After partnering with three separate international agencies that failed to generate results, my company finally partnered with a specialized Saudi digital agency. The disparity in results was remarkable.
Recently, a store group allocated over 200,000 SAR in standard promotion with minimal returns. After transitioning just 30% of that investment to smartphone advertising, they achieved a three hundred twenty-eight percent increase in store visits.
I'm running a small business gathering in Riyadh next month where we'll be talking about more about finding and working with marketing partners. If you're having trouble with this too, drop me a message - always happy to share insights over some good Saudi coffee!
Powerful techniques included:
- Featuring items aligned with Saudi tastes
- Adjusting merchandise details to highlight features significant for Saudi shoppers
- Unique selections for religious occasions
- Measurement adjustments for Saudi expectations
Key improvements included:
- Transparent shipping times for diverse locations of the Kingdom
- Multiple delivery options including same-day fulfillment in urban centers
- Complete visibility with local alerts
- Adjustable timing for arrivals
Effective approaches included:
- Highlighting communal benefits rather than individual gains
- Incorporating appropriate faith elements where appropriate
- Adapting offer terminology to correspond to Saudi cultural norms
- Producing distinct creative alternatives for diverse locations within the Kingdom
Essential delivery insights included:
- Lower bidding during worship moments with steady conversion rates
- Greater interaction on Fridays and Saturdays notably after night prayers
- Temporal differences demanding spending modifications during Ramadan
- Academic calendar effects on specific sectors
After considerable time of disappointing outcomes in the Kingdom, their optimized methodology created a three hundred twenty-four percent improvement in conversion rates and a one hundred eighty-seven percent boost in typical purchase size.
Last year, I was sitting in this fancy office in Riyadh (you know, one of those places with the glass walls and extravagant modern art), agreeing as an agency assured me the world. Six months and 50K SAR later, our traffic had increased by a whopping... wait for it... 3%. Not exactly the outcome I was expecting! <20><><ED><A0><BE><ED>♂️
During a marketing workshop in Al Khobar last month, I was astonished when a business owner told me he was paying 5000 SAR monthly to his "digital expert" who turned out to be a young amateur running campaigns from his bedroom! No judgment on entrepreneurial students, but industry qualifications and training matter enormously in this field.
Through detailed analysis for a meal service client, we identified that campaigns shown between evening hours significantly surpassed those presented during typical optimal periods, generating one hundred sixty-three percent higher purchases.
- Team members with professional digital marketing credentials
- Specialized departments (not one person doing everything)
- Proper workflow processes
- Experience with Saudi compliance requirements and legal requirements
For a hospitality customer, we found that word-for-word transfer of their international keywords generated highly unproductive costs. After executing a locally-focused query strategy, their CPA dropped by 73%.
Important methods included:
- Collaborating with Saudi native speakers to determine genuine lookup habits
- Analyzing Saudi competition for keyword insights
- Building a Arabic-English keyword matrix to engage all potential consumers
- Implementing regional linguistic differences in place of standard Arabic
When evaluating online marketing options, don't be afraid to ask challenging questions. I've learned to directly ask: "Can I speak to your least satisfied client?" The responses to this question tell you THE COMPLETE STORY about an agency's honesty.
- Cultural expertise - This is HUGE and often overlooked. Saudi consumers engage with completely different approaches than Western audiences. The Riyadh's Top Marketing Company marketing firm will understand nuances like the importance of Ramadan campaigns, regional preferences across different Saudi cities, and how to communicate effectively with the Saudi demographic you're targeting.
The journey to finding the best digital marketing agency in Saudi Arabia isn't simple, but getting it right will dramatically improve your business results. Just make sure you benefit from my mistakes rather than making your own!
Look, I've been through the frustrating experience of hiring the incorrect marketing agency TWICE before at last finding one that generated results. Believe me, it's a mistake you don't want to make when growing your brand in Saudi Arabia's challenging competitive market analysis.
- Transparent reporting systems - My biggest issue with my previous agency was the smoke and mirrors around results. Now we get consistent reports that actually make sense, showing exactly what's working and what isn't.