Many people ask me questions about Content Marketing and its impact on businesses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I'm also regularly asked "Does Content Marketing work for businesses in the UAE?"
My answer is always a resounding "Yes!" and this guide will highlight the key components of a successful content marketing strategy and why it works for virtually any business in the Middle East.
One of the key fundamentals of this type of marketing is the use of honest and sincere information. With the correct use of this strategy you will achieve the golden attribute of sales success, TRUST.
The idea behind Content Marketing is to provide great information to allow your potential customers to educate themselves on products, services and industry knowledge in your arena. The beauty is that you get your customers to do this in an environment that you control, your website.
The Middle East is a market in which trust plays a hugely important role in everyday business. This is why so often, people want to meet you rather than talk over the phone or conduct business over email. A solid Inbound strategy becomes the tool that makes this effort work in this environment.
If you are creating great information for your customers, you are going to get many benefits:
These are just a few positive impacts of a great content marketing strategy.
Knowing yourself and knowing your customers is the starting point of your marketing strategy, this is because the closer you get to your customer, the more likely you are to succeed with them.
Check out the pillars of success below:
By following this process you begin the process by approaching your audience, learning who they are, discovering how they like to receive information and what they want to do with the information.
Imagine a world where your business contacted potential customers that wanted you to contact them, using the preferred communication channel that they wanted your business to contact them on. It's very different from what goes on every day across this region, right?
With so many companies selling so many products to you, how do you, as a marketeer stand out from the rest?
Think about the Real Estate or Hospitality industry. These industries are a flooded market and the way that market to the public is always the same and the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) play in these industries is extremely competitive. If you were a Real Estate company, for instance, how would you ever get to the top of these search engines when there are so many large and established competitors in the market?
Content Marketing offers a different approach. If it is conducted well it will allow your company to own the digital space most important to you. This approach means that you will speak to your target market about what they want to hear by answering their questions using carefully crafted content that is not sales driven. Essentially, you nurture relationships with your target market by taking them through an information process that breeds trust and success.
Firstly, not many people are doing it all, let alone well. If you take the opportunity now, you will be months/years ahead of your competitors.
Secondly, the UAE is one of the most digitally connected countries in the World.
UAE has now grown into the most digital-friendly country in the Middle East. By promoting innovators, the country has also been playing a prominent role in the growth of new digital technologies. The total population of UAE in 2023 is 10.2 million, and active internet users make up 99% of the population!
With these statistics in mind, consider the number of potential customers researching and looking for businesses they can trust - and you want these customers to find you!
You have two routes with the implementation of a successful Inbound strategy, you do it yourself or you employ an agency. Both have their benefits but in simple it comes down to time and resources. If you have the staff (the right staff) to embrace this fully, then you will do well. Most companies in the United Arab Emirates do not have the luxury of these resources and time. In this case, employ an agency. Be sure to ask your agency questions when trying to find the best one in Dubai.
Content marketing is one of the most powerful digital marketing strategies and it is only a matter of time before the Middle East embraces it. So, dive in and enjoy the benefits! Check out the free guide below and feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about digital marketing.
Thanks for reading.