A booth of Meta at a fair in Hà Nội. — VNS Photo Ly Ly Cao

By Ly Ly Cao

HÀ NỘI — Artificial intelligence (AI), conversational commerce and cross-border shopping are set to redefine how Vietnamese enterprises engage customers and scale sales on social media platforms in 2026, according to Meta’s latest market insights.

Lê Khôi, country director for Việt Nam at Meta, outlined what he described as the most influential social media shifts shaping enterprise operations this year.

He highlighted the growing convergence of AI, automation, messaging, video and global commerce, elements that are becoming increasingly inseparable in Việt Nam’s digital economy.

The country continues to stand out as one of Meta’s most deeply connected markets. Khôi noted that about 94 per cent of internet users in Việt Nam are active on at least one Meta-owned platform, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp or Threads.

This level of penetration, he said, gives businesses unparalleled access to consumers across the entire purchasing journey, from product discovery to post-sale engagement.

Instagram and Threads are gaining momentum alongside Facebook, particularly among younger users and office professionals.

Threads is seeing strong organic growth in Việt Nam as a space for open discussion and real-time interaction.

Khôi said the platform is expected to undergo further development through 2026, creating new engagement opportunities for brands and creators alike.

User behaviour across Meta platforms in Việt Nam remains heavily driven by video consumption, livestreaming and messaging, with AI now embedded across these formats.

According to Meta, around 93 per cent of Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have already applied AI tools in some aspect of their operations.

“AI has moved beyond experimentation,” Khôi said. “It is becoming a standard requirement for business efficiency.”

Messaging-based commerce was also highlighted as a defining strength of the Vietnamese market.

Việt Nam has long ranked among the world’s leading countries for business-to-consumer interactions via chat and Meta now sees the market entering what it calls “conversational commerce in the AI era.”

AI-powered chatbots are increasingly being used to support customer enquiries, provide product information and operate continuously beyond business hours.

Vietnamese consumers, Khôi noted, are becoming more comfortable interacting with automated systems due to their speed, convenience and availability.

Lê Khôi, country director for Việt Nam at Meta. — VNS Photo Ly Ly Cao

The role of content creators is evolving rapidly. Once focused largely on entertainment, creators are now integral to commerce, driving a closed-loop cycle that connects content discovery, product review, purchase and customer feedback.

In Việt Nam, this cycle is anchored in short-form video and livestream formats, which now account for more than half of total user time spent on Meta platforms.

Meta’s tools allow creators and businesses to embed product links directly into videos or livestreams, enabling smooth transitions from viewing to purchasing.

AI is increasingly deployed behind the scenes to support these experiences. During livestream sessions, automated assistants can answer common questions on pricing, delivery and return policies, cutting response times and easing operational pressure on sellers.

Khôi said such integrations show how AI, video and live commerce are being combined to enhance both user experience and business performance.

Advertising technology is undergoing a parallel shift. Meta’s AI-driven solutions, including its Advantage+ tools, use machine learning to optimise targeting and creative delivery beyond traditional demographic assumptions.

According to data shared at the briefing, businesses using AI-assisted advertising solutions recorded an average 22 per cent improvement in return on advertising spend, while some enterprises reported up to fourfold increases in campaign efficiency.

Cross-border commerce emerged as another major theme. While Vietnamese consumers have long been active buyers on international platforms, a growing number of domestic enterprises are now using social media and messaging tools to sell directly into overseas markets.

AI-powered translation, automated content localisation and global messaging infrastructure are lowering barriers to entry, enabling Vietnamese sellers to reach demand in Southeast Asia, the US and Latin America.

Messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, which dominates communication in many overseas markets, are playing a central role in this expansion.

Meta cited the example of Thanh Vinh Holdings using WhatsApp-based commerce to enter regional markets, achieving strong revenue growth while cutting per-order costs through automation and direct customer interaction.

To Khôi, these developments reflect how social media in Việt Nam is evolving from a communication channel into a fully integrated digital commerce ecosystem. — BIZHUB/VNS