For companies considering entering the Vietnamese market, digital promotion is an unavoidable challenge. Social media users 79 million (about 92% of internet users), and TikTok's ad reach rate of 88.8% As these figures show, this is a market where mobile app-based marketing is directly linked to purchasing behavior (source: BigBeat, "Latest Vietnam Social Media Usage Trends 2025").
In 2025, achieving GDP growth of 8.02% Vietnam is targeting growth of 10% or more in 2026. This article explains, from 13 perspectives, promotion app strategies that are actually delivering results in this rapidly growing market.
With approximately 70 million people monthly active users, Zalo is a homegrown Vietnamese messaging app. Used by 75% of Vietnam's population, it holds a position similar to Japan's LINE as a means of communication with family and friends. Beyond messaging, it has established itself as a multifunctional platform offering official account information, utility bill payments, and money transfers between friends.
Companies can engage in two-way communication with customers through Zalo Official Accounts. With the Zalo Shop feature, product sales can be completed entirely within the app, eliminating the need to build a separate e-commerce site. Zalo Ads offers seven ad formats (CPC, CPA, and CPM/CPV billing), allowing for flexible operation according to budget.
Zalo is especially effective for reaching the B2B sector and rural areas. While TikTok and Instagram are popular in urban areas, Zalo and Facebook remain dominant in rural and agricultural regions.
With more than 73 million monthly users, Facebook is the most widely used social media platform in Vietnam. It is especially well-suited for use during the product understanding and comparison stages, mainly among consumers in their 30s and older.
In Vietnam, live commerce using Facebook's live streaming feature is spreading rapidly. Real-time product demonstrations and Q&A can increase purchase intent, and this is especially effective in the beauty, fashion, and food sectors. Designing ads with an understanding of regional characteristics — Hanoi being more nationally oriented and Ho Chi Minh City more Western-oriented — is key to success.
Related article: Vietnam Social Media Marketing Strategy
With an ad reach rate of 88.8% and monthly usage time of 41 hours and 45 minutes TikTok is the leading platform for Gen Z marketing in Vietnam. The introduction of TikTok Shop has accelerated its fusion with live commerce, establishing a path from product discovery to purchase.
Garnier's "#GiGiGiGi Challenge" garnered about 280 million views and, combined with Shopee integration, achieved a 30% increase in sales in the serum category. Berocca's (Bayer) Branded Effect raised ad awareness by 13.2% and reached 50 million video views. Mechanisms that let users generate their own content are especially effective in the Vietnamese market.
Related article: The Complete Guide to TikTok in Vietnam
With about 10.6 million monthly users, Instagram holds strong influence over urban, affluent, and fashion-conscious young people. It is especially effective for Vietnamese women in their 20s and 30s who value visuals and storytelling, and content incorporating Japanese minimalism and aesthetic sensibility functions as a differentiator.
In Vietnam, recommendations from micro-influencers (with 10,000 to 100,000 followers) have a major impact on purchase decisions. Stories ads display in full screen for a highly immersive experience and can also direct users straight to an e-commerce site with a swipe-up.
Related article: Vietnam Gen Z Marketing Strategy
More than 30 million registered users make MoMo Vietnam's No. 1 e-payment app. In addition to payment functions, it offers services closely tied to daily life, such as payments at various stores, utility bills, and flight ticket purchases.
In-app ads on MoMo can reach users right before they make a payment, and linking these with coupons or cashback is effective. MoMo's survey feature targeting its users can also be utilized; a "Survey on Attitudes Toward Japanese Culture" of 1,200 residents of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City found that 82.2% of those who had visited Japan were interested in Japanese products and culture.
In Vietnam, "online shopping sites" account for about 60% of the places where people buy Japanese products and food. Shopee and Lazada are Vietnam's largest e-commerce platforms, and in-platform advertising and livestream sales lead directly to higher revenue.
Related article: How to Capture Vietnam's Food E-Commerce Market
Google Search is also a primary means of gathering information in Vietnam. Capturing explicit needs with specific keywords such as "Japan cafe Ho Chi Minh City" or "matcha Hanoi," combined with remarketing through display ads, is effective. Because the comparison period tends to be long in Vietnam, maintaining continuous touchpoints is important.
Grab is Vietnam's largest ride-hailing and delivery app. For restaurants, listing on Grab Food is essential, and in-app ads and promotions can be expected to increase order volume. In-car tablet ads also make it possible to reach users while they are on the move.
Related article: Vietnam's Delivery Strategy
YouTube is also a major video platform in Vietnam. It has a strong affinity with Japanese anime and manga culture and is well-suited for delivering detailed information through pre-roll ads and tie-up videos with local YouTubers.
LINE Official Accounts are effective for reaching Japanese residents in Vietnam and Japanese-language learners (more than 100,000 nationwide). They allow for detailed communication in Japanese, reaching a niche but high-purchasing-power segment.
Zavi, a sister app to Zalo, is positioned as Vietnam's answer to Zoom and is used for B2B webinars and online buyer meetings. It is well-suited for promoting highly specialized products and generating leads.
Building a website of around 10 pages costs more than USD 10,000, but a single-page landing page can keep costs to about one-third of that. Google Ads and Facebook/Instagram ads can be started from a monthly budget of 500–3,000USD and delivery to Vietnam tends to keep the cost per click lower than in Japan.
An approach of gradually increasing the budget while verifying results is recommended.
In Vietnam, micro-influencers (with 10,000 to 100,000 followers) have high engagement rates and offer excellent cost-effectiveness. Building an ongoing relationship with them can turn them into brand ambassadors. Gen Z seeks "Instagram-worthy experiences," and using user-generated content naturally spreads brand awareness.
Related article: Strategies for Maximizing the Advantage of Japanese Brands in Vietnam
Successful promotion in Vietnam requires an integrated approach that combines multiple apps. Maintaining daily touchpoints through Zalo, expanding awareness among young people through TikTok, providing detailed information through Facebook and Instagram, and driving purchases through e-commerce platforms— designing this sequence of steps is essential.
A flexible strategy that keeps initial investment low while gradually expanding measures minimizes risk in a highly uncertain market environment. Promotions that fuse the delicacy, aesthetic sensibility, and storytelling of Japanese companies with Vietnam's youth culture — built around "experience," "empathy," and "co-creation" — will likely lead to long-term brand value.
MORE
Vietnam Agricultural Investment 2025: Entry Strategies and Future Potential for Japanese Companies, Learned from Success StoriesVietnam Dairy Market 2025: Demand Trends, Key Players, and Entry Strategies for Japanese CompaniesVietnam Food E-Commerce Platforms Compared 2025: How to Use Shopee, TikTok Shop, and LazadaForeign Companies That Succeeded in Vietnam's Food Industry 2025: A Deep Dive into Their Entry StrategiesHow Vietnam's Gen Z Is Changing Food Preferences in 2025: Market Trends and Opportunities for Japanese CompaniesVietnam Health Food Market 2025: Growth of Organic and Functional Foods and a Guide to Market EntrySOJAPAN
We support Japanese companies entering India, from market research through local partner development, test sales, and import.