The Thrilling Rise of Content Marketing in Asia: Why Now is the Time to Dive In

As I sit here reflecting on almost four years ago arriving in Singapore with little more than two suitcases and absolutely no idea what I was going to do next, I start to draw parallels on how far I’ve been able to come in this epic place I now call home and equally how quickly the APAC content marketing industry has advanced too! 

In the ever evolving realm of marketing, few approaches have witnessed as rapid and transformative a journey as content marketing. The digital age and economy has supercharged the rise of content marketing, and I’m a firm believer that Asia is at the epicentre of this revolution. And this is why I couldn’t be more excited for The CMA to now officially be in Singapore! 

Arriving in the city state and looking to quickly build connections and a network I instantly took to Google and LinkedIn to search for Content and Creative communities. To my surprise there were very few…may only one! Yes OK it was just as Covid kicked off – But, please House Party (app) was just about to hit its peak too – the perfect place for a content/creative gathering. 

The Content Marketing community is full of data led, creative and inspiring individuals and it was a community I was used to participating with in the UK so was sad to see little if any community here in Singapore. Fast forward three years, a number of awesome conversation and the community is starting to thrive again, with The CMA being the latest entrant to the Singapore stage and I couldn’t be happier that MSQ are now a member! Watch this space for events, content and awards! It’s truly really exciting to be part of this exciting venture with newly found friends in the industry.

But, why was now the right time to jump with two feet into Asia? Here’s my thoughts…want to chat them through, you’ll find me on Linked here:

1. Growing Internet Penetration: The stats don’t lie, Asia is home to more than half of the world’s internet users. As more people get online, the demand for high-quality, relevant content has never been higher. This vast digital audience presents an enormous opportunity for brands to engage and connect with consumers like never before.

2. Mobile-First Culture: Asia has embraced a mobile-first culture, with smartphone adoption skyrocketing. Content marketing strategies tailored to mobile users can capture the attention of a massive and engaged audience, making it an exciting time for brands to craft content that resonates with the super mobile-savvy Asian consumers.

3. Multilingual and Diverse This diversity creates an incredibly fertile ground for content marketers to experiment with various languages and cultural nuances, which demands smarter and harder working content, allowing brands to customize their content to reach specific audiences. Own personalisation at scale to foster deeper connections with consumers and build brand loyalty across borders.

4. The Power of Visual and Video Content: Asia’s content creators have harnessed the power of platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Bigo, Douyin, BiliBili and Instagram to engage audiences with compelling visuals and videos. There are lots of opportunities to engage across a ton of different a local and global platforms! Don’t forget live selling, this is being led by the East and slowly making its way west with the likes of TikTok Shop. 

5. Rising E-commerce Ecosystem: Asia’s e-commerce ecosystem is booming. With giants like Alibaba, JD.com, and Amazon expanding their reach across the continent, businesses have the opportunity to integrate content marketing into their e-comm strategies. Creating content that informs, entertains, entices and educates consumers to drive better ROI. 

That’s right, I wrote an entire blog post without mentioning AI (artificial intelligence) don’t get me wrong the adoption and smarts this side of the world are also an important factor to why now is the time to get involved. But, it doesn’t yet feel as advanced here – we’ll catch up in due course, take learnings from the rest of the world and smash it. It’s exciting times! 

Andy Edmonds

General Manager, MSQ Studio Asia