Version User Scope of changes
Nov 8 2009, 7:22 AM EST (current) chitanya 5 words added, 10 words deleted
Nov 8 2009, 7:15 AM EST chitanya 4 words added, 36 words deleted, 1 photo added, 1 photo deleted

Changes

Key:  Additions   Deletions
Other pages in this section:

  1. Demographics
  2. Mobile Landscape
  3. Internet Landscape

Taiwan
Taiwan (Traditional Chinese:台灣 or 臺灣, Simplified Chinese:台湾) is an island nation of about 36,000 square kilomkilometers
eters located off the ccoast oast of south eastern China, southwest of Okinawa and north of the Philippines. Home to more than 22 million people it is one of the most densely populated places in the world.
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Taipei
Asia’s fifth largest economy, Taiwan runs a trade surplus and its foreign reserves are among the worlds largest. Exports to their four key tratrade de partners: China 24%, Hong Kong 15%, US 13.4%, Japan 6.7%, have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. As the most important 3C producer in the world, a majority of these exports are comprised of computer, communication and consumer electronics.

Despite fluctuation in the global economy, Taiwan was able to mark a 19th consecutive quarter of growth at a rate of 5.7%. In 2008, Taiwan had a total GDP (purchasing power parity) of US$ 711.418 Billion, an increase of US$21.315 billion from the previous year. With a GDP per capita
of approximately US$ 30,881.48, the country holds 1.068 % GDP share of the world total (PPP).

Despite its geographical proximity to China, Taiwan’s social media scene depicts a vastly different picture from that of the mainland. This is apparent from the freedom of press and speech practiced in the latter versus strict censorship employed by the former. In a country where sensationalism in traditional media channels is commonplace, social media is fast emerging as a credible information source. In addition, the dynamism of its online communities suggest that social media has become an extremely popular channel for the propagation of individual opinions.

Indeed, the island-nation is home to one of the most liberal and competitive media industries in Asia. While the influence of traditional media is strong, in the last ten years the establishment of broadband and infrastructure has contributed to a 100% increase in revenue from 1998’s figure of US$6 billion. Today annual telecommunications service revenues are around US$12 billion and government investment in telecoms infrastructure continues to remain substantial. The country hasn’t generated this revenue from thin air. Currently Taiwan ranks 19th in the world for internet users per capita, and with 8 internet service providers broadband access is at 4,215,000.

The continual introduction of web services and resources for internet-users in the years to come, as well as plans to upgrade the country's web 2.0 capabilities signify that social media will only continue to flourish. In an increasingly integrated consumer environment where conversations are taking place on many levels, it is vital that companies influence these conversations to their advantage or even initiate their own conversations. These developments therefore highlight great potential for businesses to connect with and engage consumers on a deeper level.

The emergence of Web 2.0 and its growing popularity in Taiwan has resulted in a gradual paradigm shift, changing the way in which people consume information. This provides an opportunity for businesses to leverage on the shift -- from traditional media towards social media as a trusted media platform to engage and communicate directly with consumers. However, businesses need to bear in mind that it is essential to hahave
ve a good understanding of the different interest communities online in order to effectively communicate with their target audiences.

Our wiki examines several factors related to social media in Taiwan such as an overview of internet and web 2.0, examples of corporate blogging, emerging trends and cultural norms within the online community. Finally, our research culminates in essential tips for businesses looking to engage the social media space.



Read more about Taiwan's Digital Social Media:
About Taiwan
Media Landscape
Case Studies
Interviews
Useful Links
From the Creators

About Taiwan - Social Media and PR across Asia