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Friday, 20 December 2013

The Behavior Of Demographics On Social Networks In South Africa

By Cornelia White


Social networks in South Africa are generating significant interest, with 9.4 million active facebook members and 7.4 million mobile app fans. More obscure smartphone applications have over a million users, demonstrating that marketers and business owners trying to penetrate the SA market need to do so through integrated campaigns which include networking advertising.

The aspect that makes South Africa unique from other countries is the fact that it combines both third and first world countries into one domain. At the same time, many still existing in third world conditions have not limited their use of technology. While computers prove too costly for many earning minimum wage, smart phones are not. For this reason, SA's users are uniquely focused on mobile networking applications.

Campaigns established according to demographics are relatively easy to create in SA because of the stark division between subcultures and locales. Many who use mobile networking applications, for example, dedicate 60 minutes of their days to these sites. That these kinds of networks offer an affordable way to communicate gives marketers a direct way to influence middle income earners.

Currently, Facebook is the fastest growing network in SA. City dwellers, professionals, and mid to upper income classes are the network's most common users. In contrast, professional networks are not growing quite as quickly. Those working in the white collar sector, particularly in finance, are typical professional digital network members.

SA has a few networks that are generating significant attention from lower income groups. By marketing themselves on basic food items, these media are targeting a demographic that is large enough to detract from the usage of some of the world's most popular sites. Those marketing to this demographic cannot afford to ignore the lesser known mobile applications networkers are using locally, given that they have an average of a million daily users.

SA demographics are easily split into the locations of digital users. For example, Natal locals are showing more interest in mobile media. This laid back, sporty demographic has a sociable, relaxed attitude to life. Those in Gauteng are the most avid professional network users. Gauteng locals are famously career-focused, and have significant earning power.

Image sharing media are gaining ground throughout the country. Video sharing sites generate the most interest from Western Cape locals. This target market is interested in quality of life above career, although the Cape has niche subcultures that sustain thriving professional lives at a slightly slower pace than Gauteng dwellers.

Networks in SA are growing far faster than in many other countries, with some sites demonstrating more than 100% growth in only a year. Corporations are a large part of this development, with brand managers using their own internal marketing departments to develop their social media campaigns.

Marketing managers with the talent to develop strategic digital campaigns gain a significant competitive edge. This is the result of a general lack of savvy among advertisers as to how to develop an integrated campaign on social networks in South Africa. Despite the fact that the country has some of the world's most talented advertisers, digital marketing remains misunderstood by many.




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