Digital 2020: The State of Mobile, Social Media and E-commerce in the Philippines

The first thing that struck me the most after reading the subject matter is the staggering amount of people who are present internet users and active social media users. The total number of internet users is already more than half of the world’s population!

THAT.IS.INSANE.

I also find it odd that we, Filipinos, are the world’s top internet and social media users in the world despite the annoyingly slow internet connection speed in our country. After all, Filipinos by nature are very sociable people so I’m not totally surprised that we are recognized as the world’s most active social media users. Besides, social media platforms particularly Facebook is no longer just an avenue to connect with your friends or family, but it is prevalently used nowadays as a source of news and current events, as well as, for e-commerce.

I’m also surprised to learn that the male population, aged 13-54, dominated the female population in terms of Facebook advertisements’ top audience. I’ve always thought that females are more drawn to advertisements as compared to males. One more thing that struck me is the fact that games are the most downloaded mobile app both in Android and IOS software. I never realized until now that a myriad of people is into online gaming because I’m definitely not part of that statistics. So, if you guys are planning to develop an app, you might as well consider creating gaming apps because you would surely have a multitude of avid users.

Facebook is KING

Facebook is still the king of social media by consistently holding the title of being the most-used social platform in the world. Hence, if you are a marketer or an advertiser, Facebook should be your go-to social app to capture audience and promote your products or services. Investing heavily and strategically on Facebook advertising would most likely give your business a boost. It would also be viable for marketers to create a mobile-friendly website for their businesses since most people use their mobile devices when purchasing online, as compared to using a laptop or a desktop.

Moreover, it is also worth noting that the travel and accommodation category raked in the most earnings in the global e-commerce, grossing a whopping $1.19 trillion! Although sadly, that is most probably not the case now considering the unprecedented event that is Covid-19 pandemic that we are currently enduring, which had brought the tourism and aviation industry to its knees. Conversely, the fashion and beauty category take the second spot in the worldwide e-commerce. This translates into two things: first, fashion and beauty industry are one of the most viable businesses to explore online; and second, women drive the world economy.

In this day and age, if you want your business to succeed, building an online presence is a MUST! It is also irrefutable to say that Digital Marketing is the present and the future of marketing. Marketers must constantly be adaptive and creative in coming up with strategies to exploit the copious wonders of the digital world.