Facebook Recommendations for Ramadan
As Facebook themselves pointed out, today marketers must think about reaching people during Ramadan across a variety of channels. Facebook is an excellent medium through which to promote businesses, and especially amplify TV advertising. With a monthly active Facebook community of 68 million across the MENA region, it’s a challenge to find a larger community in one place. 77% of active monthly Facebook users in Egypt, the UAE and Kuwait alone access Facebook during prime-time television hours. Across the region, Facebook is the dominant “second screen” to TV. In addition to this, Facebook has observed a sharp increase in the amount of brand interaction occurring on the site. 74% of Facebook users in the UAE interact with brands on the site, as do 68% of monthly users in Kuwait.
Facebook itself provides an excellent way for marketers to extend and amplify their reach. Previous to the explosion of social media, TV was the main way to reach an audience during Ramadan, as families gathered together in front of the TV to watch the evening’s entertainment after dining. However, TV advertising is no longer the force it once was, and many key programs are now downloaded instead of being watched live. However, conversations about TV shows on social media peak during Ramadan, as do conversations about Ramadan itself, and Eid. Ramadan is a time for friends and families to come together and connect, and Facebook’s monitoring of activity during the period has shown that social media is now a major forum in which people come together to connect with family or friends.
