Ramadan also known as Ramazan it is celebrated by many Muslims around the world by keeping fast for 1 month. It is the holiest month of Islamic calendar. Ramadan has also made significant as marketing month due to its increasing use of social networking sites or internet during this period all around the world mostly in the Middle east and Asia Pacific Region.
According to the report there is almost 5% to 12% increase in the viewing duration in every social media. People make them engage themselves in other works as the work hours are shorter, and to distract themselves from fasting. While everybody is busy to inculcate themselves in the spirit of Ramadan. Marketers indulge themselves into planning, advertising and promoting their product to get the full advantage of the marketing opportunity given by this month.
Marketers must give a good thought to increase their marketing game during this period as this is going to help them not just during this period but also fetch customers for lifetime.
Below are few ways in which marketers can increase their influence in the market.
Deep Understanding of your audience:
You must know what people like to watch before, during and after the month of Ramadan. After researching about the market and the audience you should start planning. Proper research always takes you to a better position.
Start your Planning early:
Prepare planning for your message to show to your target customer months before Ramadan. After proper planning execute the message and then start automation to trigger the audience via email. Also start re-marketing during the time of Ramadan so that people can see your advertisement as many times as possible. All this can bring a higher ROI and helps you to execute better.
Ramadan’s Impact on Social media:
This holy month shift the graph of online users to a much higher position. Many people shift their choice of viewing to more contents related to religion and conservative. Audience on this month like to keep themselves busy with brands that they feel upholds their standard during this holy month. People start preparing and buying clothes a month before. It has also been seen users become more active during after midnight i.e from 12am to 5am. This maybe because of the fact that during this time they have their first meal before their fast starts, and they are awake. The audience during this month doubles according to a research done by Google in 2015. Searches includes many things related to this occasion such as food recipes, clothing, automobiles, perfume etc.
Interact with Ramadan:
Marketers must make more Ramadan related contents. Ramadan has its own beauty, story and religion background which marketers does not want to deviate from. The most important part for your brand advertisement will me making at least one content focusing on this holy month theme.
Inspiring the Audience:
Ramadan the holy month is known for a lot of things not just because of its religious importance but also for increase in spending, magnanimous undertakings and family rivalry.
According to the Facebook, a survey of UAE users found out that more than 57% of the people buys expensive goodies, clothes, perfumes to proof themselves better in the style competition from their family. There is a increase in Google, YouTube and Facebook users which is noticed month before Ramadan and mostly to search is related to the purchase of new clothes and jewelries.
This gives a huge opportunity for the marketers and businesses to engage their customers by releasing online ads.
Instagram topics related to fashion and cooking touches the peak during this month. Now a days more people like coming on Instagram than Facebook to comment and message or to post. Luxury brands almost double their profit, by marketing properly. Moreover, at the end of Ramadan it is seen people like buying high cost gifts.
With the increase in users, searches for new style, this is the time when marketers can influence their audience and gain customers by influencing them from their advertisement. Inspire people to buy your brand by whatever possible way you can. Sponsored advertisement in videos on different platforms will make an impression of your brand in peoples mind and this can make people really think about your product or services. From 12am to 5am is the best time for showing these advertisements as this is the peak time for people keeping fast in Ramadan to use social media.
Target the mobile
An increase in the number of mobile users is seen during the month. The increase is more than 5 times, keeping this in mind business promoters should work on sending emails and other ads on their mobile. In this way you can make a seamless experience for your audience browsing and buying your products.
Social media is used as a tool for advertising, because of the fact that mobile users are continuously moving towards the smartphone and the smartphone world is expanding with every passing day. More the smartphones more the apps more it is used.
Being in market you must know how to play your game promoting your product in different apps.
Know the right time and reach out: You should know the correct timing for your advertisement. As people following Ramadan do not have their usual timing for meal, they are not ready to watch any kind of Food and Beverage advertisements during the day time. They will mostly like to indulge themselves with other kind off stuffs. So the F&B business, must put their notifications 2 hours or 1 hour before they open their fast. This will help the business influencing people who are in fast to buy their goodies and try them.
So no one should ever forget the time factor when reaching the audience, your fault in time will not help your advertisement to reach its target.
Respect:
Be respectful to the religious as with all the religious celebration. Keep in mind not to hurt anyone’s sentiments, beliefs avoid creating any kind of conflict. Be sensible in every way possible. Do not send any kind of food related content during the fasting hours, this may be a gesture of being disrespectful to their fast and prayer. No promotion should be made of partying and promoting during the Ramadan period.
Marketers must play smartly with their contents.
Engage your customers:
Engage your customers with different campaigns, discount offers, gift ideas throughout Ramadan. If you keep a personalized effect on the people they will keep you on the top while buying anything for there loved ones. As it is seen there is a change in marketing scenario during Ramadan. Businesses know how important this month is for them to grow consumerism. Companies focusing on consumers increases their budget for advertisement averagely over 20% during this period of the month.
This increase in budget is more than other normal months of the year. With the increase in demand of showing ads by different business to sell their product it is very important for you choose the right platform to show your ad. Crucial understanding of the market and customer is required failing which the result can turn out to be negative.
Importance of Digital marketing:
People are spending more time on their gadgets which means they focus more on the digital world now a days. Moreover, almost every person has a mobile and is on social media. In Ramadan the use of it increases due to less work pressure and fasting. People want to engage themselves in something. Marketers should put their ads on digital media, so that people can view it and get influenced by it.
Ramadan Commercials and Contents:
Most of the commercials try to focus on the cultural beliefs of the public so that they can get themselves connected with the ad. Targeting consumers emotionally is a great way starting with your product advertisement. This definitely influence a larger crowd to buy your product.
Even the messages should be heart touching and happy. There are few iconic symbols and words that can be used for the commercials as well as for the contents.
The most common symbol used in Islam presently is that of a crescent moon. It can be seen in the flags of many Muslim populated countries, Muslim organization, and even on the red crescent. The month of Ramadan the fasting is over after they see the crescent moon and celebrate Eid. Crescent moon is directly connected with the emotions of the Islamic religion and is used in most of the ads made for marketing during Ramadan.
Dates are the first thing people eat for breaking their fast. This makes dates important and one of the common things used in ad campaigns. This had been a part of the of the tradition going back to the origin of the religion.
Arab Tea Pots: Tea is a common drink during this month just like the dates. Tea is commonly drank with friends and families during evening hours. Due to this Arab Tea Pots has become another common symbol for ad campaign.
Lantern: Lantern has become iconic to this month due to the late hour Muslims keep themselves awake. Lanterns are hung in few countries or used to be hung in older days at nights for longer period. Especially in countries like Egypt where this tradition started. It is not as popular as crescent moon as the tradition is limited in few countries, but still it is used by many marketers to convey the spirit of Ramadan.
Canons: Canon is the mark of beginning breakfast during the morning hour. Canon was used back in the time where there was no watches and clocks. It is still used today as a iconic symbol connecting this holy month with its origin. Many businesses use this canon for marketing and promotions for their commercials in a very creative way.
Incorporating all these symbols in the marketing campaign helps connecting people with the products emotionally and influence them to buy them.
Use YouTube as your platform
YouTube has become a popular platform for advertising used all over the world in mobile, TV, desktop, tablets, etc. Viewers prefer Ramadan related ads on YouTube more than on TV. Especially the viewers in Saudi Arabia and Egypt like watching these campaigns. It has been seen that over the last few years there is a drastic change in the viewership of the ads, interestingly it has changed due to the usage of YouTube as a platform and there is an increase in the viewership 3 times to that of television.
This is because TV viewership used to be in a particular time during the day on an average 5 hours daily. On the other hand, YouTube is viewed by everyone and throughout the day. Moreover, the selecting and scheduling the content is in the hand of the users.
Conclusion
We know there is a cultural shift in public during Ramadan. This change in the public influence the sale in the market too. In some parts of the world, there is a huge change in the market during this time. It is important for the marketers to plan months before for this auspicious occasion knowing the value of it and knowing how much this month can help to fetch them, consumers. The growing use of mobiles and gadgets has increased digital marketing in a long way. People shop online and spend most of the time watching videos and on social media. This is why Digital marketing is a major part of marketing now.
Start engaging yourself and the customers month before the Ramadan, so that you don’t get lost among the various ads by different companies. People engage themselves thinking and buying gifts before Ramadan if your product starts campaigning early it would help the company to get recognition while the public is buying stuff for their loved ones.
Post a Comment