For many global founders, the default mental model for digital strategy is built around Google, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. In Korea, the reality is different.
Daily life and business communication are structured around KakaoTalk, Naver, YouTube, Instagram, and increasingly TikTok. To operate effectively in the Korean digital landscape, founders need a clear understanding of how each platform functions and how audiences in Korea use them in daily life.
KakaoTalk: the central communication channel
KakaoTalk is the primary messaging platform in Korea and underpins much of both personal and professional communication.
- It is used for family conversations, school groups, work discussions, hobby communities, and brand updates.
- Many organisations operate Kakao Channels to provide announcements, promotions, and customer support.
Any founder working in Korea will typically find that key conversations with clients, partners, and team members move quickly from email to KakaoTalk. Having an official KakaoTalk presence and responding to messages in a timely, professional way has effectively become a basic operational requirement in Korea.
Search behaviour: Naver, Google, and YouTube
Search in Korea is shared across several platforms rather than dominated by a single player.
- Naver is a leading choice for Korean language search, local information, news, blogs, communities, and maps.
- Google is strong for global content, English language queries, and more technical or international topics.
- YouTube is widely used as a search engine in its own right, especially for how to content, reviews, and educational material.
For founders, this has practical implications:
- Google visibility matters for foreigners in Korea, global customers, and overseas investors.
- Naver visibility is essential if the organisation intends to serve Korean customers at scale.
- A clear, well structured YouTube presence often functions as both an extended about page and a trust signal for potential clients.
YouTube: media channel, classroom, and credibility layer
In Korea, YouTube has emerged as a primary channel for information, education, and entertainment.
Audiences regularly turn to YouTube for:
- lectures and study resources
- product reviews and comparisons
- founder talks, interviews, and documentary style storytelling
For brands, a thoughtfully produced video, whether it is a founder story, a product explanation, or a case study, can:
- build credibility
- remain discoverable through search over time
- be repurposed into shorter clips for other platforms such as Reels, Shorts, or TikTok
Instagram and TikTok: visual discovery and lifestyle
For many consumer facing sectors in Korea, such as cafés, salons, gyms, clinics, beauty brands, and lifestyle products, Instagram functions as a primary discovery and evaluation platform.
A common customer journey is:
Hear about a place or brand; search its name on Instagram; review the grid, Reels, and location tags; decide whether to visit, follow, or purchase.
TikTok has added a further layer of short form discovery, particularly among younger users. The core format, vertical video usually under one minute with a clear hook in the opening seconds, now shapes expectations across multiple platforms, including Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
Brands that wish to reach Korean audiences effectively increasingly need a coherent short form video strategy, even if they focus on one primary channel rather than all of them.
Naver’s ecosystem: beyond the home page
Naver is best understood as an ecosystem rather than a single site.
Key components include:
- Naver Map, essential for address details, opening hours, photos, and customer reviews
- Naver Blog, long form content, reviews, tutorials, and brand storytelling
- Naver Café, community forums centred on parenting, hobbies, careers, and local interests
- Naver Shopping, integrated product search and price comparison within Naver
A pragmatic starting point for most founders is to:
- secure and optimise a Naver Map entry with accurate information
- ensure consistency between Naver and other platforms
- consider either maintaining a Naver Blog or collaborating with creators and partners who already publish there
A practical starting framework: three core channels
Founders do not need to be visible everywhere from day one. A more effective approach is to select three core channels that align with the target audience and business model.
Some typical combinations:
- Consumer facing local services such as cafés, salons, fitness, clinics, and beauty
Instagram plus Naver Map or Blog plus KakaoTalk - Education, consulting, B2B, or expert driven services
YouTube plus Naver content such as articles, interviews, or blogs plus KakaoTalk - Youth oriented, trend driven consumer brands
Instagram Reels plus TikTok plus YouTube Shorts
Before investing heavily in advertising or campaigns, it is useful to conduct a simple check:
- Is the brand discoverable on Naver in both Korean and English
- Does at least one YouTube video clearly explain who the organisation is and what it offers
- Does the main social profile, for example Instagram, reflect the positioning, price point, and audience the brand is targeting
- Is there a clear, accessible way for Korean customers or partners to reach the team via KakaoTalk
When these foundations are in place, any subsequent marketing or partnership strategy in Korea is far more likely to succeed.
Article written by The Global Founder Editorial Team.
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