.” Social media, instant messaging, e-mail and search were the most common activities. The more tech-savvy users get, the more businesses has to adapt to the ever-increasing popularity of social media .
App developers are in demand as businesses need platforms to connect with their customers and provide up-to-date space for information the customer could need.
Extreme targeting is also rising in popularity
The amount of useful information you are able to provide with just a few questions is quite surprising. To demonstrate more appropriate ads, behavioural targeting looks at information collected from an individual’s Internet-browsing behaviour. As this technology progresses businesses must modify their content for a specific audience which will most likely be interested in the product or service. Nevertheless, the core reason for users clicking on an ad is the goal.
The increase in demand for creative practitioners in the digital sphere
The demand for creative, original and quality content will grow as competitors scramble to stand out from the crowd. The demand for jobs such as copywriters and content creators will increase for digital marketing in South Africa however in addition to this kind of content we will see an increase in amount of user-generated content. As the digital world is so fast, the need to be innovative and creative in business has become crucial to success.
Competitive data service provider prices
The demand for data continues to rise, although we will still see a demand for affordable data providers. This will create competition among telecom providers and maybe some new Internet Service Providers (ISP) on the scene to offer comparable services for more reasonable prices.
The rise of cultural relevance
Having an opinion without unintentionally offending someone is very difficult. When something gains enough popularity, there will always be a few people who won’t agree with the subject matter or they’ll find your approach, tone or content offensive.
In an effort to be liked and accepted by the largest possible audience in an ever-increasingly difficult environment, cultural sensitivity is imperative. It is easier for anything to gain traction on the Internet if there is a hint of controversy. Regardless of what you put out, there will be somebody who finds your subject matter offensive. Increased globalisation around the world and campaigns becoming more racially inclusive is the future of digital marketing.
A recent survey conducted using Adobe revealed that: “59% of customers in South Africa take greater interest in classified ads in digital media than TV classified ads and radio commercials.” Dentsu Aegis Network India’s current file states that: “The percentage of digital marketing in South Africa might double within the next three years, that is from the cutting-edge 12% to 24% by 2020.” This shows that South African customers are migrating towards digital and there are opportunities for businesses to maximise profits on online marketing.
It is pretty safe to say that the future is bright for digital marketing in South Africa and enrolling for a digital marketing course is not a bad idea, because there will be a need for digital specialists. Visit the Digital School of Marketing’s website to find out more about the digital marketing courses that we offer.
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