Did you know that digital marketing in Bangladesh started in 2008?
Yes, that’s true! Even though Bangladesh is a small country with limited resources, digital marketing in Bangladesh started 13 years ago.
The popularity of digital marketing in Bangladesh started to increase in 2012.
Now, the important thing is, there are close to 100 million internet users in Bangladesh. This is from a strategic report for 2020.
The number of internet users in Bangladesh increased by 5.8 million between 2019 and 2020.
This is an increase of 9.5% in just a year.
Also, the use of the internet in Bangladesh has increased by 41% from January 2020 to 2021.
With the increase in the use of the internet, businessmen have also started focusing more on digital marketing in Bangladesh.
Especially the use of social media platforms like Facebook is very high in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
According to a report from World Bank, 76% of the Facebook users in Dhaka, Bangladesh is between the age of 18 to 34 years.
Day by day, the number and percentage of overall internet users are increasing in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
In the following section of the blog, we are going to analyze the impact of digital marketing in Bangladesh.
What is the Recent Scenario of Digital Marketing in Bangladesh?
From the above report, it is clear that in 2018, the number of internet user in Bangladesh were close to 82 million.
Out of which 30.5 million were social media users. Thus, 18% of the total population in Bangladesh was used to social media by 2018.
In November 2019, the number of internet users increased to 91 million.
This is according to the statistics published on the website of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Communication.
There is no doubt that digital media is one of the most important aspects of any business.
It is becoming more affordable and accessible to the 160 million people in Bangladesh.
If you consider the employments of web-based life, it is highly dynamic.
For instance, Grameenphone, Robi, Banglalink Mela, and Airtel Buzz are expanding in fame.
Their digital content has gone up noticeably high.
Along with the employment benefits of digital marketing agencies in Bangladesh, there is also room for self-improvement.
For instance, Nafisa Nawal, a marketing intern at Star Cineplex Bangladesh said, “I get to monitor the results of the implemented strategies and ideas and process raw feedback from the consumers. I believe in learning from my mistakes and constructive criticism is very effective for this purpose”.
There is no doubt that worldwide consumers are shifting towards online retailers.
The general population of Bangladesh, especially those who belong to a bit older demographic are reverting to online retail shopping.
What is the Effect of Digital Marketing in Bangladesh Amidst the Internet Users and Consumers?
Digital marketing, which was once an additional skill, has become an integral part because of the evolving business landscape.
In Bangladesh, the influence of young people has also continued to increase in the nice of digital marketing.
With the increase in the demand for digital content, the number of job opportunities for the youth has also increased.
Also, this has massively been expedited because of the coronavirus pandemic.
With Bangladesh continuing to incorporate modern technology in business operations, the need for tech-savvy digital marketers is increasing steadily.
Thus, Prof. Khaled Mohamud, from the Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka, suggests the youth learn more about digital marketing.
“A marketer equipped with the skills of business analytics and digital know-how will surpass the traditional marketers in performance and effectiveness. So, youths, who are graduating now and want to build a career in marketing, should learn the tools and techniques of digital marketing“
In general, younger people find it easier to navigate through digital platforms because they have a better understanding of digital content.
However, the firms that look for more specific services need a larger pool of people along with relevant expertise.
Different digital marketing agencies have come up in Bangladesh that specializes in specific areas of digital marketing. They have developed a niche for themselves.
For instance, Scratchboard, a digital marketing agency in Bangladesh specializes in creating promotional content for clients. They hire young students when it comes to digital media.
At present, almost 36 million people in Bangladesh use social media. Thus, different businesses want to make sure that they are getting enough exposure on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Therefore, young candidates are hired by a lot of employers in Bangladesh because they tend to be familiar with social media trends.
What are the Challenges of Digital Marketing in Bangladesh?
Digital marketing in Bangladesh has the following challenges:
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Limited access to the use of computers, and smartphones. Creating e-marketing products or services is only effective when the majority of consumers have computers/smartphones and access to internet service providers. In Bangladesh, the number of internet users has limited access to internet connectivity, and also the speed is low.
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The cost of the internet – In Bangladesh, the cost of an internet connection is higher compared to other countries. Thus, it is a problem to create online marketing.
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Unpredictable power supplies – This is another challenge for e-marketing products and services. Sporadic electricity is a major problem in digital marketing.
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Language Barrier – The language barrier is another challenge for communicating with the foreign world because the primary language is Bangla.
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High Illiteracy Rate – It is a fact that the literacy rate is not very high in Bangladesh. Thus, not too many people are aware of the high-tech services or internet facilities. This is a big problem of digital marketing.
The Major Industries in Bangladesh and How Digital Marketing is Affecting Them?
The primary industries in Bangladesh include agriculture/farming, garments/textile industry, import of consumer items and raw materials, jete, tea processing, chemical fertilizers, and sugar.
Digital Agriculture in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has an agrarian economy. This means farming/agriculture is one of the most important industries of Bangladesh.
It accounts for 16% of the GDP of the country. 47% of the working population of Bangladesh depends on this sector for food security & poverty mitigation.
There is no denying the fact that agri-tech is essential for socio-economic development.
Agricultural research is entering a new phase in Bangladesh.
This is reducing the months of the time it took to collect farm data through paper-based methods.
Farmers, researchers, and extension workers are using smartphones nowadays. Thus, it is increasing the efficacy of data collection.
Over the years, USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has supported Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia.
Then there is also the CGIAR Research Program on Climatic Change, Agriculture & Food Security.
The foundation also supports Big Data Analytics for the Climate-Smart Agriculture for the South Asian projects.
125 Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) agents were assigned tablets for collecting agronomic information for rice 7 wheat farmers throughout Bangladesh.
In 2019, the extension workers collected data from 5000 farmers that included detailed information on climate responses, management of soil, water, and variety use to understand what will increase productivity.
In 2020, information was collected from 7000 more farmers.
These surveys can help in the evolution of on-field tests of technologies in agriculture, gather information on need-based training, serve local knowledge centers, and support the marketing of locally relevant agricultural technologies.
Digitization in Farming in Bangladesh
With mobile applications, farmers will be able to anticipate and respond to pest attacks, climate changes, crop failures.
They will get timely weather-based agro-advisory messages. This will reduce the market distortions and help farmers in planning for more production.
With mobile marketing and ERP software in agriculture, the complete value chain, starting from procurement – production to distribution, everything is streamlined.
Also, it helps in handling the external challenges of the supply chain environment or additional demand by adjusting the systems.
The use of mobile marketing tools and software will improve resource usage and increase remote maintenance & quick decision making.
With the growing number of government initiatives and private-public models proposed in Agriculture, the trend of digitizing supply chains is going upward for Bangladesh’s agriculture and farming landscape.
Digitization in Textile Industry in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the leading textile/garments/apparel manufacturing countries in the world.
For attracting its target audience, the country is taking up different digital marketing strategies.
The garment industry is 100% export-oriented. Bangladesh, being a developing country, garments & textiles are one of its growing industrial sectors.
All the industries depend on their raw materials that are imported from overseas countries.
After the finished goods are produced, they are exported throughout the world.
Thus, there is a huge scope of export-import business.
The growth of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Bangladesh has enabled a wide array of textile companies to adopt digital printing and promotional strategies to get the attention of their target audience worldwide.
Here are some of the best textile companies in Bangladesh using digital marketing in its best way.
1. Innotex
This is one of the most promising textile companies in Bangladesh that uses digital printing technology for creative designs, social media marketing for promotions, and brand awareness.
They offer the best possible quality garments at a very competitive price. The focus is to offer comfort to its buyers, which has always been the company’s primary objective.
2. Bikroy.com
This is one of the most popular websites in Bangladesh where you can buy & sell almost anything. Most people use it for buying and selling textile/garments.
They have a strong social media presence, especially on Facebook. The best thing is, it is free to place a classified digital ad on bikroy.com.
3. Hatbazar.com
This is another online marketplace in Bangladesh that offers a wide array of services including fashion and garments.
The platform offers a wide array of services that also includes luxurious restaurant booking, transportation booking, beauty parlor services, their parks, gymnasiums, sports & recreation centers, and more.
Apart from these, there are several digital marketing companies and IT firms developed in Bangladesh as well.
Wrapping Up
Digital marketing in Bangladesh is expanding especially after the pandemic of last year. It is safe to say that Bangladesh might soon be the next outsourcing destination because of the cheap labor cost.
Most of the brands are slowly shifting their budgets towards online ads, social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, and website development.
Yes, there are certain challenges like the lack of customer accessibility over the internet and more. Yet, strategic online marketing is on the rise especially in the sectors like agriculture, textile, and farming.
