3 Best Practices for Advertising During Ramadan

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, holds global significance as Muslims observe fasting, prayer, and reflection. It presents a strategic opportunity for brands to strengthen connections with their audience.

Understanding the pace of change during Ramadan is crucial for marketers. As individuals self-reflect and fast, working hours adjust, providing more time for browsing and interaction.

Ramadan offers a golden opportunity for marketers to rethink digital advertising strategies, engaging existing and potential customers for growth.

During Ramadan, social media usage spikes by 30%, notably in Saudi Arabia, where users spend eight hours daily on platforms. In 2023, online spending in the MENA region during Ramadan reached 6.7 billion USD, and projections for 2024 surpass 7 billion USD, underscoring eCommerce's increasing prominence during this spiritually significant period.

If you plan to include Ramadan in your digital advertising strategy this year, explore best practices to connect with your audiences:

1. Establish cultural connection
Enhance your advertising strategy by incorporating dynamic ads that adapt to user behavior and preferences, ensuring personalized experiences that boost engagement. For Ramadan, seize the opportunity to connect with the Muslim community by crafting creatives deeply rooted in their culture and values. Tailor visuals and messaging to embody the spirit of Ramadan, fostering authenticity and relatability.

Symbols synonymous with Ramadan, such as crescent moons, stars, lamps, dates, and mosques, have been effectively used in advertisements to resonate with customers and capture the season's essence. Explore these symbols for inspiration in future Ramadan campaigns.

Creating the perfect creatives may initially seem daunting, but Smartly is here to streamline your advertising creative and media processes, saving you time. With Smartly, generate hundreds of ad variations within minutes for images and video templates in the platform's creative suite. Elevate your Ramadan campaigns with efficiency and effectiveness.

2. Deliver a consistent message across channels
Streamlining and optimizing your advertising campaigns is crucial for scalable success, particularly during holidays like Ramadan. Automating processes and using tools for efficiency enhances the impact of campaigns across major social media platforms.

In the case of an Istanbul-based online fashion retailer, collaborating with Smartly's Creative Services proved pivotal in elevating their Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) during Ramadan. Crafting multiple templates and leveraging Smartly.io's Automated Ad feeds and dynamic templates swiftly generated hundreds of video ads with relevant offers in the ad's specific market language.

This streamlined approach not only saved time but also ensured effective resonance with the diverse audience during Ramadan. The collaboration resulted in a remarkable 41% higher ROAS than the previous year and an impressive 50% higher Click-Through Rate (CTR) compared to concurrent ads. This success highlights the importance of streamlined and optimized processes for efficiently scaling campaigns during holiday seasons.

3. Learn and do more with your data sources
Leveraging intelligent metrics with real-time optimization can significantly enhance the impact of your Ramadan campaigns. The survey's finding that 44% of people made cross-border purchases during Ramadan underscores the importance of tailoring campaigns to consumer preferences.

Investing in well-crafted product campaigns with precise information is a strategic move during Ramadan. The Smartly Intelligence Suite emerges as a powerful tool in this context. It provides a comprehensive solution by enabling you to identify specific demographics for precise targeting. Additionally, the platform consolidates data across channels in real time, offering a holistic view of your campaign performance.

By integrating third-party data and creating a dashboard within Smartly Intelligence Suite, you gain the ability to optimize your campaigns dynamically. Real-time insights allow you to make informed decisions, ensuring your brand resonates effectively during Ramadan. This intelligent approach not only maximizes engagement but also positions your brand strategically to meet the evolving preferences of consumers during this significant season.

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