More than half the global population is using the Internet. Both China and India are the leading countries with maximum users online followed by the USA, Indonesia, and Brazil. In the current scenario, India has around 12% to 13% of the world’s 3.8 billion Internet users.
As per the latest reports from Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), with 451 million monthly Internet users in the year 2019, India has now turned as second next to China in the pack of total online users. However, with only thirty-six percent of exposure to Internet access, India has still much room for escalation.
Comparison between urban and rural India in regards to their online usage
Though urban and rural India almost has a similar number of Internet users, given the disproportion of population circulation in them, urban India had a significantly higher access level. Also, in India, there is greater gender inequality when it comes to online usage. The numbers of female Internet users less match to male users. And the bias is more apparent in rural parts of India. Among different states, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and New Delhi have a high fraction of female Internet users.
The reports say that two-third of total Internet users in India are in the age range of around 12-29 years. So, captivatingly, a high proportion of this age range marks rural India. This scenario suggests that there is a higher probability for development in this section.
The reports even showcase that around two-third of the Indian Internet population were everyday users. And most of the urban users used the Internet once a week aged amid 16-29 years being the most recurrent online followers. However, there is still a segment of users who utilize the Internet less than once a week,’ and 1 in 5 rural Internet users fit into this grouping.
The reports also stated that among 451 million monthly users, around 385 million are 12+ year’s age. And 66 million are between 5 to 11 years using the Internet through their family-based devices in different parts of India.
Rural consumers investing more time on the Internet
In India, almost 1/3rd of users use the Internet for more than 1 hour of duration in urban parts of India, whereas in rural India, acomparable proportion of users’way on the Internet for around 15-30 minutes.
With enhanced connectivity and the eminence of service as well as reasonably priced mobile Internet access, there would be a considerable boost in rural consumers investing more time on the Internet in the coming days.
Scope for business extension into rural markets
In spite of having 70% of the country’s population, the rural markets in India have been ignored by businesses in support of urban geographies. Even prominent and leading business enterprises, regardless of their abundant resources, have made narrow inroads into this enormous market. Factors such as short of services, infrastructure, and necessary facilities such as banking support have lacked overall growth in rural geographies, which have been improved to some extent now.
So, advancements in technology and boost in comprehensiveness have considerably increased the scope for business extension in rural geographies. With digitization accelerating at an unparalleled pace in India, rural markets are seeing superior inter-connectivity. The brand story-line for rural markets is changing from empowerment to authentically paying attention.
With rural geographies providing access to businesses in different industry verticals with the surplus of opportunities, brands are looking forward to better traction among rural consumers.
Connecting rural audiences digitally by relevant marketing strategies
There are no appropriate sizable fractions of people using the Internet in rural India. However, there is an open opportunity to improve these numbers, which will further lead to growth in business initiatives in these areas over the next few years. Seeing this vision, brands must definitely invest in building pertinent marketing strategies to tap into rural and semi-urban geographies efficiently.
The increasing Internet numbers in India, including rural India,would transform the lives of people. The changing habits and behavior of people in rural parts of India will empower them to have improved decision-making. It would be a better scenario for marketers to use the opportunity in linking with rural audiences digitally and socially, enabling their minds for their particular brands.
Marketers need to stick on certain principles in their approach towards rural promotions such as:
- Staying applicable and sensible
Some rural areas are hugely rooted in their provincial identity and individuality. This distinctiveness provides brands an opportunity to stay healthier with their promotional tactics to their forthcoming audiences through inventiveness that is applicable and sensible.
- Maintaining trust and relationships
Trust and relationships are the precise business catalysts, which serve as the critical differentiator in front of consumers as well as channel partners. However, rural consumers and channel partners are getting smarter every day.
So, to be successful offline or online, brands have to make an effort to display how they are benefitting the consumers in their purchase, and even satisfying channel partners having a preference to more complimentary margins. Eventually, businesses need to sustain with an ideal balance amid consumers and channel partners to make swift progress while targeting rural geographies.
- Differentiating products as per digital adoption
To lead powerful disruptions, brands must always look to deliver more than what the current market is offering. The commitment to designing products and services that solve specific problems in addition to catering to the needs of rural consumers goes a long way in generating brand differentiation.
What is most vital for brands is to stand by their commitments and to execute them practically. Doing so can radically increase brand affinity and bring an intact line of brand loyalists which can lend a hand in the creation of a solid consumer base.
Moving Forward
With the latest developments of speeding up digital adoption, the online urban and rural break up is being trimmed down at a pace.These active and competitive efforts would transform rural areas into the mainstream. So, brands must look forward to creating comprehensive, significant marketing strategies to tap into rural and semi-urban marketplaces successfully.
The flourishing execution will not only give businesses an outstanding share in a highly lucrative market, but will also generate the precise combination of urban, semi-urban, and rural India which will cooperatively act as anelitecorporate identity.
