Community platforms are often one of the most overlooked ways of entering South Korea’s market. With South Koreans already being quite loyal customers, there often seems like no point in reaffirming something that is already there. As the final instalment in this series which explored platform usage. Today we will outline the top 5 major communities and what age groups interact with them.
Why use community marketing in Korea?
South Koreans are extremely loyal customers. Despite any initial weariness surrounding a product. Once they’re hooked on a product, you’ve got a forever client. Which suits community marketing perfectly as you can boost this loyalty and gain referrals; building a solid reputation for your company with faithful customers.
What are the most popular community platforms, regardless of age?
Overall, each age group placed Naver Cafe and Karrot at their top 2. As an extension of the popular Search Tool, Naver, it isn’t surprising Naver Cafe came in first. With the app being most popular with women in their 30s at 51% while those in the generation below came up at 28%. However for men in their 20s, Naver is significantly higher than other options.
In 2nd place came Karrot. A community platform that has a focus on local events and buying or selling 2nd hand materials. Generally sitting with around 30% less interest than Naver Cafe, Karrot still has a pretty even judgement from participants.
Another popular platform that sits in different rankings but gives similar results is Kakao Open Chat. Those in their 20s almost mirrored the stats of those in their 30s at 18% and 14% for men and women. While men and women in their 40s sit at 20% and 15%. This kind of platform is an extension of popular messaging of KakaoTalk.
Which begs the question, if these platforms have such similar stats. Is it appropriate to use similar communities for the age groups?
Should we use the same community for all age groups?
In short, no. Despite the first 2 being the same across the board, each age group still shows quite varied preferences. With each platform having different outlines and each age group having different priorities in their lives.
Community Platforms for South Korean people in 20s.
Their highest rated platform was Everytime. A University community app where students can share thoughts on varied topics; both anonymously and through known accounts. We cannot compare this app to other age groups, as there was no data. As many of those in their 30s and 40s will have finished their studies, therefore this kind of platform doesn’t interest them. However, males in their 20s use this platform 10% more than females. Which is significant in comparison to other data, like those in our last episode, where women generally spend more time on platforms.
Community Platforms for South Korean people in 30s.
As previously mentioned, Kakao Open Chat had a pretty high ranking for those in their 30s. However, platform Blind only significantly appeared in the 30s age group. South Koreans are immensely dedicated, hard workers when it comes to their jobs. So with an app created to build careers and work, a platform like this is perfect. Men’s use of it (14%) does almost double that of women’s (8%), however, even seeing such a priority use for a platform like this just shows South Korea’s dedication compared to other countries.
Community Platforms for South Korean people in 40s.
Daum Cafe is the most popular platform for those in their 40s. The app was created in 1999, which means a majority of their audience is older. Younger generations still use this platform but their interaction is significantly less popular. However, the highest interaction rate comes from men in their 40s at 22%. Women in their 20s are also high participants in this app due to it’s high fan base community
Conclusion
There is definitely a strong dominance of consumers preferring South Korean platforms displaying these communities, but don’t let this defer you. These platforms are great for short daily interactions with your South Korean community. Building on your relationship and inviting customers to be more invested in your business. Informing future marketing decisions, or how to promote new products. These kinds of results outweigh the reasons why you shouldn’t set up a community.
If you want to know more about the South Korean people, read more articles from the “Audience Insight” series!