Digital marketing in Lebanon has been exciting over the last decade or so. Socioeconomic changes and lifestyle of consumers have added to the uncertainty. But this has not deterred the Lebanese businesses from jumping on to the digital marketing bandwagon. Far from being discouraged, Lebanese businesses have realized the important role played by various digital marketing trends. So, they are now in the process of identifying which one would work best for them.
In Lebanon, digital marketing follows the same trends as the rest of the world in an attempt to make the most of opportunities. That being said, technological innovations play a big part in shaping of the digital marketing strategy. Due to this, businesses are beginning to grasp how concepts like SEO, SEM, SMM, and PPC can be used to gain visibility on the Internet.
But
before discussing digital marketing in Lebanon, isn’t it first important to
ascertain what businesses in Lebanon truly require?
Most Wanted Digital Marketing Trends
On being questioned, Lebanese businesses expressed the following major concerns –
. Most people highlighted lack of clarity in governmental policies in context of consumer protection. At the same time, many businesses showed interest in seeking clarity so that the same could be incorporated in their digital marketing policies.
. Businesses blamed deteriorating economic conditions in recent years for the shift in consumer mindset. Now, more than ever, Lebanese buyers prefer good bargains. And this is what the digital marketing must cater to.
. Lebanese businesses regard conversions a priority. This implies working towards getting leads and converting inquiries successfully into orders.
. Quality of products is an aspect that most Lebanese customers are conscious of. Hence, this must be taken into account while planning any digital marketing strategy.
. Services that businesses offer also matter to customers in Lebanon. Therefore, this aspect also requires adequate attention.
Businesses must bear these factors in mind for digital marketing in Lebanon to be effective. After all, marketing strategies can be successful only when they conform to the ongoing trends.
Digital
Marketing in Lebanon Most Effective
Objective of digital marketing is to ensure the brand’s visibility on the Internet. In this context, some tactics are more effective than others. The process begins as soon as the website is live on the Internet. It continues till the SERP becomes one. Of course, this implies that the website would show up on the first page every time a visitor searches for the particular product. Impressive that this is, it entails using appropriate and effective digital marketing strategies.
To this effect, current trends followed as part of digital marketing in Lebanon are –
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Unlike popular belief, this term acts as an umbrella for several techniques. Although these may be diverse in nature, they share the same objective, namely to improve the online visibility of the web page. Link building, site auditing, keyword positioning and uploading time of the web page are some parameters that form the SEO package. If done perfectly, the site would show up on the first page of the search engine results for that particular keyword.
Lebanese businesses tend to prefer organic SEO. Ranking achieved as such is neither paid nor sponsored, and hence is simply a reflection of SEO best practices.
Social Media
Marketing trends based on social media tend to change every now and then. Some are undoubtedly transient, but some assume a more long-lasting character and come in handy while planning out a marketing campaign.
Social media marketing trends that businesses in Lebanon have realized pertain to the growing popularity of online videos and Instagram’s ability to spread brand awareness. People log on to Facebook to access the latest news and use Twitter to engage in a conversation.
To communicate on a more personal level, people nowadays in Lebanon and also all over the world prefer Whatsapp.
Rise of E-commerce
Most businesses have now realized the growing importance of E-Commerce as a means to survive. Through an e-commerce store you can gather data on your target customers and leverage the same to your advantage. By studying the data, you can plan future marketing strategies and identify the perfect moments for selling products/services.
The
concept of big data has taken over the world and digital marketing in Lebanon
is no exception to this phenomena.
User Experience
User experience starts the moment an Internet surfer stops on your product page and begins to explore further. Everything that follows, namely interaction, queries, sales pitch, customer support and so on, adds to this experience.
So bearing this mind, businesses in Lebanon aim to provide a positive user experience. As a digital marketing strategy, not only does this reap results in the short term but also has positive long-term implications.
Catering to Micro-moments
As per research conducted by Google, potential buyers experience at least four micro-moments before making a purchase. Google labels these as being the most vulnerable points in the purchase cycle. This implies that any business which tunes in to these micro-moments is sure to stay ahead of its competition. Therefore, digital marketing in Lebanon must take cognizance of these micro-moments while chalking out an effective strategy.
Upcoming
Marketing Trends in 2019
Above mentioned trends notwithstanding, technology continues to advance and introduce new features. Advancements make it possible for businesses to innovate and improve on the previous set-up. To this effect, some relatively recent trends that digital marketing in Lebanon could look forward to in the near future are –
Voice Recognition and Search
Thanks to devices such as Alexa, using your voice to search for relevant answers is already in vogue. Although this trend is just catching on, analysts claim that by 2020, as many as 50% of the searches would be through voice.
Therefore, including this technology as part of the marketing strategy will definitely serve to work in favor of the business.
Interactive Interface
Rather than a one-sided interaction that has been the tradition so far, nowadays people prefer an interactive interface. Such a platform will bear in mind personal preferences and then engage customers as per the choices indicated. Emails and sales pitch are some of the most common tools used to achieve this interaction.
Videos as a story-telling medium
People love to watch videos, especially on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Whatsapp. Going ahead, this love of watching is only expected to strengthen. So, digital marketing in Lebanon must include this as one of the most effective tools for generating positive results.
Lead Profiling
Commonly businesses rely on lead generation as a means to accomplish sales. Over the coming months, they can go a step further and create profiles for each of the leads by gathering data. In this way, businesses in Lebanon can personalize their approach towards potential customers and stand a better chance in terms of converting them.
Personalized Content
When you personalize your content, you stand to gain customers who would make repeated purchases. Gone are the days when one formula sufficed for all concerned. Now the onus of customizing content as per the target group is that of the business.
Regardless
of the trouble involved, personalizing content comes with multiple advantages.
Most important among these is the ability of the business to deliver a relevant
solution at the right time and the right place.
Final Thoughts
Businesses
in Lebanon match their global counterparts in terms of various parameters.
Hence, digital marketing in Lebanon must also follow the global trends. They must
customize as per the local situation, particularly in terms of factors that might
play a crucial role in the decision to purchase.
With
a number of new and innovative marketing strategies in vogue, businesses in
Lebanon must strive to create their own identity. Instead of focusing on a
single strategy, businesses must identify at least a couple of strategies and
apply simultaneously. Doing so would ensure that the product reaches the right customer
at the right moment. After all, this is what digital marketing in Lebanon is
all about.
