A few weeks ago, a merchant approached me after spending over 300,000 SAR on unsuccessful online marketing. After redesigning their strategy, we produced a four hundred seventy-three percent improvement in advertising efficiency.
When I launched my online business three years ago, I was convinced that our unique products would sell themselves. I overlooked competitor analysis as superfluous – a mistake that almost cost my entire venture.
For a wellness organization, we converted their reading-intensive wellness content into visual storytelling with illustrations. This strategy increased their content consumption by over two hundred percent.
Effective approaches included:
- industry competitor Review reports with Saudi-specific information
- Leadership conversations with notable Saudi professionals
- Success stories from regional initiatives
- Online seminars discussing Saudi-specific concerns
Through comprehensive research for a food delivery client, we identified that advertisements delivered between night time significantly outperformed those delivered during standard peak hours, generating substantially higher purchases.
The most successful Saudi brands recognize that users don't think in terms of platforms. My financial client experienced a substantial increase in qualified leads after we unified their formerly disjointed touchpoints.
I use a simple document to monitor our competition's costs modifications weekly. This has already helped us to:
- Identify seasonal price reductions
- Detect package deal tactics
- Grasp their cost structure
I now utilize several applications that have significantly enhanced our competitive research:
- Keyword trackers to track rivals' keyword performance
- Brand monitoring software to track competition's online presence
- Website analysis tools to track updates to their digital properties
- Newsletter subscription to get their promotional messages
A few weeks ago, a company director questioned me why his content weren't producing any business opportunities. After reviewing his content approach, I found he was making the same errors I see numerous Saudi businesses commit.
For a banking brand, we created a information campaign about family financial planning that incorporated halal investment concepts. This material surpassed their earlier generic investment tips by over four hundred percent in interaction.
Important elements included:
- Mother-tongue producers for both tongues
- Regional customization rather than literal conversion
- Uniform organizational style across dual languages
- Script-optimized search optimization
I advise categorizing competitors as:
- Direct competitors (offering equivalent solutions)
- Peripheral competitors (with limited resemblance)
- Potential disruptors (new entrants with game-changing models)
I still laugh when clients tell me they're using the "latest" digital marketing strategies but haven't revised their approach since 2022. The digital landscape has transformed completely in just the past few months.
Recently, I observed as three competitors poured resources into expanding their operations on a particular social media platform. Their efforts failed spectacularly as the channel proved to be a bad match for our sector.
Begin by mapping ALL your rivals – not just the major ones. In our research, we found that our biggest threat wasn't the famous company we were monitoring, but a recent business with an innovative strategy.
Half a year into operations, our conversions were dismal. It wasn't until I chanced upon a comprehensive report about our market sector that I discovered how oblivious I'd been to the competitive landscape around us.
I spend at least a substantial amount of time each week examining our competitors':
- Online organization and UX
- Blog posts and posting schedule
- Digital channels activity
- Client testimonials and evaluations
- Search approach and performance