Social media investment and digital marketing strategy for professional service firms in Asia-Pacific

TGS Asia Pacific Branding Strategy

Social Media Investment and Digital Marketing Strategy

At the recent TGS Asia Pacific conference, regional network members gathered to candidly discuss one of the most pressing challenges facing professional service firms today: how to effectively leverage digital marketing and social media to drive business growth while maintaining the relationship-based foundations that have traditionally defined our industry.

The resulting conversation, captured here, offers rare insight into how firms across diverse markets—from the Philippines’ Facebook-dominated landscape to China’s WeChat ecosystem—are adapting their strategies to meet evolving client expectations and competitive pressures.

For professional service leaders with similar questions about digital investment ROI, platform selection, and the balance between personal relationships and online presence, this discussion reveals practical approaches being tested across one of the world’s fastest-growing business regions.

The insights shared demonstrate how successful firms are moving beyond the traditional “relationship-only” model to embrace integrated strategies that combine personal networking with targeted digital outreach—often with surprising results.

Current Challenges Identified

The Asia Pacific TGS members are experiencing low referral rates compared to historical levels (Hong Kong previously received 20-30 successful referrals annually in 2015-2017, now receiving virtually none). Members attribute this to changing global business dynamics and increased market transparency.

Social Media Platform Preferences by Region

Philippines:

• Facebook-dominant market – Filipinos spend ~4 hours daily on Facebook
• Successfully generating $500,000+ revenue through Facebook/Meta advertising
• Using TikTok with 14 million views for recruitment and business development
• Meta Business is the primary platform for business publications

Singapore:

• LinkedIn focus with emphasis on personal branding over corporate branding
• Strategy: “Lead with personal brand” – one personal brand + multiple corporate brands
• Predicted rise of B2B influencers in next 1-2 years
• Simple setup: LinkedIn + website + webcam for credibility

China/Hong Kong:

• WeChat ecosystem completely separate from Western platforms
• SEO doesn’t work effectively
• News and business content shared exclusively through WeChat
• Content not accessible via standard web browsers

Investment Philosophy

Members view social media investment as complementary to relationship-building, not replacement. The consensus emerged that:

1. Relationship-based referrals remain the primary business driver
2. Digital footprints are essential for business credibility and discovery
3. Combined approach of personal relationships + digital presence is most effective
4. Platform-specific strategies needed for each market

Proposed Unified Digital Strategy

The group proposed creating a TGS Asia Pacific subdomain/website to:

• Consolidate services across all regional markets
• Improve SEO presence collectively
• Present as “house of experts” rather than individual small firms
• Enable cross-border client referrals through unified digital presence

TGS members in Asia-Pacific see social media investment as a necessary evolution to remain competitive, particularly for attracting Gen Z talent and reaching decision-makers who increasingly research online before engaging professional services.