So what does the launch of Arabic Ads mean for marketers in MENA?
Arabic Ads is our latest regionally tailored product, and we are very excited to offer it to marketers in the Middle East and beyond.
This is a game-changer as the new Arabic Language Profile targeting feature enables them to precisely target and engage 15 million professionals globally on LinkedIn, including 13 million in MENA, who have their profiles set to Arabic.
We know how important it is for marketers to connect and engage with their audiences authentically – our research shows that local language content leads to a 30 per cent increase in engagement, so we believe this feature will unlock greater opportunities for our customers.
Leading advertisers in MENA such as The Saudi Investment Bank have leveraged the new Arabic Ads product to engage their audiences, and are finding great success with it.
These brands traditionally advertise in Arabic to communicate with regional audiences, and they can now do so on LinkedIn with this feature.
Many are already finding success with it and are seeing an uptick in engagement due to this improved targeting.
How are you leveraging AI at LinkedIn?
Generative AI promises to present new ways for marketers to work. LinkedIn’s research finds that 6 in 10 UAE marketers are using the technology today, with around half experimenting with tools such as ChatGPT.
We know that the majority of B2B marketers feel under pressure to deliver results quickly, and AI can support them by removing the drudgery of everyday time-consuming tasks so they can focus on more valuable work that delivers impact.
These include nurturing deeper relationships with customers and building memorable brands.
At LinkedIn, AI has been a fundamental part of many of our products for a long time, and now we’re looking forward to putting AI tools in the hands of marketers in MENA in the coming months to help them improve their productivity, optimise campaigns and reach the right audiences.
What do you see as the three main trends impacting B2B marketers?
The biggest priority for CMOs in 2024 is to continue demonstrating marketing’s impact on the bottom line to be able to secure more marketing budget.
Another big trend is Generative AI and its impact on the world of marketing and advertising.
Customers around the world are excited by its potential but many feel stuck about where to start, and what investments to make.
Marketers who start small and simplify the process by focusing on the use of AI in 2024 instead of 2034, will succeed.
AI will also prompt leaders to foster a culture of learning – both hard skills and human-centric soft skills.
In the age of AI, marketers are recognising the importance of investing in new ways to connect with their audiences authentically, and they’re doing this by leveraging creativity, thought leadership, emotional storytelling, video and humour in their campaigns.
What’s your outlook for the next few years?
After a challenging year, B2B marketing leaders globally are starting to see the tides turn. A reason for this cautious optimism is the huge growth potential for B2B brands – almost $1 trillion of untapped brand and business value, according to Brand Finance.
Across Europe and the Middle East, we’re seeing companies building best-in-class brands on LinkedIn.
Brands such as Maersk and Neom are investing in creating cinematic, high-production value campaigns; Juniper Networks has leveraged humour to redefine cybersecurity advertising, and PWC has used the power of video to build a robust thought leadership strategy through a special video series on LinkedIn.
What do you think is causing a boom in B2B brand growth?
Some of the fastest-growing companies in the world are B2B products and services, and they are recognising the value of building their brands on LinkedIn and are in it for the long game.
We encourage the brands we work with to think about the 95/5 rule – where 95 per cent of your buyers are not in the market to buy today and hence staying top of mind is key.
