SEO & Digital Marketing

Vendasta’s CEO Brendan King on The Way SMBs Buy Technology is Broken

Published

11 months ago

October 12, 2023

If time is such a precious resource for small business owners, why isn’t more of it spent on high-value, high-impact work?

A survey of small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) shows that SMBs spend an average of 120 working days per year on administrative tasks (CPA). For perspective, that’s roughly 48% of the working year dedicated to non-core activities.

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Brendan King, CEO of Vendasta, not only thinks this is a major problem for local businesses—he thinks the situation is becoming even more challenging. Taking other factors into account, it’s likely that SMBs today are only spending about “33% of the time practicing their craft,” King says. “The rest of the time they’re trying to make the business work.”

So how can SMBs flip the script and redirect their efforts towards meaningful, high-value work? And how can digital marketing providers become the local experts and guides responsible for getting them there?

The challenge lies in making technology easy, accessible, and affordable.

Keep reading to explore King’s insights on democratizing technology for SMBs and what’s next for Vendasta’s vision.

Firsthand experiences as a local business owner

Speak to King for only a few minutes and his passion for small businesses shines through. In fact, one of the first statements in the ‘About’ section on his LinkedIn page decries how local businesses “are getting Starbucked, Amazoned, and Walmarted.”

It may come as no surprise that King used to be a small business owner himself, as well as an entrepreneur selling to small businesses.

Early wins, early lessons

“My first business [in the late 80s] was a clothing store I started in school, selling colorful shorts from the factory my dad worked at,” King reminisces. “We sold to all the university clubs—it was a hit!”

And with a name like ‘Son of a Beach,’ how could it not be?

Though the store’s success was short-lived, King credits the experience for teaching him essential business lessons at a young age:

You’re never too young (or too old) to be an entrepreneur
Embrace and learn from the inevitability of failure
Always keep going

From local business owner to SMB champion

And keep going he did.

In the 90s, King founded (and later sold) two computer retail operations, Delron Computers and CompuSmart. But he didn’t just sell tech. He immersed himself in the unique challenges faced by his primary clientele—small and medium-sized local businesses. The stories and struggles he encountered impacted King’s holistic understanding of SMB’s pain points.

Fast-forward to the 2000s and King entered the software space with Point2 Realty Solutions, which he helped grow to a global network of over 165,000 agents and brokers in 85 countries.

Whether it’s vibrant shorts, cutting-edge computers, or dynamic real estate solutions, the through line connecting King’s ventures up to the present as the CEO of Vendasta remains a deep commitment to local businesses.

The core purpose of Vendasta, according to King, is to democratize technology for these businesses by making it:

Easy
Accessible
Affordable

How is the way SMBs buy technology broken?

The question, to King, is related to Vendasta’s aforementioned core purpose. In order to level the playing field, technology implementation needs to check these three boxes—easy, accessible, and affordable. And it often doesn’t, putting SMBs at a disadvantage.

Lacking time, money, and expertise, local businesses are often struggling to find and implement technology on their own in an increasingly fragmented tech landscape.

Other tell-tale signs that the way SMBs buy technology is broken?

Spending inordinate amounts of time trying to get operations running smoothly instead of growing business
Finding it impossible to keep up with (nevermind, stay ahead of)
Most things are still accomplished manually and are impossible to scale

Business owners seek help for their tech needs but get stuck dealing with several different service providers

This last part is crucial. Vendor clutter leads to inefficiencies, miscommunications, and misalignment, often setting SMBs back further.
In King’s mind, when something goes wrong, an SMB should know exactly who to talk to. When something goes right, they should know how to replicate it. Sounds simple, but it’s easier said than done.

“That’s why we’re trying to build an ecosystem where a small business can deal with one trusted expert, and that expert works in tandem with vendors,” King continues. “Our system is the system of record for all communications and data, making it easy for small businesses to keep everything streamlined.”

With this vision, Vendasta’s goal of democratizing technology for SMBs goes hand in hand with empowering trusted experts (also referred to as Vendasta’s channel partners) to offer a comprehensive range of technology solutions.

Obstacles that hinder meaningful tech adoption

So if the DIY approach is impossible to scale, and bringing in outside help often leads to confusion and communication overload, why don’t SMBs simply work with one digital expert that works in tandem with vendors to deliver a high-quality solution?

The main obstacle is the widespread fragmentation of software, services, and trusted experts.

“There are so many options now,” King says. He breaks down the challenge in three ways.

Business owners don’t know where to turn.

Trust is paramount, but sometimes word-of-mouth can lead to dead ends and wasted time.

A small business’s trusted accountant is not necessarily going to know how to point them in the direction of a best-in-class digital marketing expert, for example.

The market is oversaturated.

With so many options, it’s tough for SMBs to know who to trust or what they truly need.

There’s more fragmentation than ever.

Even if SMBs do manage to find the help they need, that individual might be focused in a particular niche or vertical. Whether it’s eCommerce, advertising, or content marketing, once the SMB inevitably has more problems to solve, it might mean adding a new provider into the mix.

And starting the whole time-consuming process over again.

Tactics for local experts bridging the technology gap

There is much to be gained by becoming the trusted expert who fixes the broken process for SMBs and unifies it into a cohesive whole. “Vendors come through you [as the channel partner], white-labeled under your brand, for an easy, accessible, affordable experience for SMB clients,” King says.

Yet shifting a local business’s perspective can be tricky. How do you deepen relationships and get clients to rely on their tech providers as trusted experts rather than salespeople or vendors?

1.“Fall in love with your clients’ problems

King suggests that building a strong relationship with clients involves empathy, genuine care, and above all, curiosity about their problems. In other words, a people-first approach—even as a technology provider.

“You need to fall in love with your clients’ problems first and foremost,” King says. “Then be curious, agile, and driven about solving them.”

Channel partners that focus on solving customer problems rather than just pushing their own solutions will avoid the common pitfall of over-emphasizing the technology and losing sight of the bigger picture.

“It’s like trying to tighten a screw by using a hammer,” King continues. “A technology-first approach can actually hinder progress rather than accelerate it.”

Develop a deep understanding and empathy for your clients’ challenges
Embrace a people-first approach when providing tech solutions
Focus on problem-solving over product-selling
Be agile in addressing client issues

2.“The customer’s not always right”

Here’s another analogy. If you’re changing a light bulb, you don’t necessarily need a tool—just a clear understanding of what needs to be done.

From King’s experience, clients aren’t always right about what they need (and that’s okay!). “Your role as their guide is to listen, assess, and diagnose situations to uncover the real root of their problems,” King says.

If you don’t, you risk making the situation worse.

“When I had my retail computer store and was selling to small businesses, customers would come in and say, ‘I need an accounting package,’” King recounts. But by asking follow-up questions to better understand the customer’s problem, he’d discover that the real issue was that they had no processes in place to implement the accounting software.

Simply adding more technology on top of a separate underlying problem will only make things worse. It’s the recipe for a quick win and immediate sale that will cut the client relationship short in the long run.

Be curious and informed to get to the root cause of customer problems
Don’t simply apply more technology to underlying issues
Build trust and grow client relationships
Become the go-to expert
Solve more problems

3.“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time”

SMBs can be all over the charts when it comes to how comfortable they are with technology. So how can local experts serve businesses with varying degrees of tech savviness? King has the elephant idiom at the ready. “Trying to implement 10 new tech solutions all at once would be overwhelming for most,” regardless of their savviness, he adds.

Prioritization is also essential. “To go back to ‘one bite at a time,’” King says, “I would start small and solve the biggest problem first, then earn the trust of the customer.”

Avoid overwhelming SMBs with too many tech solutions at once
Focus on solving the biggest problem first for the most impact
Slow and steady builds trust
Demonstrate value

4.“Democratizing technology with AI”

AI is more than a technological buzzword—it’s an undercurrent shaping the future of work. But it’s not some new phenomenon. “Though it’s been around a long time, we’re experiencing a paradigm shift [with AI],” King explains. Why now?

Because AI has been made easy, accessible, and affordable.

This newfound accessibility can be traced back to initiatives like those from OpenAI, which released their large language model, ChatGPT, for free testing to the general public. No longer the domain of data scientists and machine learning engineers, AI has been thrust into the mainstream, becoming an accessible tool to accelerate business outputs.

And when it comes to business, AI is already helping reduce the cognitive load in tasks like research, draft creation, and image selection. “Something that took six hours, now takes a fraction of the time. AI can do the research, summarize the data, and local experts can help businesses put it into action,” King says.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

By analyzing large volumes of data, AI can provide personalized insights and recommendations, enhancing overall business operations. This means local experts can offer clients previously unimaginable services, driving better results and deeper understanding.

In particular, King points to Vendasta’s Jasper AI tool as a beacon for the future—a tool already streamlining content creation with its seamless integration of AI.

With this forward-thinking approach, King paints a compelling picture of how AI will empower local experts to craft more effective strategies and deliver transformative solutions.

AI will enable more effective strategies and transformative solutions
Personalized insights from AI will revolutionize client interactions
AI already reduces cognitive load and streamlines tasks
Leveraging AI can expand your service offering

Bringing Vendasta’s vision to life

When asked about the future, King’s trajectory for Vendasta is clear: expand horizons, delve into new domains, and create a holistic solution for small businesses.

“At Vendasta, we are not confined to the MarTech and AdTech space,” King says. “We’ve been broadening our horizons to encompass more of what a small business needs. Our ultimate goal is to provide everything that an SMB requires to run its operations effectively.”

This expansive approach involves moving downstream to cater to more nuanced needs. From building out Vendasta’s CRM with the acquisition of Yesware to integrating Broadly’s consumer engagement tools, the King is determined to cover every aspect of an SMB’s operation.

Thinking outside the box with business-in-a-box

The future vision for Vendasta is an all-inclusive ‘business-in-a-box’ platform. But what does that really mean?
“A place where an SMB can log in and completely run their business,” King says. But it’s not just about equipping businesses with tools; it’s about establishing a robust channel network that aids in providing these services.

“Small businesses might not be comfortable buying accounting software from a media company, but they might trust their website agency,” King explains. “We’re seeing a convergence where agencies initially focused on marketing are now offering managed services like internet and website hosting and even e-commerce.”

Vendasta’s mission is to be the first name that comes to mind when local experts think about implementing technology and providing services for SMB clients. There’s a crucial bridge that needs to be built to help SMBs cross the chasm between their needs and the technology solutions that fulfill them. And King is enthusiastic about fixing that bridge.

As a big believer in Conway’s Law—that an organization inevitably designs systems that mirror its own structure—King ensures his day-to-day activities and the meetings he attends echo the company’s structure.

It’s not just about envisioning the future but about living it, every single day.

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SEO & Digital Marketing

How Bot Traffic Is Impacting Digital Marketing?

Published

8 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Josh Kuku

Online bot traffic is increasing every year. This is having a marked impact on digital marketing campaigns. In this article, we discuss how bot traffic is interfering with your digital marketing exercises.

Gone are the days when you could feel happy about the growing numbers of visitors to a website. It is now estimated that almost 50% of internet traffic is dominated by software applications known as bots. They can be created to help you, but others can be created with ill intent. The bad news is that none of them will buy products or sign up for your services, meaning they can seriously hinder marketing campaigns. In the article below, we discuss how bot traffic is impacting digital marketing.

It’s a Robots World With Increasing Bot Traffic Online

A recent report by cyber security company Thales discovered that online malicious traffic has risen for a fifth consecutive year. The applications used to carry out these attacks, known as bots, now make up around 32% of all internet traffic. However, they also found that 49.6% of internet traffic is no longer human, but derived from bot activity.

A bot is an application used online. Generally, it is programmed to perform a repetitive task. Many of them come in very handy, helping crawl websites to see what they contain or even assisting in customer service chatbots. Yet many are malicious and are used to deploy malware attacks that can steal data and harm websites.

In addition to this, as a digital marketer, some bots that exist in grey areas you should be aware of. These include ones that inflate social media statistics.

Checking for Bot Traffic on Your Website

If you are running a digital marketing campaign, hoping to direct quality traffic to a website, you need to know how much of this is bot traffic. Once you remove bot traffic from your statistics, you can get quality data about what is and is not working.

You don’t need to pay for an advanced subscription program either. A free tool to check website traffic will suffice, providing you with information on traffic stats, any referring domains, and the top search ads. You can then upgrade if you need more functionality. By combining the results with the pointers below, you can help pinpoint bot traffic and remove it from your key performance indicators.

Analyze Page Views

One way to tell if you have bot traffic is to check your page views. An unexpected spike could mean you have been the target of bot traffic. However, it could also be a genuine interest in the page, so check where the traffic originates.

Referral Traffic

Referral traffic is a good place to look for bot activity. Bots can create fake referrals to get people to visit their websites.

Time on Page

This is a technique you can use by looking at your own on-site statistics. Start by checking your bounce rate. Bots won’t hang around looking at products, watching videos and reading news, so a high bounce rate can indicate traffic is coming and leaving fast, the key sign of bot activity. This can also be seen in pages with a low on-page time.

Check Where the Traffic Originates From

Bot traffic usually comes direct. Very seldom will it come from a search engine. If you are getting traffic from strange locations, it may also be bot traffic. For example, if you have an English-language website and most of your traffic comes from China, it is probably bots.

Bot Traffic and Its Damage to Marketing Campaigns

The damage bots cause to digital marketing campaigns comes solely from how they skew your data. Bots will make things look great in one aspect. They can be pushing your social media campaign to thousands of views, or sending streams of traffic to a website. However, it is not real people behind it and that is where bots can make your campaign come undone.

Without a human behind your traffic, you can not get a picture of your audience. Bots have no real location, income, gender, or anything else that can make up a user profile. Therefore, it makes it very hard to tailor landing pages for certain audiences using this data.

They can seriously increase PPC costs. As they scour a page they will click on ads and even fill out forms. With no conversions, you are left paying for worthless ads. If you host the ads, then other people’s marketing will soon see a lack of conversions and go elsewhere.

There are several ways to eliminate bot traffic, or at least cut down on it. Monitoring your traffic closely using a website traffic checker and on-page metrics is one of them. In a marketing campaign, try to switch to results-based payment, not one that tends to pay based on vanity metrics such as clicks or shares. Finally, make sure you vet anyone you work with in campaigns. This includes any affiliates, publishers, or websites you may be getting links from. By using this, you can cut down bot traffic and increase the efficiency of your marketing campaigns.

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SEO & Digital Marketing

A Complete Guide to Using Original Research to Elevate B2B Content Marketing – TopRank® Marketing

Published

1 day ago

September 18, 2024

Josh Kuku

Let me know if this sounds familiar: You’re drafting a masterful thought leadership piece and want to back up your thesis with a strong data point. After a bit of searching, you find the perfect one! But when you click through to the source, it takes you to one of those “Billionty Best Statistics For Marketers” lists.

Okay, so you find the stat again, click through, and it takes you to… an older stat round-up list.

Many (many…) frustrating clicks later, you find you’re back in 2012. Maroon 5 is topping the charts, London’s hosting the summer Olympics, and the stat you’ve been chasing is no longer relevant.

If you’ve ever found yourself at the bottom of the dreaded stat source rabbit hole wishing you just had reliable data – do I have a solution for you!

Original research. At TopRank Marketing, we’ve partnered with several big brands on ambitious original research reports that have driven amazing results for lead gen and brand awareness. We’ve got tips to share from our experience.

Your guide to B2B original research

Publishing your own marketing research reports, on the surface, may appear daunting — they take budget, time, and certain skills to do well. That’s why we’ve broken down the benefits and best practices of conducting B2B original research.

B2B original research influences your bottom line

Here are a few high-quality data points that drive home the value of publishing your own marketing research:

84% of deals are already won or lost before vendors even know they’re on the radar.
Research reports are a sought-after form of content. 55% of B2B buyers regularly consume research reports, and rate them as the most valuable type of content when evaluating purchasing decisions.
High-quality research and data are the top factors that motivate B2B buyers to express interest in a sales conversation.

In short: Your buyers are looking for your company to be the voice of authority and to offer insights that make their jobs easier, ahead of ever contacting your sales team.

“Early-stage positioning can reduce the number of vendors that buyers consider before they arrive at the 70% Constant… and affect which vendors are top-of-mind when it’s time to engage sellers.” – The 2023 B2B Buyer Experience Report, 6sense

Brand benefits of B2B original research

From strengthening thought leadership to giving your customers information they’re hungry for, publishing your own research data has a number of benefits:

Becoming the primary source

Being the source of a data point or unique research positions your brand as the authoritative origin of valuable information. Your company owns the insights and findings, allowing you to control the narrative and provide exclusive content to your audience.

Positioning your brand as an industry leader

The most powerful way to build your brand’s reputation is to publish data-backed thought leadership that aligns with your company’s vision and meets the needs of your customers and stakeholders. B2B original research helps your company present fresh, data-driven insights, and establishes your business as a go-to authority on new trends and issues within your sector.

Cementing trust and credibility

By publishing the most sought-after data-backed insights under your logo, you gain the twin advantages of differentiation and credibility. Data-backed content builds trust with your audience by providing factual, relevant information that helps readers determine their own path forward. B2B buyers are often decision-makers looking for reliable information to guide their business strategies and purchases, and research-based content offers the credibility they seek.

Amplifying your brand

When you publish high-quality information, other B2B thought leaders and media outlets take notice. As the primary source of original research, your company becomes a go-to expert. Any publication that cites your work, every podcast that discusses your findings, and each webinar that invites your brand thought leaders on to share their insights amplifies your brand that much further.

Types of original research

The type of research you publish depends largely on your end-game: do you want the research to generate leads? Are you after greater brand awareness? Is this a marketing research report you want to publish on a regular cadence?

These are a few types of reports to consider adding to your marketing strategy:

Yearly benchmarks

These are annual studies that track key metrics or industry trends over time. They are useful for showing how specific areas evolve year after year.

Example: LinkedIn 2024 B2B Marketing Benchmark

One-off research

Research focused on a single topic, often related to emerging trends, industry disruptions, or niche subjects. These are useful for addressing specific questions or timely issues.

Example: Sprinklr and LinkedIn: Proving the Power of Brand*

Customer Insights and preferences

Studies that survey your customers or broader market to understand buyer behaviors, needs, or preferences. This data helps craft solutions that better address customer pain points.

Example: Global B2B Buyer Report, BigCommerce

Trend reports

Regular publications that analyze and predict key market trends in the B2B space. This helps your audience stay ahead of the curve with industry developments.

Example: TopRank 2023 B2B Influencer Marketing Report: Elevate & Ignite*

Reporting on disruptive trends

Research that measures how companies are reacting to major industry shifts, economic changes, or technological advances like AI positions your brand as responsive and in tune with industry needs.

Example: HubSpot: The Intersection of Marketing, Data and AI*

* TopRank Marketing partnered on or led these original research projects.

Repurposing marketing research reports: The content gift that keeps on giving

The dollars you invest in original research can be stretched far and wide as that research is repurposed into blog posts, infographics, white papers, webinars, video series, and so on … all unlocking different ways to reach and provide value for your audience.

Blog posts: In what we like to refer to as a “turkey slice,” you can break down key findings into a series of blog posts, each focusing on a different aspect of the research.

Infographics: Visualize data and insights from the report into easily digestible infographics.

Social media posts: Share individual stats, charts, or quotes across LinkedIn, X/Twitter, or other social media platforms, driving engagement.

Whitepapers: Combine the research with related content to create a detailed whitepaper or guide for your audience.

Ebooks: Expand on the research findings by providing additional context or case studies, turning the data into an in-depth ebook.

Webinars: Host a webinar discussing the report’s insights, with key speakers diving deep into the findings.

Case studies: Use the data to support a case study highlighting how a company benefited from the trends or insights revealed in your research.

Podcasts: Create a podcast episode discussing the findings, either with internal experts or guest industry professionals.

Presentations: Develop a presentation or slide deck to share at industry conferences or with prospects.

Video series: Create short videos discussing the top takeaways, explaining how the insights apply to your audience’s challenges.

Newsletters: Feature snippets from the marketing research report in a company newsletter or as part of an email marketing campaign.

Best practices for B2B original research

Our team has a great deal of collective experience putting together high-quality reports based on original research. Here are the best practices we’ve developed along the way.

#1. Establish your research goals: Understand what insights you want to uncover, how they align with your company’s strategic goals, and how they serve your audience’s needs.

#2. Target the right audience: Ensure your research is aimed at your core audience, whether it’s clients, prospects, or key industry players.

#3. Ask neutral, focused questions: Design survey or interview questions that are free of bias. If the results of your surveys and interviews don’t support your original hypothesis, remember: that data still holds insights, and may be even more newsworthy!

#4. Don’t be afraid to outsource the research: For your data to be high-quality and accurate, you may want to work with a third-party research organization. They have the connections and expertise to ensure the quality of your questions, rapidly deploy your survey, and help you make sense of the responses.

#5. Validate and cross-check data: I once stumbled upon a data point that had been published far and wide, long after the original publisher pulled their report due to inaccuracy. Cross-checking data strengthens its credibility and prevents misleading conclusions.

#6. Use a blend of quantitative and qualitative data: While quantitative (hard numbers) data can provide a broad overview, qualitative (observable but not measurable) data offers deeper insights. Use both forms of data to give your report more dimension and support a compelling narrative.

Source: 2024 B2B Marketing Benchmark

#7. Get other industry experts involved: Data from a single voice is interesting, but a consensus of thought leaders backing up that data? That’s compelling! Partnerships can be accomplished through co-branded research, or by including quotes and feedback from experts.

Source: 2023 B2B Influencer Marketing Report: Elevate & Ignite

#8. Give your audience actionable takeaways: Data is great, but useful insights are what drive impact and motivate organic sharing. Highlight key findings and suggest practical applications that can help your audience use the insights to inform their strategies.

Source: The Intersection of Marketing, Data and AI

#9. Prioritize the report design: Design can make or break your report’s readability. Make your research accessible and easy to digest by using a combination of visuals (infographics, charts) and detailed insights to present your findings.

Source: Proving the Power of Brand

#10. Promote, promote, promote: Publishing a research report should never be a one-and-done campaign. Make sure you continue to leverage your research findings by promoting the report across various channels and through different content formats to reach a broader audience and maximize the impact of your research.

Source

Our friends at Content Marketing Institute have also drafted an excellent self-assessment for marketers who are considering diving into original research: Don’t Start an Original Research Project Before Answering These 8 Questions.

Learn to stop worrying and love B2B original research

Publishing a marketing research report is an excellent way for your company to share the next Big Idea with your industry. At TopRank, we’ve helped companies bring their research to life, as well as published our own proprietary insights.

Some highlights from this last year of report drafting include:

Interested in learning more about how we can help you develop a marketing report based on original research? Contact us.

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SEO & Digital Marketing

The New Creative Hub: Dubai’s Agency Scene Evolves

Published

1 day ago

September 18, 2024

Josh Kuku

We bet that, recently, at least one of your friends visited Dubai for a reason. Why are we hearing so much about Dubai these days—not only for its tourist aspect but also for digital marketing initiatives?

We will find out why Dubai is now a new digital marketing hotspot in this blog post – career opportunities and digital marketing agencies in Dubai.

Keep reading.

Key Takeaways

Dubai offers a sizable market to companies looking to increase their online presence.
Because businesses in Dubai are eager to take advantage of online platforms, digital marketing is one of the most in-demand skills in the job market.
Marketers predict that Dubai’s digital marketing ecosystem will continue to grow quickly in the coming years.
For professionals, agency owners, and brands, Dubai offers a plethora of opportunities in the digital marketing space.

What’s Inside?

An Overview of Dubai’s Digital Marketing Atmosphere

In recent years, Dubai has solidified its status as a hub for digital innovation, offering businesses a dynamic environment for marketing success. With widespread access to the latest tech and a business population that relies on the internet, the city presents unparalleled opportunities for brands to connect with their target audiences.

Dubai is a digital-first city. It is equipped with affordable high-speed internet, and almost all of its population uses smartphones. This makes effective digital marketing services in Dubai a foremost concern for businesses.

According to research on why Dubai is an attractive area for international business, Dubai has radically changed over the last thirty years.

It has become a major business state with a sustainable and branched-out economy. Especially over the last ten years, Dubai has noticed enormous economic development as a result of urban development that converted the uninhabited desert of Dubai into a commercial, residential, economic, and tourist state.

Additionally, it is well known that Dubai boasts a massive international trade network that spans nearly 180 states worldwide, offering investors many options for international marketing channels to promote a diverse range of products and services. Hong Kong and Singapore are the two largest export and reexport hubs globally, with Dubai coming in third.

Of course, the city also gains from all kinds of marketing efforts & channels, including digital marketing, as new businesses, investors, and clients come on board. So much so that recent research has shown that a wide range of industries in the United Arab Emirates profit from digital marketing, and they use related tactics to influence business profitability by raising brand awareness, driving more traffic to websites, and generating leads.

Given these factors, effective digital marketing has become a priority for companies looking to thrive in this fast-paced market. This has led to an evolution in Dubai’s agency scene, where creative strategies and cutting-edge solutions are reshaping how businesses approach their online presence.

Digital Marketing Agencies in the UAE Worth It?

Let us continue with one of the most common questions people ask on the internet about the digital marketing ecosystem of Dubai. The answer is a resounding yes. In a market as competitive and digitally driven as the UAE, partnering with a digital marketing agency can make a significant difference.

According to our Exclusive Q&A with Sacha Christe, CEO of Emirates Graphic, digital marketing agencies in Dubai are especially worth working with.

In the said Q&A, Christie states that Dubai’s multicultural audience is indeed a “unique challenge and opportunity” at the same time. To tailor digital marketing strategies effectively, digital agencies conduct thorough market research to understand cultural nuances, language preferences, and consumer behaviors. And finally, they create content and campaigns that resonate with various cultural groups while ensuring sensitivity and respect for diversity. He adds:

Dubai’s business-friendly regulatory environment fosters innovation and attracts agencies and businesses to operate and expand in the region. It provides a stable and conducive platform for growth, which is advantageous for agencies like Emirates Graphic.

What’s more, it seems that in the next few years, marketers anticipate Dubai’s digital marketing ecosystem to continue evolving rapidly:

Brands should stay ahead by embracing emerging technologies, staying updated on local trends, and collaborating with innovative agencies. It’s crucial to remain flexible and adapt to changing consumer preferences.

Dubai for Working Professionals (Scope of Digital Marketing in Dubai)

As we mentioned earlier, Dubai has quickly become a magnet for working professionals, particularly in the digital marketing sector. With its thriving economy and constant push toward digital transformation, the city offers endless opportunities for those looking to build or expand their careers. Digital marketing is one of the most in-demand skills in the job market because businesses in Dubai are eager to take advantage of online platforms.

From social media management and content creation to SEO, professionals can find a diverse range of roles within digital marketing agencies and in-house corporate teams. With Dubai’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements and its large consumer base, there is always a need for innovative marketing strategies. For digital marketers, this city offers a dynamic work environment and the chance to work on projects that shape global perceptions.

DAN-member agencies like Crowd are playing a crucial role in promoting Dubai as a prime destination for business. As a creative agency, Crowd has actively worked on campaigns showcasing the city’s potential to global audiences, emphasizing its business-friendly environment and advanced digital infrastructure. This is just one example of how digital marketing professionals in Dubai can be part of projects that have a global impact, helping position the city as a leading business hub.

Let us wrap up that section with two thoughtful responses to the query, “Is it hard to find a job in digital marketing or SEO in Dubai?“

Dubai for Agency Owners

For agency owners in Dubai, several digital marketing domains present lucrative opportunities. With a significant portion of the population active on social media, social media advertising is a leading domain.

According to Statista, social media ad spending in the UAE is expected to reach approximately $388.40 million in 2024, indicating a high demand for agencies specializing in targeted campaigns on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

SEO and content marketing are also crucial due to the competitive business environment. Brands seek agencies that can optimize their online presence, driving organic traffic and brand visibility.

Influencer marketing is another domain thriving in Dubai. The city’s diverse culture and global appeal make it a hotspot for influencers, and agencies that can connect brands with the right influencers are in high demand.

Paid advertising through PPC campaigns remains a key strategy. Digital ad spending in the UAE continues to grow, with businesses looking to agencies for data-driven strategies that maximize their ROI.

These popular domains offer agency owners a chance to diversify their services and cater to Dubai’s dynamic market, allowing them to position themselves as industry leaders.

Here are some hints as to why Dubai’s digital marketing sector is expanding, in case you decide to establish your agency there:

Dubai for Brands & Businesses

With digital advertising in the UAE projected to reach $1.48 billion by 2028, Dubai presents a vast marketplace for brands seeking to expand their digital footprint. This environment provides brands with the tools they need to drive growth and build a strong online presence.

Additionally, as a part of Dubai’s marketing ecosystem, brands and companies have many opportunities to collaborate with excellent, locally focused digital marketing agencies, such as WGG Digital Marketing Agency, a DAN member.

We live in Dubai; we work in Dubai; we know how to work with digital marketing to grow your business in this city.

WGG has established itself as one of the leading agencies in the UAE. For us, each campaign is not just numbers but also a representation of the vibrant life of Dubai and the UAE. With a team versed in the latest digital trends and tools, we offer a panoramic view of modern marketing. In the ever-changing digital marketing in the UAE, WGG is the most adaptive and evolving agency.”

According to the statement on their website, WGG begins each project “by diving deep into Dubai’s online market. It’s paramount for us to understand the digital platforms that have the most traction in the region.” Also, they are “committed to grasping the digital habits of both locals and the expatriate community, ensuring our campaigns cater to each distinct audience segment.”