For many businesses, Ramadan is a prime time for advertising. People are more engaged and present in their conversations; the average social media user spends more time online during this month than any other time. It is an opportunity for brands to tailor their content and social media strategy. However, this year appears to be a different type of Ramadan with the ongoing worldwide pandemic. Brands were able to adapt to the unexpected turn of events that kept everyone on their feet. Ramadan is a season that requires brands to stay alert to the changing pace in social behavior and this year in specific best practices have to be identified and social listening should be adapted to better cater to audience's needs.
Using the Crowd Analyzer tool, we looked at 9.2 million social media activities during the first 10 days of Ramadan to better understand what type of content resonates well with the MENA audience. This is a guide for brands on how to create a winning strategy which involves relatable content that your target audience could connect with.
Get to know where the hype is coming from
There is no question that the MENA region is very active on social media during the holy month. With reduced working hours in Muslim countries, people spend more time on social media platforms. According to the data, it is shown that Egypt has the highest number of mentions of Ramadan related content. Generally speaking, males are more engaged than females on social media.
Getting the timing right is crucial in Ramadan
For marketing campaigns to succeed, brands need to be aware of the changes in user behavior during the month. Users are most active from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM. This year Ramadan comes in unusual circumstances where people spend more time throughout the day at home due to the corona-virus. So the peak time for any content would be during this time to maximize engagement.
Choose the best way to communicate your message
It is important to pay attention to your visual strategy for your brand. In general, it is not recommended to rely on text only for social media content. In Ramadan, users are willing to invest more time in watching videos and ads online.
Integrate marketing campaigns for your brand with social media trends
To ensure that marketing campaigns get the best out of its efforts and reach as many of its target audience as possible, brands connect their marketing campaigns to users' behavior on social media. Social media better allows businesses in general to understand users' sentiment, trending hashtags, top influencers leading the social conversation as well as the content that best captures attention gaining the highest interactions and views. In the charts below we analyzed some of the top trending content during the first 10 days of Ramadan.
Traditions and plans are changing in current times, creating new needs as the audience navigate rapidly shifting situations. Brands can be of service by relating to the experience of their target audience in times of the COVID-19. Audiences prefer thoughtful content that simply expresses their values and connects with them.
What should brands focus on during Ramadan ?
Brands should be respectful and join the conversation in meaningful ways by highlighting the values of their audience and sharing content that they can connect with.