Twitter, as the go-to place for #WhatsHappening in the Philippines, is a hotspot for conversations around the latest buys and online shopping sprees. Along with this is the evolution of how consumers behave and what they openly share regarding their buying habits. These insights can help brands understand consumers better and why e-commerce is almost a non-negotiable for businesses.
“There’s no doubt that shopping conversations on Twitter are increasing across South East Asia. While we see peaks in the lead-up to eCommerce days and for a few days after, shopping is a year-round conversation on Twitter. As people are shifting more to eCommerce and mCommerce, we see this conversational trend continuing to grow rapidly,” said Arvinder Gujral, managing director, Twitter, South-East Asia.
“For brands, this requires a change in the way they approach their marketing. A more in-depth understanding of why people shop online and what influences their online shopping habits is needed, and in the Philippines we are seeing brands turn to Twitter to connect with their customers and leverage the leaned-in nature of people on Twitter in the Philippines.”
The way to a successful launch is to connect to moments and listen to know more of your audience, from their habits to their sentiments. Here are 5 noteworthy changes on consumer behaviors on Twitter:
1. Most Filipinos bought their essentials online
Since people #StayAtHome, Filipinos go over the internet to safely add to their shopping carts. In the past month, 78% of Filipinos on Twitter have recently purchased a product online while 93% have visited an online retail site or store to check out items.
Evolution of purchasing habits was also seen during the lockdown period, with Filipinos mostly stocking up on the essentials. Here are the top 5 items Filipino users bought online in the last month.
2. People think before they shop
When product photos and information wouldn’t suffice, online shoppers do their research to gather more details about the product and if it’s worth buying. Over 69% of Filipino online shoppers on Twitter always do their research first before making a purchase.
In addition, 55% of Filipino online shoppers go to social media to discover what’s new in the market and check out real sentiments and reviews from buyers.
3. Connecting to interests pique their attention
When creating their message, brands can draw inspiration from the language of their target audience. For starters, Female shoppers are into music (82%), food and drink (81%), and cooking (80%), while top picks for Male shoppers are technology (82%), gadgets (79%), and music (78%).
4. Purchase drivers among Filipinos
For Filipino online shoppers on Twitter, 67% are driven to purchase because of free delivery, 55% buy from brands who champion an advocacy, 52% check out if a store allows pay with cash, and 50% are enticed by discounts. Shoppers nowadays are more conscious about issues; so brands must definitely consider championing an advocacy genuinely.
5. Filipinos openly express excitement on shopping moments
Though 9/9, 10/10, or 11/11 sales only happen for one day, conversations around it actually begin and last longer. For brands to successfully launch their campaigns, here’s an overview on how conversations unfold during e-commerce shopping days, and how brands can successfully tread the whole journey.
Brands and consumers alike interact on Twitter, opening a good chance to build brand loyalty and gather valuable insights for growth and better customer experience.