Vietnam Social Media Trends and User Behavior: 2025 Update

Vietnam remains one of Southeast Asia’s most socially connected countries. As of 2024, the nation has a population of approximately 99.2 million, with around 72.7 million internet users—almost the same number actively using social media. This article explores the latest usage trends by platform, age group, and region, along with key insights for marketing and PR strategies.

Social Media Usage by Platform (as of 2024)

User Behavior by Age Group

Social media usage is especially high among younger demographics in Vietnam:

• 82% of 12–13-year-olds and 93% of 14–15-year-olds use social media daily (UNICEF).
• Among university students, 85.1% use social media daily, with TikTok (85.6%), Instagram (84.7%), and Facebook (79.6%) being the top platforms.
• Gen Z and younger millennials are highly engaged with short-form video platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts, favoring entertainment content and influencer-driven posts.

Regional Usage Trends

• Urban Centers (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City): High engagement on Instagram and TikTok. Youth culture and trend-sensitive content thrive.
• Provincial and Rural Areas: Zalo and Facebook dominate as tools for everyday messaging, news, and community communication.
• Zalo, in particular, has strong penetration among middle-aged and older users and is widely integrated with local government and educational institutions, functioning almost as social infrastructure.

Marketing & PR Strategy Insights

1. Platform Strategy Based on Target Audience

Based on social media usage trends, it is important to identify the core platforms to focus on for each target audience segment.

• Urban Youth (Gen Z & Millennials): Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are ideal for visual, short-form, and real-time content that conveys brand identity intuitively. Trend-driven and entertaining content is key.
• Middle-aged & Rural Demographics: Facebook and Zalo remain reliable for daily communication and information. Messaging that emphasizes practicality and trust performs well. Zalo’s official accounts offer high-trust PR opportunities thanks to its government and educational integrations.

2. Optimizing KOL / Influencer Campaigns

• TikTok Influencers: Authentic, “non-commercial” style content performs best—e.g., lifestyle-focused product reviews. Nano and micro-KOL collaborations are highly cost-effective. At Vector, we specialize in working with these KOLs for targeted campaigns.
• Zalo for Influencer & CRM: Although ad placements are limited, Zalo excels at 1-on-1 communication through official accounts, making it effective for reminders, coupon distribution, and CRM-linked campaigns.

3. Localized Content with Cultural Sensitivity

Differences between the north and south of Vietnam require regional customization:

• Northern Vietnam (e.g., Hanoi): Emphasizes tradition, family, and etiquette. Messaging with educational or health-conscious tones is effective.
• Southern Vietnam (e.g., Ho Chi Minh City): Energetic, trend-savvy, and open to entertainment-focused content. Positive and casual tones perform best.

A PR approach that emphasizes trust, relatability, and two-way engagement—not just ad exposure—is essential for success in Vietnam.

Conclusion

In Vietnam, social media is deeply embedded across all demographics. Platforms like TikTok and Zalo continue to grow in influence, but marketers should recognize that relying solely on Facebook is outdated. To achieve success, brands must select the right platform based on their target audience and design content that aligns with local cultural contexts. Vietnam’s fast-paced trend cycles demand a data-driven, agile approach to social media strategy.

Source

• UNICEF「Online safety of children in Viet Nam」
• Dân Trí「Trẻ em Việt Nam sử dụng mạng xã hội 5-7 giờ mỗi ngày」
• Đoàn Thanh Niên