Digital Accessibility Important For Marketers in Tier II, Tier III CitiesDigital marketing is all set to increase by a whopping 51 per cent from 2016 to 2017 in Tier II&III cities alone

It is no news that digital media's penetration has been one of the fastest evolutions our generation has witnessed. Though the change has been rapid, a question still remains — will it also be the same for Tier II and Tier III cities?

These cities comprise a major part of the Indian population, which can open up a great opportunity pool, making it an attractive market for companies. It is also a known fact that the extensive application of digital advancements in Tier I city has brought in a saturation, leading investors to shift focus to the lower tiers.

The Scenario

Various research shows that digital marketing is all set to increase by a whopping 51 per cent from 2016 to 2017 in Tier II&III cities alone. These two tiers comprise almost 31.16 per cent of India's entire population. It is also a stated fact that Tier II and Tier III cities have a huge potential and exceed the revenue percentage composition of Tier I cities alone.

Facebook's user reach of 160 million in India shows the spread of social media adoption in the country. Current generation is inexplicably dependent upon digital media, especially in Tier I cities, in the fields of entertainment, ticketing, e-commerce, banking.

These aspects are yet to be digitalised in Tier II and Tier III cities and therefore this creates a huge opportunity. Tier II cities supposedly, have a huge disposable income with limited means of indulgence to spend upon, for which the penetration of a digitalised market can be utilised as a medium to access this additional spending pool.

The Digital Diffusion

The rise in number of mobile users also contributes to the expanding digital consumer base. India is the second largest user of cell phones and in order to capture most out of its first mover's advantage, the telecom companies have introduced mega saving offers on their mobile handsets and services to successfully tap into the unexploited market of Tier II and Tier III cities.

These offerings have created a network that further facilitates penetration of digital marketing activities in Tier II and Tier III cities which directly affects the indulgence level, encouraging brands to be present on social media for ensuringan increased reach.

The evolution and penetration of this digital growth across the country has led to a constant requirement for innovation to reach out to the audience in the most creative ways.

This constant hunger for something new at times goes way beyond popular consumer demands and requires unique and new content as well, to be distributed through these mediums. The uprising concept of "live'content aims to acquire the traction from all the tiers, for which companies are hiring digital influencers from different bands, national as well as regional, to promote their brand and create an exclusive brand image in the minds of the target audience belonging to that band.

The Sustainable Growth

In order to focus on creating an impact upon the audience of these Tier II and Tier III markets, in a tailor made fashion, it is best to serve the audience content that caters to a heterogeneous taste.

It is therefore required for a brand to constantly make its social media presence appealing.Customising a brand's approach in coherence with its products and the target audience is therefore the utmost need of the hour.

Utilizing the knowledge of social media trends and demographics, viral content is created for its target audience. Rigorous and differentiated approach with expertise in digital communication is also a necessity in order to intensify metro cities' digital marketing presence, where as penetration into Tier II & Tier III cities requires using existing digital methods in combination with the rising trendsas an effective approach to achieve breakthroughs.

Most of these cities could therefore be growth drivers of the future for most of the brands and businesses if strategically targeted for a better reach and acquired market share.