Learn why targeting young Saudis in your digital strategy is essential and explore actionable ways to target young Saudis in your digital strategy.
Targeting young people in Saudi Arabia is essential to skyrocket your business. Reports show that Genzs and Millenials are more tech-savvy than previous generations. In this article, you can learn why targeting young Saudis in your digital strategy is essential and explore actionable ways to target young Saudis in your digital strategy.
Also Read: The Role Of Social Media Marketing in Customers Purchase Decisions In Saudi Arabia
The rise of online shopping happened in Saudi Arabia back in 2022 when 80% of people frequently shopped online. They were mostly millennials and Gen Zs. However, 95% of KSA’s population use the internet daily. So these stats have made KSA the country in the MENA region with the largest online marketplace. One of the prominent qualities of people of this region is that they involve everyone in their buying decisions such as friends and family. Stats show that 49% of Gen Z social media users do that.
As a result, marketers must put effort into their strategies to effectively target Gen Zs and Millennials who make up the large portion of potential customers. This blog discusses the 5 modern and effective ways to target young Saudis in Your Digital Strategy.
Below are 5 Actionable Ways To Target Young Saudis In Your Digital Strategy:
Modern buying framework is different. Modern consumers and mostly Gen Zs prefer to gather some information about the service or product before they make a buying decision. Gen Zs mostly rely on social media and websites to collect information about their purchases. Not only do they gather details about the product they buy, they compare it with similar ones and decide on the basis of cost and quality. They use YouTube as their major platform to gather substance to help them in their buying decisions.
Research shows that Gen Zs prefer non-sponsored content and video reviews over ads in the MENA region, except for Egypt, where they consider ads to be important. Perhaps that’s why 77% of Gen Zs in the MENA region subscribe to YT channels and watch videos of the creators they find trustworthy and appealing. YouTube also has the highest percentage of 60% who visit it more than once a day in the MENA region. Saudi Arabians believe that YouTube offers helpful content that they can’t find anywhere else.
The debate of whether influencer marketing is relevant today is on the rise. The reality is that influencer marketing works today, but it has changed. Stats show that, on average, Saudi Arabians spend around 3 hours each day on social media and 27 % of them search for things to buy on social platforms. However, businesses still can’t influence Gen Zs and Millennials the same way they did older generations. Younger generations want to buy from those they feel an emotional connection with. On the flip side, older generations bought products based on ads without considering emotional connection, sustainability, ethical consumption, and social awareness.
Although they like to hear famous people talk about products or services, they prefer genuine creators who interact with their audience and share content that they can trust. Experts suggest that Saudi businesses build a connection with Gen Z by using micro-influencers. It’s because they create a real community among their followers and share reliable content. They must do storytelling, give their customers the information they want using clear communication, and talk to consumers in a language they relate to. This makes them feel included and involved, and they tend to accept an endorsement.
By the end of 2022, around 360 million people around the world are believed to have used a ‘buy now, pay later’ service. More than half of these users are from the Gen Z and Millennial generations because it gives them the flexibility to manage their finances according to their needs. That’s why when Tabby was launched in 2019 in KSA, 1 million people shopped online. After that, in 2021, post COVID-19, 55% of KSA’s population used the buy now, pay later method to shop online. And buy now, pay later (BNPL) in KSA is reported to increase by 17.7% by 2024, resulting in achieving US$1.69 billion.
Another report suggests that it will increase by 11.5% from 2024 to 2029, reaching US$2.92 billion. This flexible payment solution is allowing people to higher consumption and market expansion benefits for businesses. That’s why KSA looks forward to introducing more BNPL companies like Tamara and Tabby to the market. As of now, 30% of Saudi Arabians use buy now, pay later. Saudi Arabia looks forward to creating a balanced and sustainable BNPL market by meeting global standards. This offers you an opportunity to consider integrating BNPL in your business model.
Gen Z and millennials value quick delivery and waiting for deliveries is the most frustrating part of online shopping for them. This has led to a rise in services like Instashop, delivering within an hour, and Amazon Same-Day Delivery. As a result, more brands in the region are now prioritizing fast delivery. This has led to a big increase in the app delivery market. Companies like HungerStation, Jahez, Nana Direct, and Mrsool are taking advantage of this trend.
These apps offer delivery services for food, groceries, and other items. As a result, the delivery apps market in Saudi Arabia is expected to double from USD 7.22 billion in 2024 to USD 14.77 billion by 2028. With almost everyone there using the internet, this market change has been happening even faster. As people’s shopping habits change, e-commerce companies like SHEIN, Noon, and Amazon are offering new shopping apps and digital payment solutions. This is causing the market to grow quickly.
Watching videos for fun is a top priority for 71% of Gen Zs in MENA. In fact, 81% of people go to YouTube specifically for that reason. People have different tastes. 42% of Gen Zs in Saudi Arabia enjoy travel-related content, and 35% of them are specifically looking for comedy, followed closely by concerts, music, and fashion. This happened back during the pandemic when people used social media to stay connected, entertained, and shop. They started watching short TikToks and using social media.
Social media changed how people interact with brands and buy things in KSA. Trends like ‘TikTok Made Me Buy It’ and ‘As Seen On TikTok’ have indicated a pivotal moment in how brands can unlock their potential. Now 32.6% of internet users go online to buy products. Reports show that Millennials are the largest audience on YouTube, while short-form videos are popular among Gen Z. However, they both spend about an hour watching videos on the platform every day. Businesses can avail this opportunity by adding humor and entertainment to their ads and social media content.
Here are the three successful examples of digital marketing campaigns in Riyadh.
Almarai is a dairy brand in Saudi Arabia. It ran a social media campaign in Riyadh to celebrate the “World Milk Day” and raise awareness about the benefits of drinking milk. The brand collaborated with Saudi influencers and created posts that highlighted the role of milk in achieving a healthy lifestyle. They introduced a contest to encourage people to share milk-themed content using a specific hashtag. The campaign became successful and they got over 1 million views online.
Jarir Bookstore is a top retailer in KSA. The company launched a shopping mobile app that had a good user experience with easy navigation, personalized recommendations, and secure payments. Jarir ran social media ads, invested in influencer partnerships, ran email campaigns, along with attractive discounts to boost app downloads. As a result, it got over 500k downloads within the first three months. Their sales also increased by 30%.
Saudi Telecom Company launched a digital wallet named STC Pay to make online transactions easy for the people of Riyadh. The company did a great market research and created a user-friendly mobile wallet integrated with popular retailers. After that, they ran social media campaigns and used influencer marketing to endorse the app. As a result, the app got over 1 million downloads within the first 6 months of its release.
You have learned the 5 real ways to target young Saudis in Your Digital Strategy. We have discussed Why targeting young Saudis in your digital strategy is necessary and how to do it properly. To summarize it, you must understand how the modern generation thinks when it comes to buying and selling. Their buying pattern is different from that of the older generations. They consider humor and emotional connection an important part of business transactions. So, you must create helpful and engaging content, collaborate with influencers, provide instant delivery options, and offer flexible payment services. Doing this will help you attract the millennials and Gen Zs that make up the largest portion of purchasers in the KSA. If you need any help with the process, you can contact the best digital marketing agency in Saudi Arabia, First Growth Agency, to get help.
Hi, I'm Aaqil Abdul Rehman, one of the key individuals behind the success of First Growth Agency. With a spirited blend of marketing savvy and a dash of technical genius, I've dedicated myself to catapulting brands into the spotlight where they belong.
- Aaqil
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