The Filipino market is large, has a strategic geographical location and a decent level of digital maturity, making it very attractive to businesses wanting to expand internationally. This guide will explore how best to approach digital marketing in the Philippines. From reading this guide, you will learn the current digital landscape in the country, including internet penetration rates, online trends and behaviours, device usage, and the dominant search engines and social networks. You will also learn about the complexities of language and culture in the Philippines and what this means in terms of digital marketing. Finally, you will learn how to approach e-commerce in order to achieve success in the Philippines.
Table of contents
- Introduction
- The typical Filipino internet user
- Device usage in the Philippines
- Search engine marketing in the Philippines
- Social media marketing in the Philippines
- The local culture and language in the Philippines
- E-commerce in the Philippines
- Conclusion
Introduction
The Philippines is an attractive prospect to many businesses looking to expand internationally, and there are several reasons why.
The first reason is its size: it is a large country, with a large population, which means there will likely be a market for your product.
Another reason is its strategic geographical location. With its close proximity to the major economies of China and Japan, it is well-placed to do business with brands with a physical presence in either of these Asian powerhouses.
It also has a decent level of digital maturity, with some room for continued growth. The Philippines has a population of 116.8 million. Of these people, around 84% are currently online.
However, it can be challenging to enter a new market. Never fear, this guide is here to shed light on how best to harness the power of digital marketing to succeed in the Philippines.
The typical Filipino internet user
Let's begin by looking at who exactly the typical internet user is in the Philippines.
There is an equal gender split, with equal numbers of males and females using the internet.
The table below shows internet usage by age group in the Philippines. As you can see, internet penetration rates fall steadily with age. 86% of Filipinos aged 18 to 24 are internet users, compared to just 14% of those aged 55 and above.
Be aware that there is an urban-rural digital divide in the Philippines, with internet access being more limited in rural areas compared to urban areas. However, the country's government has pledged to address this issue in its National Broadband Plan, so do not let this put you off.
The typical Filipino internet user spends 8 hours and 52 minutes online every day. So, what are these people doing online? Research by Meltwater and We Are Social found that the top three reasons Filipino users gave for using the internet were: staying in touch with friends and family, finding information, and researching how to do things.
Let's briefly turn our attention to some key concerns of Filipino internet users. Online privacy is important to this group. According to recent research, 37% of Filipino internet users decline cookies on websites, 36% worry about how companies might use their online data, 26% use ad blocking tools, and 21% use a VPN to access the internet.
Device usage in the Philippines
82% of internet traffic in the Philippines comes from mobile phones, 17% comes from desktop computers, and 1% comes from tablets.
This means that it is extremely important to have a mobile-friendly website to meet the demands of internet users and provide them with a positive user experience when interacting with your brand and website. Mobile-friendliness is also an increasingly crucial ranking factor for search engines, so not optimising your website for mobile will prove detrimental to your organic traffic.
Given the dominance of mobile, it should come as no surprise that apps are popular in the Philippines. The popularity of apps presents a big opportunity for brands wanting to target the Filipino market. If you create an app, make sure to localise the language, especially if you are B2C. Make sure your app functions correctly and is valuable for users, otherwise your brand might suffer not only from poor return-on-investment but also negative reviews.
Internet speeds are around the global median on broadband, but slower than the global median on mobile. The Philippines ranks 52nd in the world for fixed broadband speed, with a median speed of 105.26 per second. It ranks 66th for mobile internet speed, with a median speed of 60.33 MB per second.
Given the slow internet speeds in the country, it is crucial to optimise your website for speed. If your website is too heavy and loads too slowly, this will result in higher bounce rates, meaning you could lose potential customers before they even have a chance to see what you have to offer. Google's PageSpeed Insights tool is very useful for diagnosing any speed problems with your website and suggesting what you can do to make it faster.
Search engine marketing in the Philippines
Google is the most popular search engine in the Philippines, with a market share of 92%. Bing comes in second place with 5%, followed by Yahoo with 3%.
Google is therefore the search engine that you must focus your SEO and PPC efforts on. If you want more in-depth information on how to succeed at search marketing on Google, we have this guide to on-page optimisation for Google and this guide to search and display advertising on Google.
However, be aware that 26% of Filipino internet users use an ad blocking tool. This means you do not want to rely completely on search advertising. Your organic SEO and content marketing efforts must also be given the attention they deserve in order to reach those internet users who have turned on an ad blocker.
Preparing your website for the Philippines
Check that your geotargeting is correctly set up for your Filipino website. This will vary depending on how you structure your domains, but you are likely to need hreflang tags correctly implemented to ensure that your Philippines-targeted pages rank above your other country pages.
You should also check your website speed from within the Philippines, and if the loading speed is slow, consider hosting your website on a local server. You do not want to go through all the effort of creating, designing and localising your website, just to have those efforts undone by poor loading speeds and high bounce rates as a result.
If you sell products on your website, make sure to display prices in the local currency, use local weights and measurements, and accept local online payment methods.
You should also make sure to tailor your website design to local tastes. Your Filipino website should make use of large fonts and vibrant images and colours, animation and broken grid layouts. Websites that resonate with Filipino online consumers are user-friendly, clear, innovative, fast and mobile-friendly.
And finally, make a point of creating and displaying local content, telling stories that are relatable and relevant to the local audience. This also includes the visuals and photos that accompany your written content.
Social media marketing in the Philippines
Social media is very popular in the Philippines. Research by Meltwater and We Are Social found that amongst its sample of Filipino internet users, 93% were social media users. The average internet user spends 3 hours and 32 minutes on social media every day and uses an average of 8 social platforms every month. The most common reasons for using social media are keeping in touch with friends and family, filling spare time, and finding content (e.g. articles and videos).
So, where are Filipino social media users spending their time? As you can see in the graph below, Facebook is the most popular social platform in the Philippines, followed by Facebook Messenger, TikTok, Instagram and Telegram. All these platforms are used by more than half of all Filipino internet users every month.
With 93% of Filipino internet users being social media users, it is vitally important for brands to have a social media presence when targeting the Philippines. Indeed, recent research has found that social networks are the number one main channel for online brand research in the country, and social media ads are the number one source of brand discovery. You should use social media to communicate and engage with potential customers, and it is also a useful way of understanding and getting to know your target audience. You should aim to create content that triggers emotions in users by offering real value or a real connection with your brand. Although you will obviously need to post localised content on your Filipino social media accounts that caters to your audience in the country, your social media strategy will not differ significantly for the Philippines compared to how you do it for other countries. For example:
- Facebook is a great platform to be on if you are a B2C brand. By posting regular, engaging content, you have a huge opportunity to engage with potential clients and drive sales. Not only that, but Facebook's highly specific targeting capabilities mean that you can use Facebook advertising to reach new users who fit your target audience profile perfectly. We have an in-depth guide to advertising on Facebook, if you want more detailed information about this.
- Facebook Messenger can be used to support your Facebook marketing efforts. You can use it as a communication channel to message your prospective customers. It is also possible to run ads in Facebook Messenger, which will appear in the Chats tab of the user's Facebook Messenger app. When a user taps on an ad, they are shown a call-to-action of your choosing, which could take them to your website, your app, or start a chat with your company within Facebook Messenger.
- TikTok is particularly good if you are a B2C brand with a product you can show off on video. Popular industries on this short-form video platform include education, sport, fashion, beauty, food and drinks, entertainment, technology and more.
- Instagram is a great platform for B2C brands to be on, particularly if your products are in a visually-appealing sector such as fashion, design, cosmetics or travel. The way the platform is used in the Philippines is very similar to other countries in the world, and the advertising options remain the same – but naturally, you would need to create a localised account that caters to your audience in the country and is relevant to them. We have an in-depth guide to marketing on Instagram, if you want more detailed information about this.
- Telegram is a messaging platform that you could use as a way of providing customer service. Users may appreciate being able to communicate with you directly from their phone. On Telegram, it is possible to create channels to broadcast messages to your audience, which could prove to be a good way to promote your brand and build brand awareness. It is also possible to create groups if you want to build more of a community. You can also create chat bots to help you answer any frequently asked questions in a more speedy and efficient manner.
Of course, you do not need to be on every social media platform; you only need to be where your audience is. Research your industry and your audience before entering the market, see what platforms they prefer and prioritise them. Bear in mind that your audience will most likely be present on multiple platforms and interact with you across all of them, but they will not want to see the same things from you on all of them. Your content strategy should take into consideration both who your audience is and where they are interacting with you.
And finally, we cannot talk about social media in the Philippines without talking about influencer marketing. Businesses should strongly consider leveraging social influencers to drive various marketing objectives. Filipinos love celebrities and this has led local brands from airlines, fast food chains, beauty brands, and even international fashion houses to use the power of celebrities to reach their audiences in the millions through sponsored posts. Instagram is the go-to social media platform for influencer marketing in the country.
The local culture and language in the Philippines
Culture
When entering any new market, it is very important to be aware of the local culture and to adapt your marketing collateral appropriately. One way you can examine the Filipino culture is through the lens of Hofstede's cultural dimensions.
The Philippines has a very high score of 94 for power distance. This means that:
- Authority is respected and hierarchies are adhered to.
- When doing B2B marketing, focus on targeting the senior decision-makers. There is little point in targeting personas in more junior roles, as they do not have much input into purchasing decisions.
- It is important to highlight your own authority on your website – for example, by prominently featuring your senior management team.
The Philippines has a very low score of 17 for individualism. This means that:
- The Philippines is a strongly collectivist society. In collectivist societies, people tend to see themselves as part of a group, rather than a standalone individual. They are loyal to their group, strive for group harmony, and value the wellbeing of the group.
- "Pakikisama" (fellowship or getting along with others) and "bayanihan" (community spirit, helping each other or helping one's neighbour) are highly valued. These are strong recurring themes in Filipino adverts and marketing campaigns.
- Family is very important. The family name or reputation is often a source of pride and given the utmost protection and importance.
- Emphasise how your product or service can benefit the group.
- Celebrity endorsements work well, since celebrities are seen as influential members of the group – and people are quick to copy their behaviours.
- Looking more at B2B, make sure to spend time nurturing a personal relationship with your prospective clients, as interpersonal relationships are seen as very important.
The Philippines has a fairly high score of 64 for motivation towards achievement and success. This means that:
- People are primarily driven by a desire to be successful – i.e. to be the best at what they do.
- Emphasise how your product or service can help the customer become more successful.
The Philippines has a score of 44 for uncertainty avoidance, placing it around the middle of the spectrum. This means that:
- People are neither strongly comfortable nor uncomfortable with uncertainty.
- Use a mix of marketing messaging to promote your product or service, highlighting both specific details about the features and processes, as well as more general information about the benefits and potential results.
The Philippines has a score of 46 for long-term orientation, placing it around the middle of the spectrum. This means that:
- People are interested in the past, present and future. Tradition is valued, but so is innovation.
- Use a mix of messaging to appeal to both short-term and long-term orientations. Talk about how your product or service can help the customer both immediately and in the future, since both quick, instant results and long-term benefits are valued.
The Philippines has a score of 42 for indulgence, placing it around the middle of the spectrum. This means that:
- People like to enjoy themselves, but also have a degree of restraint.
- When coming up with your marketing messaging, try to use a balanced tone, talking about how your product or service can help the customer enjoy themselves, but making sure not to sound too extravagant, as this may be seen as distasteful.
From our experience helping global brands succeed in the Filipino market, we can add that Filipino culture is one that can truly be described as "East meets West" – a strong Asian identity that is also heavily influenced by over 300 years of Spanish colonisation and decades of American rule. These colonisers left an indelible mark on Filipino society, particularly on religion and language.
The Spanish colonisation of the Philippines changed the primary religion of the country from Islam to Catholicism. The Philippines now has one of the largest populations of Catholics in the world, with 78.8% of Filipinos identifying as Catholic. This extends into the political arena, sparking debates on legislation pertaining to reproductive health and divorce. The Philippines is one of only two countries in the world (the other being Vatican City) where divorce has yet to be legalised.
Filipinos have a very strong sense of family. Close extended family ties are encouraged and cultivated, with many Filipinos living with members of their extended family. Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins often support each other financially and can live under the same roof or in family compounds. Many families in the Philippines have at least one absentee parent due to the growing number of overseas Filipino workers. They are seen as heroes who leave the country to work overseas as nurses, domestic helpers, teachers and skilled workers, sending money back to their families at home.
When localising your website, be very careful when touching on subjects that revolve around religion and family, as these are sacred to Filipinos. In general, you should avoid any content about religion or politics, but you could capitalise on highlighting family values. By carefully working in themes around the family, you can create content that will resonate very well with the local audience.
Language
It is estimated that the Philippines has 186 living languages. The vast majority of these languages fall under the Malayo-Polynesian, Austronesian group of languages. However, of these 186 languages, only two have the status of "official language": Filipino and English.
- Filipino is based on the native language of Tagalog, but it also includes many loanwords from English and Spanish due to the country's colonial past. The Filipino alphabet has 28 letters, composed of all 26 letters of the English alphabet, plus the Spanish ñ and the ng digraph of Tagalog.
- English is the other official language, a legacy of almost 50 years of colonial American rule in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. English is commonly used by the government, as well as in broadsheet newspapers. English is also the official business language, and almost all B2B sectors including banking, finance, manufacturing, science, technology and pharmaceuticals use English. Unsurprisingly, the EF English Proficiency Index ranks the Philippines as having "high" English proficiency.
B2B businesses targeting the Philippines should stick to English. The type of English used is American English, so if you have content written in British English, this must be localised.
B2C businesses may want to conduct market research to find out which language(s) are most appropriate for reaching your specific target audience in your specific target region. This will ensure that you create your website and marketing content in the most appropriate language(s) that will bring you the best results.
Translation, localisation and copywriting should always be done by a professional native speaker. Only a native will have a proper grasp of the local linguistic and cultural nuances and be able to create content that will truly resonate with your local Filipino audience.
Be aware that people in the Philippines will think poorly of you if you have mistakes in your written content. If your content contains linguistic errors or if a translation does not make sense, your brand image could be damaged, with the poor-quality content gaining you a reputation as an unprofessional company.
If you are translating any content, be aware that your content may end up being a different length. Therefore, be prepared to provide guidance on character limits and the space available for content on your webpage, and be conscious of how this can have an impact on things like your calls-to-action and product descriptions.
Speaking of calls-to-action, do not directly translate your calls-to-action from another market, as a direct translation is unlikely to resonate and work well in the Philippines. Instead, do some research to find out which calls-to-action are commonly used online in the Philippines in your sector.
It is also important to think about your keywords. Keywords should never be translated; instead, you should always conduct local keyword research. This is because a translation will probably not produce keywords that have the most impact in the target market. Only fresh keyword research conducted by a native speaker will reveal the best keywords to target. The video below explains in six minutes why you should never translate keywords:
E-commerce in the Philippines
E-commerce still has plenty of growth ahead of it. 36% of Filipinos have made a purchase using a mobile phone or the internet in the past year. The B2C e-commerce market in the Philippines is worth the equivalent of almost USD 15 billion annually. The average Filipino B2C shopper spends the equivalent of USD 1,027 online per year.
So, what are people in the Philippines buying online? The consumer goods categories with the highest annual spend are electronics, food, beauty and personal care.
The main drivers of online purchases are key indicators as to what Filipino users value most when making their online purchasing decisions, giving you an opportunity to understand what is best to highlight in your marketing collateral and calls-to-action, so that you can convert leads into customers. Free delivery is the top driver of online purchasing behaviour in the Philippines, with 61% saying this would encourage them to buy. This is followed by customer reviews with 50% and coupons and discounts with 49%.
Looking at e-commerce payment methods, digital wallets are the most popular option, accounting for 39% of online purchases in 2024. Cash-on-delivery comes in second place, accounting for 19% of online purchases, followed by debit and pre-paid cards with 14%, credit cards with 13% and account-to-account payments with 12%. The remaining 3% is split between buy now pay later and cryptocurrencies. It would therefore be wise to offer multiple payment options when targeting the Filipino market, since various payment methods have significant popularity. The most popular digital wallets in the Philippines are GCash, Maya and ShopeePay.
Another important thing to remember is to ensure you are selling in the correct currency: the Philippine peso (₱ or PHP). This may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many businesses see poor results simply because they have neglected to localise the currency on their website.
Alternatively, you could sell your products on an e-commerce marketplace. The most popular e-commerce marketplace in the Philippines is Shopee, followed by Temu, Alibaba, Lazada and Amazon. If you want to sell your items on an online marketplace, Shopee should therefore be your first choice when targeting the Philippines.
Once you have sold a product, you still need to get it to the customer. E-commerce businesses often rely on local and international courier companies such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, J&T Express, and more.
Be aware that there are seasonal fluctuations in the Filipino e-commerce calendar, when people are more likely to buy. There are several important events around which online sales increase in the Philippines: New Year's Day (1 January), Mother's Day (the second Sunday in May), Father's Day (the third Sunday in June), Singles' Day (11 November), Black Friday (November), Cyber Monday (November) and Boxing Day (26 December). Make sure you tap into this seasonality when selling your products and coming up with your marketing materials.
Conclusion
The Philippines' digital opportunities are growing fast. It is an important market in the South East Asian region, with a sizeable population of internet users, a growing e-commerce industry and high levels of English proficiency. This promising emerging market is starting to draw the attention of an increasing number of global brands, so you may want to act now in order to have an early-mover advantage. We hope this guide has given you a good starting point from which to build your Filipino success story. If you localise your strategy effectively, your digital marketing and business expansion efforts in the country have the potential to go far. Good luck!
To learn more about digital marketing in the Philippines, click here.
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