Influencer Marketing in Vietnam: A comprehensive guide

Vietnam has recently emerged as an appealing digital marketing hub in the Southeast Asian region, largely in part to the influx of active and engaging influencers. These individuals, including both celebrities and prominent social media users, have become increasingly dominant in the Vietnamese digital environment by influencing public opinions on products and businesses as well as generating organic interest from consumers. This article explores the current state and future prospects of influencer marketing in Vietnam, allowing businesses to leverage this digital marketing method effectively.

The State of Influencer Marketing in Vietnam

Many businesses are aware of the flourishing status of influencer marketing in Vietnam, but knowing the intricacies of influencers and their niche can encourage them to dip their toes in this highly beneficial digital marketing venture.

Let’s have a look at the market for influencer marketing as well as its industries, platforms, and notable names.

Market size and growth projections

As of 2024, influencer marketing in Vietnam has cemented its status as one of the cornerstones in all of digital marketing, especially in terms of the outreach efforts of businesses.

Substantial growth has been observed in the Vietnamese market, suggesting that the influencer marketing industry is enjoying a sharp increase in investment from both local and foreign businesses. Specifically, the ad spending is projected to reach 87.02 million USD in 2024 and a whopping 147.10 million USD by 2029, which equals an annual growth rate of 11.07%.

Influencer marketing is growing at a rapid pace

This rapid development came to be thanks to quite a few changes in the country. One, Vietnam’s social media penetration rate is at an all time high, with over 78% of its near 100-million-people population.

Secondly, ever since the pandemic started, Vietnamese brands have been ushering in the adoption of e-commerce, evident in the rise of platforms like Shopee, Lazada, and even built-in marketplace functions like Facebook Marketplace and TikTok Shop.

And thirdly, businesses have learned many ways to track results of influencer marketing campaigns and enhance their ROI through analytic tools, providing an incentive for more companies to harness the power of influencer marketing in Vietnam.

Key industries leveraging influencer marketing

Influencers have asserted their dominance over many industries in Vietnam, most notably fashion & beauty, food & beverage, entertainment, education, and travel.

The reason why these industries have garnered considerable traction in influencer marketing in VIetnam is the preferences of social media users. About 37% of the Vietnamese population live in urban areas, specifically two major locations in the capital city Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. People are more inclined to follow news and updates about celebrities and all things entertainment.

The FnB industry is at the center of attention for influencer marketing in Vietnam

On top of that, urban residents are always on the lookout for the newest attractions, restaurants, cafes, etc., in their cities as well as opportunities to hone their professional and technical skills.

Influencers can bridge the gap between consumers and businesses through their content, which explains their meteoric rise in the new era. And with the integration of AI technology on the horizon, influencer marketing in Vietnam is going to enjoy the upward trajectory for the near future.

The Vietnamese Social Media Landscape

The decision to venture into influencer marketing might be easy for business, but it can be confusing to pinpoint which platform to consolidate their investment and efforts.

The biggest social media platforms in Vietnam are:

• Facebook
• YouTube
• Messenger
• Google
• Zalo
• Instagram
• X (Twitter)

Does this mean businesses should prioritize Facebook under any circumstance? Not really. It is the most used platform in the country, which can draw a lot of attention, but it may not be the most efficient choice.

Vietnamese people are avid social media users

GenZ is the main audience for influencer marketing and while they do have Facebook accounts, they tend to be more active on Instagram. In turn, Instagram becomes the best platform for influencer marketing in Vietnam while simultaneously generating the best ROI for businesses.

Aside from that, TikTok and its incredibly active user base propels it high atop the list of most suitable platforms for influencer marketing in Vietnam. For that reason, campaigns on this platform can generate considerable interaction rates.

Types of Influencers in Vietnam

Finally, the last puzzle piece to make a perfect influencer campaign is the type of influencer. The influencer landscape in Vietnam is diverse, ranging from micro-influencers with 10,000-50,000 followers to macro-influencers and celebrities with millions of followers.

Notably, there has been a trend towards working with micro and nano-influencers, as brands recognize the value of their highly engaged, niche audiences and lower price tag.

Choosing the right influencers can make all the difference

Also, businesses tend to work with a group of influencers rather than just one, which reinforces the idea that multiple micro influencers might be better than one major celebrity. However, it all comes down to your budget and whether you can afford bringing on a well-known name as your brand representative and how well they can do their job as your advocate.

Effective Strategies for Influencer Marketing in Vietnam

Choosing the right influencers

The right influencers for a business are dictated not by follower count but how suitable their image is to the business’ branding. To find the most appropriate influencers for marketing, look at their audience. If these people coincide with your target audience, you can consider collaborating with the influencer.

Additionally, brands can examine engagement rates such as likes, comments, and shares to determine the performance of certain influencers. While you are at it, make sure to also look into past collaborations with other brands and the results of those campaigns.

If these tasks seem too complicated, there are many tools that can assist you in collecting and analyzing the data collected from social media platforms. Sprout Social and SocialBlade can be of great help.

Creating Authentic and Localized Content

Once you have secured a group of influencers, finding out a good content strategy should be next on the agenda. However, you may not want to be too imposing when it comes to ideas.

The best way to approach influencer marketing in Vietnam is to allow influencers creative freedom to maintain authenticity. You can always provide them with pointers through briefs, but it is important to encourage genuine stories and experiences with the product/service.

After successfully laying the foundation for content creation, you can spice it up with local slang and humor to appeal to the right audience. In Vietnam, especially during Tet and other significant occasions, influencers can incorporate cultural elements and related trends into their content.

Most importantly, however, businesses and influencers should always balance promotional content with valuable, non-sponsored posts.

Leveraging Video and Live Streaming

If there is a mutual development in the majority of social media platforms, it is the rise of video content and live streaming sessions. These started as a form of communication to foster organic relationships between influencers and their followers, but lately, they have become two major content types for influencer marketing in Vietnam thanks to the unmatched interactivity.

Realtime features of live streaming are perfect for influencer marketing

Additionally, live streaming also enables various real-time features such as polls, Q&As, challenges, and built-in shopping features on selective platforms such as Shopee.

On the video side of things, influencers are a perfect match with short-form videos since social media users now have a preference for these videos.

Micro-Targeting and Niche Marketing

This goes without saying but businesses should only focus on specific demographics and interest groups for their campaign (like beauty enthusiasts, gamers, and home cooks).

Regarding the influencers, businesses are leaning towards working with micro-influencers to take advantage of the higher engagement rates while saving their budget. Another way to lower the expenditures of an influencer marketing campaign is finding regional names for your project, which not only help you target specific areas but also enhance the effectiveness of the campaign.

Long-Term Partnerships and Brand Ambassadors

Moving beyond one-off campaigns is also the tendency of many brands in Vietnam, as it allows them to find long-running success.

Sustained relationships facilitate authentic brand integration and maintain consistency from one project to another. Moreover, a long-term partnership also instills trust in consumers for businesses, especially when their favorite content creators or celebrities act as brand representatives.

Find yourself a brand ambassador from a long partnership

To strengthen the collaborative efforts of businesses and influencers, consider creating exclusive content series or even product lines with key influencers while also involving them in product development or testing phases. Taking things a step further with offline events like product launches or meet-and-greets with influencers also prove beneficial

Incorporating User-Generated Content (UGC)

In recent years, marketing is not simply presenting users with your content, but it is all about providing an enjoyable experience. User-generated content (UGC) has become a powerful tool in Vietnam’s influencer marketing landscape for that same reason.

Get your audience involved with UGC

Businesses and content creators are more inclined to encourage followers to create and share content using branded hashtags, tapping into the audience’s FOMO and creativity.

Running contests or challenges that promote UGC creation can significantly amplify reach and engagement, while also providing a wealth of authentic content for future marketing efforts.

Leveraging Multi-Platform Approach

Vietnam has a diverse social media ecosystem and you will be missing out if you do not expand your outreach efforts to various platforms. The best idea will be to coordinate your campaigns across different platforms and work with the best influencers for your products/services on said platform.

For example, if you are looking to introduce a new product, you can use TikTok for viral challenges, Instagram for visually-driven content like images, and Facebook for more detailed product information.

Compliance and Transparency

As influencer marketing in Vietnam develops, compliance and transparency have become increasingly important.

Sponsored content is usually marked and communicated to the audience, typically with hashtags or tags implemented by the platforms themselves. Brands are required to stay updated on local regulations regarding influencer marketing, which may evolve rapidly to ensure a seamless campaign with influencers.

Fortunately, the development of this marketing method comes with the rise of many agencies. Choosing a credible influencer agency Vietnam will help businesses navigate these complexities easier.

Measuring and Optimizing Performance

In 2024, measuring and optimizing influencer campaign performance with data is crucial. Set clear, measurable KPIs for each campaign, such as engagement rates, click-throughs, or direct sales.

To assist businesses in monitoring their marketing efforts, platforms have included built-in tracking methods, allowing content creators and brands to use tracking links and promo codes to accurately measure the direct impact of their content.

You should also conduct A/B testing with different influencers or content types to identify the most effective strategies. Moreover, regularly review performance metrics and be prepared to adjust strategies in real-time.

Embracing Emerging Technologies

AI is taking over digital marketing on all fronts, and influencer marketing in Vietnam is no exception. Specifically, it has weaved its way into influencer discovery and campaign management, which streamline some major stages of a campaign and improve targeting. The social media platforms have also leveraged AI developments to come up with new functions like AR filters or effects for interactive content.

AI is taking over influencer marketing in Vietnam

To avoid falling behind, tapping into the Vietnamese people’s enthusiasm for new tech experiences is the way to go. Since AI integration in Vietnam is still in its infancy, it is the best time to experiment with innovative campaign ideas and add them into your repertoire.

Major Influencer Marketing Campaigns in Vietnam

To see how well influencer marketing in Vietnam is growing, take a look at three of the most successful campaigns in the country.

VUS

VUS is one of Vietnam’s leading English-learning centers. In a bold and timely move to elevate their position even further, they turned to influencer marketing, partnering with micro-influencers who were young mothers.

VUS attracted considerable attention with their influencer marketing campaign

These influencers and their children were invited to experience VUS’ learning experiences first-hand then shared their authentic and relatable reviews on social media.

The results? A resounding success. In just over four weeks, VUS gained more than 150,000 new Facebook followers and tons of engagements and shares.

What can businesses learn from this? Relatability goes a long way in influencer marketing in Vietnam. Since the influencers are also mothers, their reviews and opinions are more trustworthy in the minds of fellow parents, allowing VUS to deliver their promotional messages effectively.

Omo

Rappers have been taking Vietnam by storm in recent years and many major brands have been capitalizing on this trend. There are a lot of storytelling elements in rap music, which fits marketing to a tee.

OMO, a prominent laundry detergent brand in Vietnam, tapped into the flourishing rap scene by including Rhymastic and Suboi, two very popular rappers, into their campaign. Together, they created a Tet-themed music production for the Lunar New Year, which is both the busiest shopping period and a significant occasion for Vietnamese people.

OMO worked with two major celebrities for their Tet campaign

The video amassed an impressive 7 million views shortly after its release, largely due to two rap icons collaborating on a track but also the meaningful message of OMO. This result contributed greatly to the brand awareness and reputation of OMO on the market.

Final Thoughts

Influencer marketing in Vietnam has evolved into a powerful and dynamic digital marketing method. As brands continue to leverage this technique, more and more developments in technology and the market will come their way, requiring them to adapt to prolong their success. By embracing emerging technologies, focusing on organic engagement, and staying attuned to local trends, businesses can master the art of influencer marketing in Vietnam.

With that said, it can be easier for businesses with professional help from an experienced Vietnam influencer agency. On Digitals offers our KOL marketing services, which cover all booking and management tasks to help businesses enhance their outreach efforts in the Vietnamese market. Contact On Digitals now to learn more about our service and get a quote.