Overview of Uzbekistan Social Networks with SMM Tips for Brands

Today, advertisers and internet companies recognize Telegram's potential to build cohesive communities around their brands. Depending on the business sector, these communities may require varying levels of interaction, interactive content, promotions, and campaigns.

For Telegram promotion, two primary approaches are utilized: using the Telegram Ads Manager (independently or through marketing agencies) or directly collaborating with large channel owners.

In addition to Telegram Ads, other Russian services targeting ads on Telegram are also popular in Uzbekistan. For example, Yandex Direct, MTS Ads, and others offer added benefits for those targeting not only Uzbekistan but also Russia and other CIS countries.

Each platform has its own specifics, advantages, and disadvantages. Moreover, advertisers must consider their target audience's interests, business specifics, employ chatbots to automate processes, and use analytical tools to track campaign effectiveness.

In Uzbekistan, the most popular ad formats include promotional posts, polls, GIFs, and ad bots. Messenger's advertising platform is still in its growth phase.

YouTube trends in Uzbekistan closely align with global patterns: the popularity of short-form videos (Shorts), live streams, and a focus on mobile devices (over 90% of visits are via smartphones). Users aged 18-24 represent the largest age group on the platform, accounting for 21.2% of all viewers.

Advertisers can choose between two promotion strategies: utilizing the YouTube Ads platform for detailed targeting or partnering with local YouTube influencers.

When developing your own channel, it’s essential to plan a content strategy early on to avoid disappointing your audience. Consider predicting the average watch time, user interest in video effects, and the overall format.

The most popular advertising formats on YouTube include direct video ad placements and native integrations.

TikTok: Organic Content Promotion

TikTok remains highly popular in Uzbekistan, particularly among youth aged 18 to 24. Of this demographic, men account for 88.3%, while women make up 11.7%.

The platform is widely used for creating and watching short videos, making it ideal for quick and creative advertising campaigns. However, the social network is officially blocked in the country, which imposes limitations on ad placement opportunities. Nevertheless, partnership collaborations are still available to advertisers. They can facilitate short-term campaigns or even help build a fully-fledged multi-touch sales funnel if needed.

Another approach is developing your own TikTok account. As with YouTube, it’s important to assess the feasibility and required resources for effective promotion to ensure that your time and budget are not wasted.

Community in VKontakte and Odnoklassniki

Russian platforms Odnoklassniki and VKontakte remain popular among the Russian-speaking population in Uzbekistan. Notably, Odnoklassniki boasts a larger audience: as of October 2024, it had over 50,000 active authors compared to 27,000 on VKontakte. More than 69% of users on both platforms in Uzbekistan communicate primarily in Russian.

Advertisers can leverage VK's advertising tools to launch targeted campaigns and utilize various platform features such as posts, short or full-length videos on VK Video, partnership integrations, communities, and events.
 

Page with author tours to Uzbekistan

Both Odnoklassniki and VKontakte are well-suited for brand account development and building dedicated communities. The platforms’ flexible community management tools provide ample opportunities for strategic growth. However, in both cases, achieving rapid audience expansion requires paid social and a focus on creating valuable content, which users on these platforms particularly appreciate.

Share of advertising tools in the Uzbek digital space

The most popular advertising tools in Uzbekistan include Google Display Network (GDN), programmatic platforms, social media, and other internal services. Among these, the regional seller for Google Display Network, DV360, Meta tools, and the Yandex advertising network. They account for 80% of the digital market budget. The remaining 20% is allocated to other resources, such as media outlets, Telegram channels, automated YouTube ads, bloggers, and influencers.

Let's summarize

Each social media platform has its unique advantages. For a successful SMM in Uzbekistan, it is crucial not only to choose the platform based on your goals but also to create content tailored to the specifics of each platform, including language preferences.

An excellent strategy involves utilizing multiple social networks with adapted content. For example, in Telegram, you can engage your audience with native informative posts while expanding reach through paid social. On Instagram, focus on captivating visuals and collaborations with top influencers in the country. Connect with TikTok if you have engaging content for the audience. Meanwhile, on Facebook, VK, and Odnoklassniki, the focus can be on building and nurturing the brand’s community.

This approach can be scaled or narrowed down to 1-2 platforms that deliver the best conversion rates.

One thing is certain: social networks offer advertisers a wealth of opportunities to promote their brands. You can leverage their potential for business growth independently or partner with us to optimize resources and execute your campaign for maximum effectiveness.

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