The hottest marketing trends in Dubai today

Just like everywhere on the planet, digital marketing is booming among businesses of all shapes and sizes in Dubai; so much so, it’s unavoidable. If you run an SME and want it be successful (of course you do!), you simply have to have a flexible attitude to your marketing mix. So what are the hottest marketing trends right now…?

Media versus written content

As the combined digital and online world evolves and becomes ever more sophisticated, media contents like video, animated GIFs and, yes, old fashioned imagery is being shared, going viral and becoming ever more popular with each passing hour. Does this mean that, as a part of the digital marketing mix, such media will eventually usurp written content? Unlikely.But its popularity – not least on social media including Instagram, Snapchat and other platforms – means it’s becoming a powerful marketing option that you can’tignore any longer. So much so, in fact, thatGoogle’s now testing its video ads for search results.

Social media’s search value is soaring

In terms of perceived value, social media posts are catching up with web pages.What does that? Well, should you search for a particular news story you’ll now likely find that a Facebook post or a Tweet’s listed alongside traditional web pages. The message is clear then – social media is a marketing must; it’s one of the big Dubai marketing trends for sure and it’s ever growing.

Mobile optimisation and apps aretops

When you stop to think about it, the surge in smartphone usage not just in the Dubai area but around the world has been staggering over the last few years. But who can stop – especially when they run a business? So, if your company’s website isn’t optimised for mobile, your digital marketing efforts are going to be severely hampered. Statistics suggest mobile usage is now catching up with – if not overtaking – established PC and laptop usage when it comes to people’s (i.e. customer) browsing behaviour.

Note too that when it comes to SEO, Google and other search engines are now starting to degrade the rankings of websites that aren’t mobile responsive. And with the smartphone comes the app, of course – has your business launched an app? If not, get with the programme and don’t get left behind by your competitors.

The tale of long-tail keywords

A long-tail keyword refers to one that’s simply longer than an alternative keyword, but does exactly the same thing – e.g. ‘dining out in Dubai’ rather than ‘Dubai dining’ But why are they becoming popular?  It’s not because people are typing out longer keywords (why would they?), but because they’re saying them naturally. Specifically to the voice-command services – or e-assistants – on their mobile devices, such as Samsung Voice, Google’s Voice and Apple’s Siri. Thus long-tail keywords are becoming more and more of a hit in search engines. Something to think about then – short and sweet may not always be best.