The Korean mobile and social ecosystem is quite unique, and KakaoTalk sits at the heart of it all. Much like LINE in Japan, KakaoTalk is Korea’s all-in-one messaging app that boasts a myriad of features. These features make KakaoTalk marketing in Korea the ideal avenue for the country’s landscape.
In This Article
Today, we’ll discuss how KakaoTalk works, its best marketing-friendly features, and how to leverage each one for the best ROI.
KakaoTalk’s Position in South Korea
Saying that KakaoTalk is central to everyday life in Korea is an understatement. Let’s dig into the demographics: South Korea has a population of roughly 52 million. Of that population, nearly 98% are online—That’s 50 million people. Of that 50 million, 48.9 million are monthly active users on KakaoTalk.
That’s a whopping 97.2% penetration rate among all Korean netizens. If you want to reach the people, KakaoTalk could be your best pathway to success. Next, we’ll give an overview of KakaoTalk’s wealth of features.
KakaoTalk Marketing Channels
From organic to paid campaigns, KakaoTalk offers brands a diverse arsenal of tools to effectively reach your target audience. These tools will allow you to firmly establish your presence among Korean buyers.
KakaoTalk Channel for Organic Outreach
Western companies will likely be familiar with brand pages offered on platforms like Facebook or Twitter. While these traditional platforms enable you to interact more closely with your followers, they are typically for outgoing messaging.
KakaoTalk’s version of branded pages, called KakaoTalk Channel, prioritizes closer communication and fruitful engagement between brand and follower. In addition to standard page posting, verified page owners have access to the following features:
- Update followers with push notifications
- Provide 1-on-1 customer support via Chat feature
- Deliver personalized coupons and invites to exclusive events
KakaoTalk Ads for Paid Support
Whereas KakaoTalk Channel is your always-on option for organic outreach, KakaoTalk Ads are a great paid option to supplement your efforts. The placement for these ads is highly strategic, making visibility optimal.
With KakaoTalk ads, you can grow more followers to your brand page, while also delivering special promotions and coupons directly to your followers. Some ads will also appear in users’ chat lists. These are clearly marked as sponsored so there’s no concern about stealth marketing.
Whether your goals are brand awareness or driving site traffic, KakaoTalk ads are the most powerful way to make an impact in the Korean market.
KakaoTalk Sponsored Stickers – Building Affinity
As mentioned before, KakaoTalk possesses many similarities to LINE in Japan, as its core function is messaging. And just like LINE, one popular way users communicate is through the use of ‘stickers,’ also called Emoticons. Think of these as advanced emojis that users can purchase or acquire through promotions.
There’s an endless supply of themed stickers, and brands can take advantage by designing and offering their own to users. A surefire way to increase brand recall, this is a brilliant way to activate followers in boosting awareness on your behalf in their everyday conversations.
A Localized Approach is Still a Major Factor
When entering a different region of the globe, it’s always important to know how to speak the language, in more ways than one. You should be absolutely sure of how to approach your audience to keep them engaged.
KakaoTalk is a wonderful way to access the Korean consumer directly, but we strongly urge against spammy messaging. Western audiences are used to more aggressive marketing, but you could easily alienate Korean buyers.
ICJ: Your Marketing Passport in South Korea
KakaoTalk is more than a simple messaging app, it’s how South Koreans connect. And because it’s the country’s digital town square, it allows brands like yours to reach consumers directly. With the right mix of personalization and strategy, you can build long-lasting trust, and secure brand loyalty.
At ICJ, our native Korean staff possess full knowledge of the culture and digital landscape. This empowers us to craft effective campaigns that truly connect brand to consumer. With nearly 20 years of global marketing under our belt, you can trust ICJ to deliver the results you desire in your marketing efforts.
