When we talk about social networks, we often think of the “historical” ones like Facebook and Instagram, the rising star TikTok, the ones we don’t necessarily use according to our activity or age group like Snapchat, Twitter or LinkedIn or all the ones we’ve already heard of but don’t really know like Pinterest, Reddit or Clubhouse. And did you know that YouTube is also a social network? Yes, it is!
Tik Tok
Let’s start with the most obvious trend, TikTok is gaining more and more traction among users and brands. In 2022, TikTok is the most used social network after Facebook, YouTube and Instagram (Source Hootsuite and Buffer).
So it’s natural to see more and more brands moving towards this social network. If a portion of your customer base shares the TikTok user demographic, it’s important for you to look into it.
Instagram and YouTube
In 2020, Instagram actually released “the real ones” to have a similar feature to TikTok. In 2021, YouTube created “shorts”. And even LinkedIn tried it (inconclusively) in 2021 with “stories”.
Short videos
Which brings us to our second trend: short videos are all the rage on social networks. We don’t have time anymore, we are all over-solicited, and short videos are the best way to get our attention in a few seconds while conveying key information. And brands have understood this.
Clubhouse
Another big trend to watch is voice! Clubhouse is a social network released in April 2020 based solely on voice. You can attend live discussions on topics of your choice. Clubhouse had an exceptional growth when it was released.
Why? Clubhouse was invitation-only and it’s a voice-based social network, so it was less of a constraint for everyone to participate frequently.
While the number of users on Clubhouse has dwindled over time, the podcasts (pre-recorded shows on pre-defined topics) have only grown. So voice is a topic to watch for in 2023, as it can be very useful in your communication.
It is important to remember that each social network has its own audience, its own codes and its own usefulness. And for the future? The other trends to watch will of course be augmented reality and the metaverse in particular.
Check out our trainings and online workshops.
https://www.houseofentrepreneurship.lu/en/agenda/
Financial aid packages for promotion abroadWe are there to help
Post Covid, companies are beginning to travel again to promote their business internationally and are also doubling down on their digital marketing initiatives to find new customers abroad. The Luxembourg government is there to actively support the international promotional activities of Luxembourg based companies with a series of financial aid and export credit insurance packages. Find out more below and don’t hesitate to contact us for more information or assistance.
ODL mission
The ODL offers various insurance solutions to Luxembourg exporters against the risks associated with international transactions and investments abroad and supports companies in their international prospection efforts by allocating financial aid for exports.
Who can benefit from the aid?
Any Luxembourg exporting company that meets the eligibility requirements, with the exception of the financial sector, tourism, culture, real estate development, production of primary agricultural products, temporary work and EIGs.
Conditions
The financially sound Luxembourg company must be in possession of all necessary and valid authorisations for the marketing of its finished product/service and must represent a substantial added value for the Luxembourg economy.
Eligible expenses
– Fairs, exhibitions, conferences as an exhibitor or opening a pop-up store abroad
– Graphic design and translations of promotional material
– Brand, patent or certification registration costs
– Digital marketing and traditional advertising
– Legal or tax consulting services and market research
– Opening of a prospecting entity and international tenders on a new market outside the EU and EFTA
The financial aid granted varies between 10% and 50% of the eligible costs incurred and complies with European regulations, in particular the “de minimis Regulation” and is governed by the law of December 4, 2019 on the Office du Ducroire Luxembourg.
Digital marketing aids
Digital tools aim to improve the company’s visibility on the internet and to increase its international turnover.
Luxembourg exporting companies can benefit from a financial aid of maximum 50% of the eligible costs, in terms of
– digital marketing consultancy, with an intermediate ceiling of EUR 10,000/year, including costs for studies and consulting services and SEO advice to define or improve a digital marketing strategy
– acquisition of a “marketing automation” tool to promote Luxembourg exports through lead generation, as part of a marketing campaign or an international project;
– acquisition of prospect databases: in the form of subscriptions or direct purchases of prospect data;
– Online advertising: campaigns and optimisation of online presence specific to international promotion. For example: Google Adwords, online banners, search engine optimization (SEO), influencers, social media advertising, landing page.
Annual limit : 20.000,00 €
Procedure
The online Copel application form is available in French, German and English on the secure platform MyGuichet.lu.
The application must be submitted via the platform before the expenses are incurred (before the offer is accepted, before the project begins), and in the case of participation in a fair/conference/exhibition abroad, before the event begins. Applications must be completed with all the documents required by the ODL secretariat.
Contact
Discover all our credit insurance solutions and information on our financial aid on our website www.odl.lu.
You can also contact us by phone at +352 288 554 1 or by e-mail at odl@odl.lu .
Your guide to foreign markets – South KoreaAs the Chamber of Commerce prepares its next official trade mission to South Korea, which will take place from 26 November until 1 December, we would like to share with companies thinking of participating or extending their activities to South Korea, information about the digital marketing landscape in the country. Luxembourg companies can register to participate in the mission until 14 October 2022. Details here.
To implement a successful digital marketing strategy, you will need to understand the different channels used and how you can best leverage them, as they are often different to those in Europe or North America.
South Korea is an attractive base for digital marketing activities thanks to its strong economy and advanced digital landscape. With a population of over 50 million, the country’s online retail sales rank proportionately among the top three in the world contributing to nearly 25% of retail sales in 2020.
The country also has one of the world’s biggest active social media user bases and South Korean companies have a very high online ad spend.
Please read on for more information in the foreign markets section of our guide.
You will be able to find specific information under the different sections on:
Social media (organic and paid)
Selling internationally online. Join our E-Forum on 6 October as of 14hWebsite or Marketplace? Best practices for selling online
Most Luxembourg companies have long seen the advantages of extending their sales reach and selling online both at home and internationally.
The question many ask is is it better to sell on one’s own website or via one or more of the 3rd party marketplaces available. Perhaps even a combination of both. As is often the case, there are pros and cons to doing both.
You can find out more by visiting https://www.retis.lu/marketplace-ecommerce/. The online article has summarised some best practices and extracts from the E-Forum Luxembourg 2021 event which includes input from industry experts as well as companies sharing their own experiences.
There is also an interesting section on the VAT regulations to follow when selling internationally https://www.retis.lu/tva-ecommerce/
You can also visit the website and marketplaces sections of our digital marketing guide for more information.
E-Forum – Best practices to boost your e-commerce, 6 October
Do sign up for our E-Forum 2022 workshop organised by the House of Entrepreneurship in association with eCom.lu and supported by the Chamber of Commerce which will place in the Chamber of Commerce’s premises in Kirchberg on Thursday 6 October as of 14:00h. The workshop will cover best practices to boost your e-commerce and is targeted at all Luxembourg companies interested in selling online, irrespective of their sector of activity. Participation is free. The Forum will be held in French.
Find out more and register https://www.cc.lu/agenda/detail/booster-son-e-commerce