Millions of Saudis are using social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X. Social media has become a powerful tool that shapes how Saudis make purchasing decisions. Brands must consider social media marketing (SMM) as a priority.
Social media is driving what, where, and how people in Saudi Arabia shop. It influences the purchasing decisions in the Kingdom and has become a crucial factor in consumer behaviour.
Influence of social media on consumer behaviour
According to a study from Effat University by Nouf Alhafi and Manzar Ahmed titled the Influence of Social Media on the Purchase Decisions of Consumers in Saudi Arabia, celebrities influence the customers’ purchase decision of products by endorsing brands through advertisements. The findings showed an attachment of the customers to the celebrities they prefer. These customers would like to imitate their preferred celebrities in buying and using the same products.
The study was based on a quantitative method. A questionnaire was utilised for data collection among a general population of 101 Saudi customers. Results were analysed in basic statistical form.
The study concluded that the attractiveness of the celebrity, the use of the product by the celebrity, the positive image of the celebrity, and consumers seeing them as celebrities has significant influence on product purchase decisions.
The role of influencers
In Saudi Arabia, influencers partner with brands to promote products, sharing personal experiences, or creating engaging content like tutorials, unboxing videos, or lifestyle posts.
These collaborations feel more authentic compared to traditional advertisements, as influencers often present the product in a way that’s relatable to their audience. Usually, brands choose mega influencers to create awareness and brand loyalty, while they choose micro influencers due to their high credibility.
As a result, businesses in Saudi Arabia are increasingly investing in influencer collaborations as a key part of their marketing strategy, knowing that influencers can sway the purchasing decisions of their followers.
User-generated content
In Saudi Arabia, like in many other parts of the world, consumers rely heavily on the opinions and experiences of others before making a purchase. Seeing positive feedback or detailed reviews from fellow consumers can lead them to buy.
This is why many brands rely on UGC (user-generated Ccntent) to be used in their social content, asking their followers to share posts using their products, and even doing giveaways for followers to showcase their products.
Social media ads
In Saudi Arabia, social media ads play a huge role in influencing purchasing decisions. Based on user behaviour, interests, and demographic data, social platforms can display ads that are specifically tailored to an individual’s preferences. In a country where more than 90 per cent of the population is actively using social media,
Ads on the medium are the next big thing in marketing. They are much cheaper than ATL (Above The Line) marketing methods, and besides the huge cost differences, with social media ads, you can measure the results of ads easily and instantly.
FOMO on social media
On October 12, 2024, Half Million, a well-known Saudi chain of cafes, announced their pink mug in awareness of breast cancer. It was available for a limited time and in limited quantity. This created a fear of missing out (FOMO) effect, and anyone who got this mug posted about it.
Even people who didn’t get it and were not interested in buying it still posted about the long queues in the cafes of people waiting for hours to get the mug. FOMO with social media in Saudi Arabia is a powerful combination that can affect and change the Saudis’ purchasing decisions.
User comments
In Saudi Arabia, many shoppers look for comments on social media before making a purchase. It helps other people decide whether a product or service is worth buying.
For example, if a young Saudi is thinking about trying a new restaurant, the first thing they will do is check the restaurant’s Google reviews and social accounts, going through people’s comments because Saudis know that they are active on socials and they share their experiences and feedbacks, whether positive or negative, online.
This is why brands should consider good community management for their social accounts to ensure good engagement and interactions and solve customers’ issues on the spot.
Conclusion
Social media is a powerful tool in shaping the Saudis’ purchasing decisions. In a country where most of the population is young and more than 90 per cent are active on such platoftms,
At Hashtag, we are a social-first agency with an objective to humanise brands on social media. We have had many success stories with a lot of huge brands where we leveraged their social presence and with brands that we created their accounts on social and shared the success journey together.
Lastly, if you want Saudis to consider getting your products or services, you must consider prioritising social media marketing.
By Abdullah Alliefan, Social Media Manager, Hashtag
