LinkedIn might not be at the top of your list when choosing social media platforms for advertising, but don’t write it off! LinkedIn is massively popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa for professionals and businesses looking to network.
LinkedIn is a great choice for advertising because the platform has done an excellent job in optimizing it for Arabic-language use. Arabic LinkedIn’s popularity goes hand in hand with the extremely high social media usage rates in the region. Social media penetration rates are on the rise throughout the entire Middle East, led by the Gulf region countries which are all approaching social media penetration rates of nearly 100%. LinkedIn always ranks among the top platforms for usage in Middle Eastern countries, though it is often discounted in advertising campaigns in favor of Facebook or Instagram. Keep reading to learn more about why Arabic LinkedIn is so important and how it can help boost your reach in the region.
Arabic LinkedIn Advertising Management
We are here to take your business to the next level through Arabic LinkedIn ads. Since LinkedIn Arabic launched in 2015, IstiZada has been managing ad campaigns and constantly optimizing marketing strategies. Here’s what we offer you:
Research and Development:
We will work with you to develop a marketing strategy that is geared towards your target audience. Additionally, if you are not yet sure what exactly your target audience is, IstiZada staff will assist in determining what works best with your brand. This first step is essential as it will ensure that your ads are being seen by the people who are most likely to want what you offer, whether that be goods or services.
Content Creation:
Our staff is composed of native Arabic and native English-speaking online marketing experts, so you can rest assured that your ads will include high-quality content that sounds good to a native Arabic-speaking audience. This is key, as machine translated content may seem cost-effective in the short term, but in the long run they will end up damaging your business’s image and appeal in the Middle East. We will also make sure that your brand image is presented in line with local customs and completely culturally appropriate. We’ll look into ad types and examples in more detail below!
Performance Monitoring and Management:
Once your ad campaign is launched, we will consistently monitor its performance to make sure it is performing well and increasing conversion rates for your business. If necessary, we will advise on how to modify the campaign and assist in making these changes to ensure the best possible result. Our team will communicate with you and regularly update you on your LinkedIn campaign statistics.
Arabic LinkedIn Ad Types
Let’s take a look at some of the different types of ads you can choose from for an Arabic LinkedIn marketing campaign:
Standard Image Ads:
These ads resemble Facebook ads, with a text heading and an image with text and graphics. As you can see, the button to engage with the ad can have different text, such as Learn more or Subscribe.
Carousel Image Ads:
Carousel ads allow the user to scroll through a series of images with different content and interact with them. This is a good choice if you are looking to include a lot of information in your ad, as it makes it easy to divide up content in a logical order as well as engage with the user as they scroll through to learn more.
Video Ads:
The first ad shown above is optimized for a mobile phone view, whereas the second ad is optimized for a computer/desktop view. You will want to consider your target audience when deciding what type of video ad to run.
Bilingual Ads:
It’s hard to overstate the importance of the English language in the business world, especially in the Middle East. Because so much business is conducted in English, many LinkedIn ads feature text in both English and Arabic.
4 Key Benefits for LinkedIn Advertisers to Arab Users
1. The platform fully supports Arabic-language text, so you don’t have to worry about your Arabic ads having formatting issues.
2. More B2B marketing opportunities are available to reach a wider audience of professionals in the GCC and other parts of the Middle East.
3. More demographic data will be available about Arabic speaking professionals in the region and marketers who can advertise in Arabic can reach a unique audience that might be hard to reach through other channels.
4. More accurate data about Arabic speakers in the region will be available. The challenge with many other social networks in the region is the data they have listed about individuals is inaccurate. Many Arabs put a high value on their anonymity and privacy online so it is common for individuals on Facebook and other networks to use fake names and provide inaccurate personal details on their profiles on these other social networks. The advantage LinkedIn brings to this situation is users are encouraged to provide accurate information so they are more likely to take advantage of job related opportunities.
LinkedIn Outreach to Increase Arabic User Base
As you can see, the video features high quality Arabic subtitling. LinkedIn has made it a priority to make Arabic accessible for all their features, which are rapidly developing. In 2023, LinkedIn announced that their LinkedIn Learning feature would also be available for Arabic, opening it up to a large group of new potential users. LinkedIn Learning offers courses in a variety of fields such as communication and computer programming that companies can take advantage of to help their employees increase their skill sets. The Arabic launch further emphasizes the importance of the Middle Eastern/Arabic-speaking user demographic on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn’s Rapid Growth in the Arabic Speaking World
LinkedIn’s popularity in the Middle East shows no signs of slowing down, as it continues to attract more and more of the 380 million Arabic speakers worldwide.The platform has grown significantly since its launch, and statistics on social media usage rates in the Middle East indicate that the numbers will only continue to grow. Countries like Saudi Arabia where the majority of the population only speaks Arabic and there is little need for other languages in day to day life should see very impressive growth numbers in the next few years, given that over one quarter of internet users in Saudi Arabia are already active on LinkedIn.
Today, LinkedIn reports over 61 million users throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
Top Industries on LinkedIn in the Arabic Speaking World
When LinkedIn Arabic first launched, the top industries in the region were Oil & Engineering, Construction, and Education. However, as many countries in the Gulf region have taken strides in the past couple years to move away from their economic reliance on oil and invest in diversification, there are a new set of industries that are particularly up and coming in the region, most notably Hospitality, Telecommunications, Manufacturing & Distribution, Business Consulting, and Retail. This wide range provides vast market opportunities for international marketers!
Multinational consulting firms like Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have seen massive success in recent years throughout the Middle East.
Target Audience: Arab Professionals
What kind of professionals might you want to consider marketing to in the region? Accountants are among the top users of LinkedIn in the Middle East, meaning that Arabic accounting software could be a very lucrative marketing opportunity. Recent reports show that the top-featured jobs on LinkedIn in the Middle East are for engineers, operations employees, and salespeople. But, the Arab LinkedIn user base spans far and wide: check out the infographic below to get an idea!
Many Arab LinkedIn Users Have Studied Outside the Middle East
Arabic Speaking LinkedIn users might represent a more savvy and affluent demographic to advertise to on LinkedIn because according to LinkedIn 1 in 5 of them have studied outside the Arab World.
Conclusion
LinkedIn is a hub for all different demographics in the Middle East, meaning that the opportunities for a great marketing campaign are vast. To learn more about how IstiZada can help your business advertise on LinkedIn Arabic, contact us today!
Source:
http://www.slideshare.net/linkedin/linked-in-arabic-infographic-english
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/dwtc-welcomes-boston-consulting-group-to-one-central
