However, there is at least one trend in 2021 that seems certain, and that is the rise of social media users in Malaysia. In 2020, the estimated number of Malaysian social media users is 30.4 million, with that figure expected to rise steadily in the years ahead. This is an impressive figure considering that the Malaysian population is only 32 million.

This means that almost everyone in Malaysia is on social media. And in this trends of facebook marketing, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out – every time you log onto social media pages, you’ll see tons of engagements, likes, and comments.

Malaysians do everything online – from reading the news to shopping for their favorite deals.

The social media space is big business.

When tapped into correctly, businesses can generate massive buzz online. And the wonderful thing about social media is that it is self-propagating – when someone decides that something is worth sharing online, that person will share it with his or her friends, who then share it with their friends.

It’s almost like free marketing – and it’s incredibly effective.

What companies have risen to the challenge and created great Facebook marketing campaigns in 2021?

Let’s have a look at a few of them.

The Latest Trends of Facebook Marketing In Malaysia

Lighthearted Content

Malaysians love to have a good laugh, even if it’s at our own expense. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and we love it when companies and brands don’t too.

Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC)

A great example of a company embracing good old-fashioned Malaysian humor is Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC). If you live in Malaysia, you’ll know that GSC remains one of the most popular cinema chains, with branches dotted all over the country. GSC has become synonymous with fun movie trips with family and friends, popcorn in one hand and soft drinks in another.

When Malaysia entered into the Movement Control Order (MCO) back in March 2020, all entertainment venues had to be shut, including GSC. It was gut-wrenching for many of us.

When the first phases of the MCO were finally lifted and cinemas were once again allowed to open, we all let out a collective sigh of relief. However, there was a catch – social distancing rules still had to apply.

To address questions from eager moviegoers about whether people could be seated next to each other like the good old days, GSC had a hilarious reaction (see below): HELLO. CANNOT.

Source: Facebook / GSC

Many Malaysian netizens found this pointed, straightforward answer to be really funny, and at the time of writing, the post has been shared a whopping 27K times.

Nandos

So many Food and Beverage services were badly hit by the MCO due to patrons not being allowed to dine in. Even when these rules were relaxed, restaurants had to limit the number of visitors at any given time to comply with social distancing rules. Sadly, many businesses in this industry were unable to survive.

The MCO also meant that many festivals and events had to be dampened down. The Covid-19 pandemic first surfaced around the time of the Chinese New Year celebrations in February 2020. The pandemic caused many people to forego international travel and water down celebrations. The Hari Raya festivities later in May 2020 were also forced to be toned down.

So imagine everyone’s surprise when Nandos wished Malaysians a Happy Chinese New Year on their Facebook page – in September 2020. Turns out that it was all in good humor – Nandos decided to launch a marketing campaign called ‘Re-Celebrate 2020’ so that Malaysians could re-live and “re-celebrate” their favorite events. How thoughtful

Source: Facebook / Nandos

Interactive Content

Everyone loves a website that is interactive and user-friendly. You want to be able to find what you’re looking for – accurately and quickly. Simplicity is in; overloading is out.

This is what makes the Facebook page of Mudah.my such a success. Mudah.my is a platform in which people can sell and buy anything – and I mean anything. Mudah.my allows you to search for everything from cars and electronic devices to properties and jobs.

Source: Facebook / Mudah.my

For a platform so huge and diverse, users can easily feel lost. The genius of the Facebook page of Mudah.my is that they highlight one category of items at a time (such as phones or laptops), and conveniently provide a link to their website. This helps make the website more interactive and user-friendly. Thumbs up Mudah.my!

Local Flavor

Sometimes the best way to penetrate a local market is to, well, sound like a local. This is a challenge that many multinational companies fail at doing. It’s not enough to simply sell a product, you need to do it in a way that appeals to the local people.

Ikea, as we all know, is a Swedish furniture company that is popular all around the world. Ikea has become a by-word for affordable, quality furniture.

The Ikea stores in Malaysia are hugely popular among the locals. One reason for this is that despite being an international brand, Ikea has adopted a local flavor in some of its advertising campaigns, speaking directly to the Malaysian people.

An example of this can be seen on their Facebook page, in which they sometimes create posts that are targeted squarely at the Malaysian audience. For example, during Malaysia’s Merdeka Day celebration, Ikea came up with a warm post wishing Malaysians, “Selamat Hari Merdeka!” These little locally-flavored posts go a long way in appealing to the hearts and minds of local customers.

Source: Facebook / Sabah Chilli Pan Mee – Klang Valley

Video Content

When it comes to competing in the social media space, it helps to stand out. You want people to pay enough attention to slow down and pause long enough to notice what it is you’re selling.

A great way to do this is to create video content. This is because when a video hooks someone’s attention in the first few seconds, they’re likely to keep watching for a little bit longer. And if they find the video interesting enough, they’re also likely to share it with their friends.

The Facebook page of Marrybrown does this well. Instead of uploading picture posts, Marrybrown often uploads short-form videos that are no more than a few seconds in length. These videos are highly watchable and are short enough for people to want to watch until the end.

Source: Facebook / Marrybrown

Influencer Marketing

“Influencers” are people who have a substantial online following and therefore can “influence” consumer decisions and tastes. In other words, they’re online celebrities.

Companies and brands have always understood the power of engaging with famous people to promote their products. They add a certain prestige and coolness to a brand that few other methods can.

The Facebook page of KitKat does this well. In one of their marketing campaigns in May 2020, they engaged a few local Malaysian influencers to star in their promotional Hari Raya music video. This meant that Malaysians would have recognized a few of these faces in the video and are hence more likely to watch on. It was a huge hit online, garnering 11K likes and reactions.

Conclusion

From all these examples we have discussed, a common thread runs through: a commitment to creativity and excellence. In the social media jungle, it takes ambition and the right strategies to stand out.

While all these companies and brands have slightly different ways of engaging with their audiences on Facebook, they all showed a commitment to change and adapt – especially in response to the Covid-19 pandemic crisis that has proved to be massively challenging to the business environment in 2021.

Have you been inspired by what these brilliant companies and brands are doing? Ready to get started yourself? Contact One Search Pro for an appointment or to find out more about Facebook marketing strategies.