Trends in Content Marketing

New content marketing trends are on the rise in 2024. Looking into the digital environment at present, there is no scarcity of content published by brands in the form of social media posts, blogs, newsletters, videos and other media. Obviously great content is essential towards effective content marketing as it facilitates attracting and retaining the right audience. Ultimately brands should produce and distribute content which provides value, educates, inspires and entertains their audience. 

Current marketing trends are ever-changing. In this article we’ll be focusing on the upcoming 2024 trends of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Dubai well-known for its technological prowess and innovation. 

Getting Around UAE’s Changing Digital Environment

UAE’s Digital Evolution

With evolving global marketing trends, UAE is quickly adapting their digital marketing environment to align with these trends. Their thriving economy and growing tech-savvy customer base, creates an ideal platform for businesses to succeed in the digital space.

The magnitude of content in the UAE market

A strategic perspective should be adopted when it comes to impactful content marketing in the UAE. Creating and publishing content which is relevant, valuable, and reliable will guarantee to entice the audience you are looking for and encourage profitable consumer behavior. 

Nowadays the typical consumer undertakes proper research before purchasing. They would conduct a thorough google search on the product or service they are looking for, read reviews, ask for recommendations from family and friends. Hence the pivotal role of content can be seen here because your potential customers will engage and evaluate your content before making the decision to reach out to your brand or not.

Understanding the UAE Audience

Demystifying UAE demographics in the digital space

According to the 2023 Meltwater and We are social digital reports, UAE has a total population of 9.48M with an estimate of 10Mn active social media users. This highlights the importance given by the Emirati audience towards social media. 

Social Media usage specifics – UAE audience

The above statistics clearly show the social media breakdown in terms of gender, time, platform usage, illustrating the numerous opportunities available for content marketing to be promoted across various social media channels.

Why does the UAE audience use social media?

The digital habits of the Emiratis on social media are mainly around leisure, social interaction, educating themselves on global news updates, and browsing for their next purchase. Brands and businesses would need to consider these factors when it comes to building their content marketing plans to meet customers at the right touch points.

UAE’s most popular social media networks

Considering the most frequently used social media platforms which are WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, FB Messenger are important, as it helps to know where to be present as a brand to leverage content marketing efforts in the right direction.

Cultural Sensitivities and Nuances 

The tribal and Islamism culture acts as a core foundation for the people in the UAE. These aspects are deeply ingrained in the customs and laws of the Emirati people. Content should be properly localized by having a thorough awareness of local customs and nuances.

Several key aspects on tradition, culture, economic status, and language should be acknowledged for effective content creation:

Culture and Traditions: The culture in UAE is primarily male-dominated. Male family members make the majority of the purchasing decisions and even when it comes to social media, there are predominantly more male users compared to females. However, as women are also increasingly purchasing online, content published should consist of the right balance to appeal both male and female interests.

Being mindful of local traditions, heavily influenced by Islamism when it comes to implementing the newest content marketing trends will also help marketing efforts. It is critical to conduct the required research to ensure that neither a brand’s products nor their marketing efforts offend audiences’ religious beliefs.

Language: Even though English is widely spoken in UAE, particularly among the upper classes, it is crucial to adapt content into Arabic to attract a much larger, mass audience. The target market will determine the Arabic language that is used.

Economic Status: UAE consumers are drawn to luxury and bargains. They are willing to spend money on high-quality products, but they are deals and offer seekers too. Hence to be successful, content and price differentiation from local labels would be necessary.

The Development of New Content Marketing 

Trends in the UAE

UAE’s scene for content creation is constantly being evolved to meet the varied and multicultural audience who reside in the city. Let’s dive into the real meat of the matter and understand the upcoming new marketing trends which will take UAE by storm in 2024.

Dynamics of Visual Content Dominance

Interactive as opposed to static content is the way to go in 2024. To capture the diminishing attention spans of the present consumers, brands would need to pull something special out of their hats to incorporate rich social media interactions with the integration of technologies such as virtual reality(VR), augmented reality(AR) and also artificial intelligence(AI) to attract consumers and establish long-lasting connections.

Influencer Scene in 2024

Glamour, luxury, bling are some of the terms used to describe the influencer marketing landscape of UAE and cities like Dubai. But in 2024 influencer marketing would need to move past the flash and splendor. For audiences to build connections and trust with influencers and brands, content derived from influencer marketing and partnerships should be relatable and genuine from all influencer tiers types.

Emergence of Ephemeral Content

In 2024, UAE brands would need to shift focus from polished content to ephemeral, aka short-lived content. Content formats such as Instagram Stories and Snapchat Snaps, providing quick peeks into real life, flash sales, and important information captivate younger, Gen-Z target segments better as it steers away from pre-planned, non-exclusive content.

Data-Driven Story-telling

Content which tells a story is not something we are hearing for the first time, story-telling done the right way brings out strong emotional reactions in people. Ultimately helping generate content which presents new ideas and motivates people to take action influenced by a brand. 

In the coming years, for brands to differentiate themselves in the land of story-telling, Data-driven Storytelling should be prioritized. Stories and messages backed up by data and facts resonate more powerfully.