Driven by the country’s strong economic performance and rising incomes, the food and beverage (F&B) industry in Vietnam has experienced significant growth in recent years. With a range of regional and traditional dishes that have gained popularity both domestically and internationally, Vietnam’s F&B industry is divided into several sectors, including restaurants, cafes, bars, and street food vendors. Restaurants range from high-end fine dining establishments to local eateries that serve affordable and authentic dishes. Cafes and bars are also popular, with growing coffee culture in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Therefore, the F&B industry in Vietnam has become an attractive market for foreign brands, with many international companies establishing a presence in the country. To help global F&B brands who want to run a business in Vietnam, we present in this article 5 must-know digital marketing tips
Tip 1: Develop a strong social media presence
Developing popular social media channels in Vietnam requires foreign brands to a tailored approach that takes into account the local market and cultural nuances. First and foremost, global F&B brands must understand the demographic and psychographic characteristics of their target audience. What are their interests, needs, and pain points? Answers to these questions will help brands to create content that resonates with their audience.
It is also worth noting that not all social media platforms are created equal. In Vietnam, Facebook and Instagram are the most popular social media platforms. However, TikTok, Zalo, and YouTube are also gaining traction. As a result, each F&B brand is recommended to choose the platforms that their target audience is most active on.
Moreover, foreign F&B businesses can encourage customers to share their experiences with your brand on social media. Using local language, imagery, and cultural references to connect with the audience will not only help brands generate buzz but also provide social proof to potential customers. Need a comprehensive guide on how to build a stronger presence on Facebook? Click here to learn more:
Tip 2: Utilize SEO for website and online ordering platform optimization
SEO not only helps F&B businesses in Vietnam to improve their online visibility by appearing on the first page of search engine results but also attract high-quality traffic to F&B business websites. In a highly competitive F&B market in Vietnam, businesses that invest in SEO will definitely gain a competitive advantage over their rivals.
Below are some tips for optimizing a website and online ordering platforms for search engines:
Keyword Research: Conduct keyword research to identify relevant and popular keywords related to the F&B industry in Vietnam. This can help to identify the keywords that potential customers are using when searching for F&B products or services online.
On-Page Optimization: Optimize website pages and online ordering platforms by incorporating targeted keywords into the content, meta titles, and descriptions. This can help to improve the relevance of the site for the targeted keywords and increase visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Localized Content: Create localized content that is relevant to the Vietnamese market. This can help to increase the relevance of the website and online ordering platform to the local audience, and improve search engine rankings.
Mobile Optimization: Ensure that the website and online ordering platform are optimized for mobile devices. This is especially important in Vietnam, where mobile internet usage is high and increasing rapidly.
Tip 3: Leverage online advertising for targeted promotion
Online advertising is a great way for foreign F&B brands to promote themselves in Vietnam, as it allows for targeted advertising that can reach specific audiences. Vietnam’s advertising market has been growing rapidly in recent years, and online advertising has become increasingly popular among businesses. In this article, we provide global brands with some of the most popular online advertising platforms in Vietnam:
- Facebook: With over 70 million active users in Vietnam, Facebook is the most popular social media platform in the country. Facebook’s advertising platform is known for its targeting capabilities and can be used to run a variety of ad formats, including photo ads, video ads, and carousel ads.
- Google Ads: Google is the world’s largest search engine and its advertising platform, Google Ads, is widely used by businesses in Vietnam. Google Ads allows businesses to run search ads, display ads, and video ads on the Google search engine, YouTube, and other websites in the Google Display Network.
- Zalo Ads: Zalo is a popular messaging app in Vietnam with over 100 million users. Zalo Ads allows businesses to run ads in various formats, including banner ads, video ads, and native ads, targeting users based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
- Admicro: Admicro is a local ad network that offers display ads, native ads, and video ads on over 1,000 websites and mobile apps in Vietnam. Advertisers can target their ads based on various criteria, such as location, device, and interests.
- VnExpress: VnExpress is one of the most popular news portals in Vietnam, and its advertising platform offers a range of ad formats, including display ads, native ads, and video ads. Advertisers can target their ads based on the content of the news articles, as well as the demographics of the readers.
- TikTok: TikTok is a popular short-video app in Vietnam, with over 18 million active users. Its advertising platform, TikTok Ads, allows international F&B businesses to run various ad formats, including in-feed ads, branded effects, and hashtag challenges, targeting users based on interests and behaviors.
Tip 4: Offer incentives and promotions to drive customer engagement
Customer engagement plays a significant role in the F&B industry. When customers feel connected to a brand, they are more likely to return and recommend the restaurant to others. Positive word of mouth will eventually lead to new customers and increased revenue.
So, how can global F&B businesses create incentives and promotions to drive customer engagement in this digital age? One of the most common approaches is providing special deals such as buy one get one free, discounts on specific menu items or discounts for customers who share their experiences on social media platforms. Besides, businesses can partner with local businesses, influencers or celebrities to create limited-time collaborations or menu items and promote them on the websites. Furthermore, using the advances of today’s technologies, brands can use customer data to personalize promotions and offers, based on their preferences and purchase history, which can create a more engaging experience for the customers.
Another tradiontal way to promote customer engagement is to offer a loyalty program with rewards for frequent visits or purchases that can incentivize customers to keep coming back. But foreign F&B brands can take advantage of modern technologies to the traditional approach, such as incorporating gamification elements such as scratch card or spin-the-wheel games, which can be used to offer customers discounts or free menu items.
Tip 5: Utilize email marketing to keep customers informed and engaged
Compared to other marketing channels such as print and radio, email marketing is relatively inexpensive. It allows F&B businesses to reach a large audience with minimal cost, making it a cost-effective way to promote their products and services. Besides, email marketing enables businesses to segment their audience and target specific groups with tailored messages. For example, an F&B business in Vietnam can segment its email list based on customers’ past purchase behavior, interests, and preferences to send personalized and relevant content to each group.
To create effective email campaigns, foreign F&B brands in Vietnam need careful planning and execution. Here are some tips to create successful email campaigns:
- Use Attention-Grabbing Subject Lines: The subject line is the first thing recipients see when they receive your email. Make sure it is attention-grabbing and compelling to encourage them to open the email. Use action-oriented language, emojis, and personalization to make the subject line stand out.
- Design Engaging Emails: Design visually appealing emails that are easy to read and navigate. Use high-quality images, clear and concise copy, and a clear call-to-action to encourage recipients to take action.
- Make it Mobile-Friendly: With a high percentage of email opens on mobile devices, it’s crucial to ensure that those emails are optimized for mobile. Use a responsive design and keep the copy concise and easy to read on a smaller screen.
- Track and Analyze Results: Use email marketing software to track metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to measure the success of your campaign. Use this data to make data-driven decisions and improve future campaigns.
In summary, as the digital marketing industry is constantly evolving, staying on top of the latest trends will help global brands gain a competitive advantage over other businesses in the F&B industry. However, there are several challenges that these brands may face in this market, such as language barriers, cultural differences, etc.
Are you looking for a local agency to execute these digital marketing strategies in Vietnam? Contact us!
