As internet users can access a vast pool of information online, one of the challenges facing digital marketing companies is how to create relevant advertising that targets the right customers, experts said at a Viet Nam Online Marketing Forum held in HCM City on Wednesday.

Nguyen Phuong Thao, senior manager of Nielsen Viet Nam, said that greater access to smart devices and massive information online could easily intimidate users as it would be difficult to filter and verify information.

"Advertisers and marketers are faced with the challenge of providing information that is relevant to customer experiences," she said.

“There are already many tools available out there to help businesses boost digital marketing. What they need to do is to make an intervention by connecting with users and providing them with relevant user experiences,” she said.

For example, when users book an air ticket online, hotel booking advertisements should be sent to them immediately.

In order to make that intervention, businesses should be able to collect and process a large amount of real-time data using machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Nguyen Ba Ngoc, founder and CEO of NBN Media, a marketing consultancy firm, said to enhance the effectiveness of digital marketing, companies should adopt the most appropriate model as there is no “one-size-fits-all” model for any business.

"For example, small companies with limited human resources can use a centralised marketing system as it saves costs and is consistent. As companies grow, they can apply a decentralised brand management system, which is more suitable for managing a variety of brands," he added.

KOL and influencer marketing

Le Hai Binh, founder and chairman of Mat Bao Corp, said that more companies have been using key opinion leaders (KOL) and influencers to boost marketing on social media platforms as every “like”, “view”, and “share” on their personal pages can be seen by the public.

However, companies must know how to verify “real clicks, shares and views” to measure the effectiveness of marketing via this channel, he said.

There are three companies on the market that provide a service to help companies measure the real likes, views and shares of each post on social pages by KOL and influencers, as well as the number of people who have actually been reached by the post.

Binh recommended that companies use this service in the beginning if they prefer KOL and influencer marketing.

Thao said that, when using influencers, the most important thing is the message to customers.

“All of the information posted by influencers should be personalised and should not ‘sound like advertising’,” she said.

She said people follow influencers because they post content that matches their interests or hobbies. Therefore, it is important for companies to find an influencer who is more relevant to the value of their brand so they can interact and connect with the right customers.—VNS