Mena businesses to spend more money on social media this year, says report (page 1 of 2)

Of the companies surveyed, 69% plan to increase investment in offsite social media, incorporating platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, with 54% of respondents boosting their budgets for on-site social media, such as blogs and other interactive features, up from 51% last year. The findings are based on a report to be published in full at Digital Cream Dubai later this month.

Last year's edition showed that print media still dominated marketing spends, with a huge reliance on live events, but a shift in spending is anticipated for those who are prepared engage with social media channels.

Social media networks perform a different function than traditional sites, blending communication, entertainment and information, often in a customised format. It is this diversity that gives rise to distinctions in users' perception of social networking and how it links to their consumer habits.

Saudi and UAE social media trends

Newly released analysis from Omnicom Media Group (OMG) gives further insight into such social media trends within the UAE and Saudi, the region's largest digital markets. One key finding is that the diverse population of the UAE is behaving more like a mature market, as it focuses on the media's communication properties and is more discerning about brand content. UAE residents are 'active' social media users, liking, following, posting, commenting and sharing more than their Saudi counterparts. Users in the kingdom see social media more as a source of entertainment.

There are clear differences in behaviour between 'active' social media users and 'passive' ones, particularly in the significance of their engagement with brands. For 28% of Saudi active social media users, for example, 'liking' a brand indicates a purchase is imminent.

While this is enough to push brands into social media in the hope of accumulating 'likes' or followers, few have actually considered what metrics should be used to justify their investments or measure their performance, as it can be unclear determining direct ROI from social platforms.

Social media penetration in Mena countries

To say social media has taken hold in the region would be an understatement. Facebook claims 8.9m accounts in Egypt, 4.5m in Saudi Arabia, 3.9m in Morocco, 2.7m in both Tunisia and in Algeria, 2.6m in the UAE and 1.3m in Lebanon. The high penetration level among the total adult population in the UAE is comparable to the USA and UK.

In both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, accessing Facebook is the now first online activity, with 89% and 86% of respondents respectively mentioning it, ahead of chatting on Yahoo! (73% and 70% respectively) and sending emails (76% and 69%). This is reflected in the traffic growth witnessed by social media networks.

In the space of a year, the number of unique daily visitors to key social media sites almost doubled to reach more than 10m users a day, according to the OMG white paper. Facebook's audience tripled in Algeria, doubled in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and grew by 75% in the UAE. The number of unique visitors to forums nearly tripled in Saudi Arabia over the same period.