Think about how people connect with each other every day.
Whether it’s through sharing stories or telling a friend about something exciting.
Now imagine being able to do all of that, not only in your community but from anywhere across Nepal and beyond.
That’s what social media marketing in Nepal does! It’s a tool that helps people and businesses connect all over the world.
Now businesses in Nepal have also started using social media to show what they offer.
Be it a small shop in Kathmandu, or a restaurant in Pokhara, social media helps them reach more people.
This is called social media marketing! It’s about sharing your story, building connections, and showing your products’ value.
But why is social media so important for businesses?
Every day, millions of people log in to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Studies show that ad spending in social media marketing is expected to reach $276 Billion in 2025. (Statista)
Key Insights
- Ad Spending (US$bn): The total spending shows consistent growth, driven by a 10.09% CAGR.
- Mobile Ad Spending (US$bn): By 2029, 83% of total ad spending is anticipated to come from mobile platforms.
- Number of Users (Billions): The user base remains substantial at 5.855 billion in 2029.
The Digital Transformation of Nepal
Now imagine a big playground where more than 16.5 million people are playing and sharing stories.
This is the current state of social media in Nepal as of 2024! (Napoleon Cat)
Almost 5 people out of every 10 in Nepal have Internet access.
Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are not just for fun. They are important for business as well!
Businesses now use these platforms to:
- Engage with their customers by having direct conversations with them.
- Educate people about their products or services through pictures, videos, or posts.
- Convert viewers into buyers, turning online attention into real sales.
So whether you own a shop in Kathmandu or sell handicrafts, social media helps you grow your business!
Why is Social Media Essential for Businesses in Nepal?
1. Now More People Online Than Ever
Almost half of Nepal’s population is online. This makes platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok so fascinating for users.
For the market itself, it is like holding a bank of a huge crowd wanting attention and interaction.
Social media lets all businesses, from small cafes to online stores, show what they sell.
2. A Long Reached Audience
Think of social media as a bridge. It links your local business in Kathmandu to customers not just in Nepal but beyond.
For example:
- A handicraft store can showcase products to Nepali-culture enthusiasts in the US.
- Trekking companies can attract adventure lovers by sharing pictures of beautiful Himalayan trails.
With social media, you are no longer limited by geography—your audience is as vast as the internet itself!
3. Affordable Marketing for All Businesses
Digital hoarding boards or TV ads look impressive but are too expensive.
Social media marketing is more affordable and levels the playing field.
Even with a small budget, businesses can run ads that can reach thousands of people. For example:
Spending just NPR 500-1000 daily on Facebook Ads can help attract local customers.
It’s like getting a front-row seat in a crowded market without breaking the bank!
4. Building Real Connections
Social media is more than just selling. It’s also about creating meaningful relationships with customers.
When Narayan Dai Ko Momo posts a fun TikTok video of making delicious momo, it does more than just advertise. It makes people smile and feel connected.
The secret to success? Show people your story, not just your product.
5. Learning What Your Customers Want
Social media gives you a unique opportunity to understand your audience better.
By analyzing engagement rates, you can find what customers enjoy about your content. For example:
- If a post about your new product gets a lot of shares, you will know it’s something people love.
- If customers comment with questions, you can respond directly and build stronger relationships.
It’s like talking with your audience, where every comment helps you serve them better.
6. Support from Local Experts
Running a business is tough, and managing social media is only adding to your juggling act.
Posting, replying, creating videos—it can all get a little confusing!
This is where local experts like Digital Gurkha come to the rescue.
They know how people use social media, spot popular trends, and create posts that stand out.
But here’s the catch—while others are learning and growing, you might be falling behind.
That’s why learning social media marketing with Digital Gurkha isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential!
Best Social Media Platforms for Businesses in Nepal
1. Facebook
Facebook dominates social media in Nepal with over 16 million users. (Source: NapoleonCat)
It is a huge marketplace: a place where everyone shares updates, chats, and finds new ideas.
For businesses, it is an excellent platform to connect with customers.
You can run ads, sell products on Facebook Marketplace, and build a friendly community.
2. Instagram
Imagine Instagram as an album where everyone and anyone can share everyday moments.
It is widely popular among Millennials and Gen Z, especially in urban cities.
People aged between 18 and 24 spend a huge time here, liking and commenting on posts.
Instagram lets businesses use pictures and reels to tell stories that capture attention.
If you sell visual products like fashion, food, or travel, Instagram is the ideal platform for you.
3. TikTok
TikTok is organized for short, fun, and creative videos. It has more than 2 million active users in Nepal. (Source: Wikipedia)
For businesses, TikTok is perfect for creating trendy content to attract more viewers.
For example, a restaurant could show a chef skillfully flipping pancakes.
Or a clothing brand could feature customers dancing in their latest outfits.
Since TikTok is able to spread content quickly, it effectively reaches young audiences.
4. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is like an online networking event, with a user base of about 1.9 million people in Nepal.
It is widely used for B2B networking, job searching, and recruiting. It’s perfect for sharing success stories, job openings, and company achievements.
5. YouTube
YouTube is the world’s largest video library for learning, entertainment, or tutorials.
It’s perfect for businesses to explain processes, share success stories, or educate viewers.
Long videos, like step-by-step guides or documentaries, work really well here.
In Nepal, there is a growing interest in locally produced videos. This is a great opportunity for businesses to explore, experiment, and engage.
Effective Strategies for Social Media Marketing in Nepal
Foundational Strategic Steps
1. Set your goals
The first step is to decide on what target you want to achieve with social media marketing.
Is it more brand awareness? Is it more sales? Or is it more website traffic?
Be clear about what you want!
Frame your goals using the SMART Framework:
- Specific: Use specific phrases. For example: ‘The reach needs to be increased by 20%’ and not ‘The reach needs to be increased.’
- Measurable: Set goals that are countable and traceable. For example, the number of followers or sales.
- Achievable: Pick targets that are possible to reach.
- Relevant: Make sure your goals match your business needs.
- Time-bound: Set a deadline, like “in 3 months”.
2. Identify Your Audience: Know who you are addressing!
How will you sell toys to someone who only wants books? Find out:
- Who are they?: Children, teenagers, or adults?
- Where do they live?: In urban cities like Kathmandu or small towns?
- What do they enjoy?: Fashion, food, or entertainment?
Create a customer persona to know better what appeals to them in order to satisfy them better.
For example, if they are fond of memes, share funny jokes. If they are interested in educational stuff, post-how-tos.
3. Choose the Right Platform
Each social media platform serves different goals.
- Facebook is great for reaching a wider audience.
- Instagram is perfect for sharing beautiful pictures and videos.
- TikTok is the best for short, fun videos.
- LinkedIn is where professionals meet and talk about business.
Choose the platform that matches your goals and audience!
For example, if you’re targeting youths with trendy clothing, Instagram/TikTok is ideal.
Core Engagement Strategies
1. Localization is Key
Think about how people in Nepal celebrate festivals like Dashain or Tihar.
Social media content that talks about these events feels special and relatable.
- Use Nepali or English in your posts based on the brand’s theme and audience preferences. You can even mix them for a friendly tone.
- Share local stories or trends, like kite flying in Dashain or lighting diyas during Tihar.
- Speak in a way that feels personal—just like talking to your close ones!
When your posts reflect local culture, people feel more connected to your business.
2. Leverage Influencer Marketing
Imagine someone you look up to telling you, “This is my favorite restaurant!“. You’d want to try it too, right?
That’s the power of influencers!
- Work with local influencers who are trusted and share genuine opinions.
- Start with micro-influencers—people with smaller but highly engaged audiences. For example: a TikTok food reviewer in Kathmandu.
- Ask them to create fun contents featuring your product. This can be anything, like trying your clothes or eating at your restaurant.
3. Consistency across Platforms
Social media is like planting seeds in a garden—it needs regular care to grow.
If you post once and disappear, people might forget about you.
- Use a comprehensive and practical content calendar to plan your posts ahead of time. This helps you stay organized and consistent.
- Analyze platform-specific peak hours to find when your audience is most active. For instance, most users are active during the evening hours (6-9 PM).
- Use the same colors, logo, and tone of voice to keep posts consistent across platforms and build brand.
Consistency helps build brand trust and keeps your audience engaged.
4. Engage, Don’t Just Sell
Imagine someone at a party only talking about themselves—boring, right?
Social media works the same way.
Instead of only posting about your products, create content that engages and entertains.
- Run fun polls, like “What’s your favorite momo filling—chicken or veg?”
- Start a TikTok challenge using your product. Like a coffee shop asking people to share their creative latte designs.
- Reply to comments promptly and quickly to stay connected with your audience.
5. Use Data for Targeting
Social media really knows its audience, including their interests, ages, and hometown.
This is the information you need to expose your posts to the target audience.
- Use Facebook Ads Manager to target specific audiences. For example, women aged 18-25 years old in Kathmandu who love fashion.
- Always observe what types of posts get the maximum number of engagements. Repurpose them to create even more engaging content!
- Break your audience into multiple smaller groups based on their interests and behaviors.
For example, a bookstore can run one ad for novel readers, and the other for self-help enthusiasts.
This makes sure your ad reaches the right people, saving money and maximizing impact.
6. Use of Trending Hashtags
Hashtags are the means of discovery on posts to even more people.
Watch out for trending hashtags in Nepal and use them in your posts.
- During festivals, use hashtags like #tiharcelebration or #dashainvibes.
- For general trends, try #explorenepal or #nepalifoodlove, based on your brand’s theme.
Facebook Marketing Tips for Businesses in Nepal
1. Optimize Your Business Page
Your business page is like your doorstep —it must look welcoming and professional.
- Use a clear and high-resolution logo as your profile picture.
- Include a professional cover photo that represents your business. For instance, you can add something like a picture of your products or happy customers.
- Add your company contact, address, and an engaging description in the ‘About Us’ section. Do not forget to add Call to Actions such as “Call Now,” “Shop Now,” or “Message Us”.
Keep your page updated to build brand trust and help people find what they need quickly.
2. Run Targeted Ads
It is better to show your products to someone who is most likely to buy things from you.
Here is how to make your ads work even better:
- Use Custom Audience to pinpoint ideal customers by location, age, interests, or habits.
- Experiment with A/B Testing: Try out two different ads, for example: one would be an image, and the other a video. Then see which one gets a majority of likes or clicks.
- Explore different ad formats. For advertising multiple products effectively, use carousels. For campaigns that need quick attention, use short videos. For a clean and simple message, use single images.
Targeting the right audience and testing ads leads to better results at a cheaper cost.
3. Post Engaging Contents
The more relatable your posts are, the more they get liked, commented, and shared.
- Share behind-the-scenes clips of your company, capturing its daily happenings.
- Post customer testimonials to show how people feel with your products or services.
- Create problem-solving educational contents. For example, a clothing store could post tips on how to style outfits for different occasions.
- Create quick, catchy videos as they quickly attract attention. People love watching tutorials or funny explainers.
4. Host Events and Contests
Who does not love freebies and fun events? Contests or giveaways could be great for gaining more followers with good engagement.
- Run a giveaway contest like, “Tag 3 friends and get 30% off!”.
- Announce product launches through posts or stories, and offer discounts for selected items.
- Use Facebook Events to make invitations to individuals about your workshops or webinars. For example, a coffee shop could host a free coffee testing on their opening and then promote it on Facebook.
5. Use Facebook Stories
Stories disappear after 24 hours. So they are perfect for sharing quick updates or limited-time offers.
- Post a short video of your latest products or a behind-the-scenes moment.
- Share polls or questions to engage your audience. For example, a restaurant could post something like “Which flavor do you want us to add next?”
- Highlight flash sales with captions like “Only 2 hours left—don’t miss out!”
Stories are quick, and fun, and keep your followers coming back for more!
Social Media Marketing Cost in Nepal
Pricing for social media marketing is dependent. It depends on the user’s goals and the platform they choose.
1. Meta Ads
Meta Ads are just like putting posters in a busy market. Except, you get to determine how much you want to pay.
- Start with as cheap as NPR 500 per day.
- Pricing is determined by how huge your reach would be and how long your ads run.
- You can still get great results from a well-targeted small budget of NPR 3,000 – 5,000 for a week’s worth of ads.
2. Local Influencers
Influencers help in promoting your products/services to their audience.
- Their charges depend on how popular they are. For example:
- Micro-influencers may charge NPR 5,000 – 10,000 per post.
- Bigger influencers or celebrities may charge NPR 20,000 – 50,000 or even more per post.
3. Social Media Marketing Agency
If social media management seems stressful, you can hire experts. They take care of everything from post creation to ad running.
- Price can range from NPR 30,000 – 1,00,000 per month, depending on how much work is to be done.
- Some agencies even offer smaller packages for specific tasks. These include running ad campaigns or content designing.
4. Social Media Marketing Courses
Want to learn social media marketing for yourself? Enroll in one such course and master all the techniques.
- Course prices vary from NPR 3,000 to 40,000, according to the course duration and the level of proficiency.
- Beginner courses teach you to create posts and run ads. Advanced courses focus on detailed strategies and analytics.
Challenges in Nepal’s Social Media Landscape
1. Not Everyone Knows How to Use Social Media Well
Imagine having a key but not knowing which door it opens.
Many people in Nepal have social media but do not know how to use it correctly to help their business.
So what’s the problem?
There’s a possibility that businesses overlook/underlook ads, stories, or other networking tools.
Similarly, customers may not know how to order any product online.
What businesses can do?
They can teach people the use of social media step by step.
They can also make posts simple for everyone to understand.
2. Cultural Diversity
Nepal is a colorful quilt with different cultures and languages. Not everyone understands the same kind of posts.
Some posts may not be meaningful for everyone. What city people like may not be liked by the village people.
So, businesses should try making posts in local languages.
They should use stories or pictures that match culturally to the people concerned.
3. Small Businesses Do Not Have Enough Money
Running ads on social media costs money. Big businesses can afford it, but small ones may not.
Due to this factor, small businesses find it difficult to compete with big ones.
They cannot afford to produce videos or commercials from multiple genres.
Businesses can use free tools to create simple-but-nice posts.
They can spend a small amount on targeted ads that reach the right people.
4. People Do Not Always Trust Online Businesses
Some people are afraid to buy products online.
Many fear spending money or getting raw deals from online transactions.
People do not buy from businesses that lack trust. So in that way, businesses lose customers.
Therefore, businesses should focus on showing happy customer reviews and pictures.
Cash-on-delivery also works for customers who pay after receiving their product.
5. Social Media Keeps Changing
Social media runs like a game where the rules keep changing.
At times, some posts hardly reach a wider audience unless businesses pay for ads.
What does all that mean?
Businesses have to spend more money on ads. They need to keep learning new tricks.
So what should they do?
Businesses should use multiple platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
They also need to stay updated with the new features and tools.
6. Too Many Businesses Competing
Imagine everyone shouting at the same time in a market.
Social media feels the same, because so many businesses are trying to grab attention.
Because of this, it is hard for new or small businesses to stand out. Their posts might go unnoticed.
So, businesses should create posts that are their own, showing what makes them special.
Similarly, they should also work with local influencers to spread the word.
7. Inappropriate Quality Posts
Some businesses post blurry pictures or boring captions that no one likes.
People do not trust businesses with bad-looking posts. They lose interest in the brand.
So, businesses should use apps like Canva to make colorful and clear pictures.
Or, they can hire someone to make professional posts.
8. Not Checking What Works
Some businesses post stuff, but never check if people like them or not.
It’s pretty much like playing without looking at the score.
As a result, they do not know what’s working or what’s not. They waste time and money.
Hence, businesses should use tools to analyze their engagement rates.
They should change their style based on what people enjoy.
Conclusion
Social media is like a toolbox that can help businesses in Nepal grow and upscale.
But marketing efforts do not mean putting up random posts and pretty pictures.
Social media marketing is about connecting your community and your business.
With the right use of social media, businesses can create content everyone loves.
These include helpful videos, funny posts, and inspiring stories.
You can manage it yourself or with a professional marketing agency.
Considering local culture and smart tools will make your efforts stand out.
The Nepalese digital marketing landscape is evolving rapidly.
Businesses that adapt, innovate, and genuinely connect with their audience will thrive.
So start implementing these strategies today, and watch your brand grow!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How to grow followers on social media in Nepal?
Answer: Gaining followers requires strategic planning, engaging content, and consistent efforts. Here are some actionable tips:
- Post High-Quality, Local, and Relevant Content
- Actively Engage with all Your Audience
- Strategically Use Trending Hashtags
- Collaborate with Micro-Influencers
- Run Occasional Contests or Giveaways
- Use Paid Advertising
- Maintain Consistent Posting
2. What are some successful social media marketing campaigns in Nepal?
Answer: Several Nepali brands and organizations have executed highly impactful social media campaigns. Some of them include:
- Daraz Nepal – 11.11 Sale
- Pathao Nepal – Super Fest
- eSewa – Re. 1 Game
- Ultima Nepal – Dashain Mela
3. What are the top social media trends in Nepal – 2024?
Answer: Here are some emerging social media trends in Nepal in the recent years:
- Short-Form Video Content
- Integration of E-Commerce on Social Platforms
- Cultural Content
- Meme Marketing
- AI in Marketing
4. How can social media marketing help small-to-medium businesses?
Answer: It helps small them in the following ways:
- Cost-Effective Advertising
- Enhanced Local Reach & Customer Engagement
- Brand Visibility
- Competitive Advantage
- Access to E-Commerce Features
5. Is it worth it to hire a social media marketing agency?
Answer: Marketing agencies can help your business reach more people. They have the expertise to create result-oriented campaigns. They also save time by managing platforms efficiently. So, companies can focus on their core work.
However, it may not be ideal for small companies. An agency should be considered when it aligns with your brand goals. It should also understand your target market well.
