Generating leads in Dubai can be a struggle for any business.
Lead generation is the process of attracting potential customers to your business, increasing their interest in your service and getting their contact information to be able to reach out and convert them into a customer.
Because of Dubai's cultural diversity and developing business landscape it does not make lead generation easy.
Your ideal customers tend to be from different demographics. This makes it hard to get the right message across!
Fortunately, there are many types of lead generation strategies available for businesses in Dubai:
Each strategy has its own benefit. Depending on your business some may work better than other.
Now let’s break down the different strategies on how to generate leads in Dubai.
Digital Marketing Strategies
Digital marketing strategies have taken the world by storm and they are definitely one of the best way to generate leads in Dubai.
Generating leads starts with having a strong presence in areas where you can find your ideal customers.
The internet, search engines and social media platforms are the main areas people gather information.
This is why digital marketing strategies are so essential. They are currently the most consistent method to generate quality leads for your business.
Let's break down the different types of digital marketing.
How to Generate Leads from Paid Advertising
Paid Advertising, also known as Pay Per Click (PPC) in digital marketing, is one of the fastest and effective methods of digital marketing in Dubai.
PPC advertising provides you with a high level of control. Allows you to decide exactly who you target and when you target them.
There is just one downside. It's not cheap.
That being said, once you nail down your PPC strategy, you will have leads flowing into your business on demand.
Here are the different avenues and platforms of Paid Advertising.
Google Ads
The reliable, old grandfather of paid advertising.
Google Ads are run on, you guessed it, the Google Search Engine. The go-to source of information for every single person in the world and Dubai isn't the exception.
Whether someone is looking for medical advice, looking to hire an AC repair company or open a business, they Google it. This makes it essential for businesses to have a strong presence on the Google search engine. But building your presence on Google search engine is not a quick and easy process.
Google Ads allows you to fast track that process. Placing you as the top result for the exact search that is related to your service. Ensuring that your business is seen when your potential customer needs you the most. Providing you leads on demand.
Google Ads runs on a Pay Per Click (PPC) model. You bid on search terms that are related to your service and that have a high intent of purchase. Your service is then advertised for that search term and will be placed in a certain result position based on your bid amount.
You do not pay when someone sees your Ad, you only pay when they click on it. This is how the PPC model functions.
Due to the granularity of Google Ads and the transparent metrics it is a platform that you are able to heavily optimise over time. Driving in more traffic for the same amount of Ad spend. And allowing you to further target high intent potential customers.
This is why Google Ads is essential for businesses to generate leads in Dubai.
But it takes time to get there and running Google Ads is not cheap. Compared to the rest of the paid advertising platforms Google Ads is the most expensive.
You can learn to run google ads for your business yourself, but hiring a Google Ads Agency in Dubai like Lead Ember will get you results quicker and cheaper than trying to learn and do everything on your own.
Google Ads Case Study
Interested to see how you can use Google Ads to generate qualified leads in Dubai?
Find out how we generated AED 207,261 in revenue for smart thermostat installation jobs in under 4 months.
Related reading: Google Ads Cost in UAE
Social media ads
Social Media ads, the new kid on the block.
Due to its accessibility and reach every business is trying to use this to generate leads.
With Dubai's current image and influencer lifestyles, it makes sense to want to take advantage of social media platforms.
When it comes to social media ads there are multiple platforms to choose from. But each platform has a certain type of audience. Understanding this is essential to knowing which one will generate your business the right leads.
Let's break down the major social media advertising platforms.
Facebook Ads (Meta Ads)
Facebook Ads, now known as Meta Ads, allows you to advertise on two social media platforms. Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook and Instagram are two of the most popular social media platforms in the world.
As people use these platforms daily for recreational purposes it has become a strong area to advertise wants or lower ticket items.
If you are a B2C or Direct to Consumer (D2C) business you will find the most success using Facebook Ads (Meta Ads).
By providing more user generated content or advertisements using influencers will allow you to take advantage of the platform and generate potential Dubai leads.
Tip: It is important to avoid the pitfalls of Facebook Ads. On the surface it looks very simple, in less than 10 minutes you could be running an Ad. But without the correct setup, targeting and ad creative you will just be throwing your money away.
LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn is the largest social media platform for professionals and businesses.
It has the largest network of professionals to date.
Each profile contains valuable information that can be used for a highly targeted lead generation campaign.
This makes it an interesting platform to advertise on. Especially when you offer B2B professional services.
By utilising LinkedIn's database you can directly target your ideal customer. Providing exposure of your service directly to business owners and decision makers across Dubai.
YouTube Ads
If you are looking to run video based ads then YouTube is your go to platform. It has many strengths when it comes to lead generation.
YouTube Ads is cost efficient.
Unlike other PPC platforms, YouTube charges us per 1000 impressions of our ad. This allows us to reach a large number of people and bring in a large amount of traffic to our call to action.
YouTube Ads allows you to get very specific with your targeting. You can base your target audience off of what they like, what they have previously searched for and the type of content they consistently watch.
If your lead generation campaign starts at the top of the funnel then you may find the most success with YouTube Ads.
Companies in Dubai have seen a large amount of success generating awareness for their brand. Take a look at Careem's slingshot ad from 2016.
Tactics to Generate Leads in Dubai Organically
Organic lead generation strategies are a long term investment. They take a lot of time and effort before you see results. But unlike PPC, organic lead generation can be a one time effort.
Over time your efforts into organic strategies will compound, and the leads will start to flow in.
There is a real advantage to organic lead generation strategies in Dubai. The business landscape is relatively new and in most industries the competition is low when it comes to digital presence. Making the length of time needed to see results generally shorter than other markets.
Invest in SEO to rank for local search terms
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) probably sounds like a magical term to you right now.
A buzzword thrown around by marketers. Even though that may be the case, I am here to tell you that SEO is the real deal.
SEO is all about optimising your site to organically ranking your website at the top of Google for specific search terms. This is done by improving the credibility of your website, creating authority and by following SEO best practices.
Here are a few SEO best practices; ensuring your website has no technical issues, writing blogs related to your service, improving your website structure and acquiring backlinks from other websites.
Many businesses in Dubai overlook SEO. Dubai's market is fast paced and fickle, business owners are unwilling to put in the time and money for months without a return.
This makes investing into SEO a lucrative opportunity and a strong way to organically generate leads in Dubai.
Create or Claim Your Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile is essential for your business when looking to build your online presence.
It allows your business to show up on Google Search and Google Map results.
This is especially important for businesses that have walk-in customers, appointment bookings or call out services.
When you make a search on Google for a service or type of business the first thing displayed is the “Map Pack”. This is a map listing of 3 businesses.
The only way your business can potentially show here is by having a Google Business Profile. If someone is in Dubai searching for what you offer, your GMB may show up in their Google Map results.
Many businesses generate their day to day leads from their Google Business Profile without realising. Having your profile setup and optimised allows for searches to easily find your business based on distance and service relevance.
Blog Posts for content marketing
Blog Posts directly tie into SEO.
By creating consistent content related to your service Google will start to see your website as an authoritative source boosting your website in ranking for specific keywords.
The individual blog posts you create can also drive leads. If a blog provided useful content it could then rank for a related keyword.
Creating blog content around keywords with commercial intent can significantly increase your conversions if you rank on the first page.
If you write blog posts, try to include the Dubai angle to localise the articles to your ideal customers.
Organic Social Media Marketing
Building brand presence on social media marketing is a strong method to generate organic leads.
Many businesses make a mistake here, they turn their account into a cold sales agent. Businesses that clutter their socials with promotional images, packages, etc, put off potential leads.
No one likes to be sold to, especially on social media.
To maximise the potential of social platforms we should be looking to connect with our target audience. This is done by providing unique insights into your business and creating fun and informative content.
You want to embrace the social media aspects, not fight against it. As you connect with your target audience they will naturally turn into customers.
Social media presence also aids your other lead generation avenues. As customers find your business on google or through ads, they may end up looking for your social media before deciding to make the jump and purchase.
Your presence on social media could be the defining factor of the sale.
Influencers and bloggers for Engagement
By partnering with influencers you can quickly put your service in front of millions of eyeballs. When we think of influencers we start to think of some of the beginner names both internationally and locally. Larger companies tend to partner with these influencers to drive mass reach and awareness.
There is a downside to this. Due to the vast number of people they can reach, partnering with influencers of this size can be very expensive.
This is where Micro-Influencers come in. Instead of having millions of followers, they have a couple thousand cult followers.
Micro-influencers tend to be niched down to a specific area and audience. If your a small business, this allows you to partner with an influencer and reach a hyper focused audience for a cheaper price tag.
Email marketing
Email marketing is a great lead generation strategy to warm up existing leads for a bigger ticket item.
Building an email list: Effective opt-in strategies
First things first, you need a list of emails. Preferably of potential clients.
To start gathering emails for your email list, you need an opt-in strategy. This usually comes in the form of a lead magnet. It can be a product, service or tool that provides value for free in return for an email.
A successful lead magnet is perceived to have monetary value. Making your potential customer willing to provide their email in return.
Lead Nurturing Through Drip Campaigns
Once you acquire a new email, you drop it into your email marketing campaign.
Your campaign will drip feed your potential clients valuable content over time without asking for anything in return.
They will grow accustomed to consuming your content and will see you as a credible source. Once your lead is ready and warmed up they will approach you themselves.
Personalize and time email campaigns
Personalization is important with email marketing campaigns. In your marketing campaign ensure you are addressing your lead by name, providing a personal touch.
It is important to ensure your email marketing campaign is not excessive. Spamming your leads inbox can significantly increase the churn of your campaign. Sometimes less is more.
Building Trust & Credibility
Trust and credibility are 2 core aspects of lead generation.
No matter how good your ad copy is or your lead magnet. If your company looks like a scam, leads will run away.
This is especially true for B2B.
In Dubai it is important for you to build trust and credibility. The cultural diversity of the population makes it hard to get a message across to every demographic efficiently.
But trust and credibility level out the playing field. 100 reviews of your company means the same in every culture and language.
Here are a few things that will help you build trust and credibility:
1) Fast Website or Landing Page
Having a good looking and informative website will ensure you look credible to your potential customers.
If you are looking to run a PPC campaign you will need a landing page. The average conversion rate when PPC traffic is driven to a company website is 3% across all industries.
When you drive that traffic to a purpose built landing page that conversion rate can increase to 15% - 25% across all industries. This is because websites look to provide information on the company as a whole, while landing pages focus on a specific product or service.
Website development can be very complex or very simple. The truth is, you don't need anything complicated to start with.
Just make sure it's not terribly slow, that it looks trustworthy, that it's obvious you serve an audience in Dubai, and that your service offering and value proposition is clear.
2) Leveraging Customer Testimonials For Building Trust
Credibility is a key factor when looking to convert traffic.
No one wants to take the risk and be the first person to try a service.
By using review numbers and customer testimonials in your ad creatives or landing pages you can build trust and increase the potential of converting your traffic into a lead.
3) Making Reviews Work For You
Reviews can make a significant difference in building credibility for your business.
And with the right methods, you can also use them to generate leads. This is especially true when gathering reviews for your Google Business Profile.
Google Business Profile takes the most common words used throughout your profile reviews and marks them as a keyword.
When requesting reviews from your new clients take this into consideration and provide them with a review guideline.
By getting your clients to use a specific wording or phrases in their review, you may receive a boost in ranking results.
4) Use images and videos to showcase your service
The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” holds true even in lead generation.
Sometimes words are not enough, people want to connect with something visual.
This is where display and video content comes in. It opens many doors that words cannot.
A literal example of this is how real estate companies in Dubai use images and video to showcase properties to tenants.
No one wants to be told how good a property is, they want to see it!
You can apply this principle to any company or service.
With display content we can connect directly with our audience. We can use it to put a face to a company or service, allowing our audience to relate. It can also be used to showcase real results.
This way you can build a massive amount of credibility and can usually be the defining factor for converting your traffic.
Traditional Lead Generation Strategies
Even though we are in the era of digital marketing strategies does not mean traditional marketing strategies don’t hold up.
In fact, due to the business landscape of Dubai in some cases they may be more important.
Networking and local events
Networking at local events will always be a good choice. A face to face connection is unparalleled compared to online cold traffic.
By having a presence at local conferences you can build a reputation in the industry, increase your awareness and put yourself in front of customers who already have an interest in your industry.
Industry conferences
Presence at an industry conference can build a strong awareness of your business.
However, it is not sufficient to just show up to the conference. It is important to get yourself a booth or even speak at a panel.
You need to position yourself as a credible contributor to the industry. But this can be very expensive and time consuming.
Some industries do not benefit You will need to do a cost-benefit analysis to see if this is worth doing for your business.
Local business meetups
This is a great way to meet business owners who could be potential customers.
Since you are both meeting on the basis of networking your business views generally align.
This significantly increases the chance of that business owner taking your service than if they were to come across your company online.
Partnerships and collaborations
Partnering with other businesses is a great method to generate leads. It allows you to branch out into adjacent areas without much effort.
Local businesses: Cross-promotion opportunities
By finding other business owners in adjacent sectors to your business you can become affiliates. You can direct your customers to also use their service and vice versa. This can be done by offering a discount or trial of your partnered service as a benefit of working with you.
Referrals
A referral is the best type of lead. A sales cycle for a referral is much shorter and had a higher chance of closing.
The downside is, it is not a reliable form of lead generation. It depends on someone else's willingness to help and if they even know someone who is in the market.
You can incentivise your existing clients to refer you by providing a discount on their next purchase or a free month.
Final Thoughts
Lead generation strategies are constantly evolving and so is Dubai’s business landscape. The above breakdowns are a good introduction for you to start building your own lead generation strategy tool kit.
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Start Generating Leads With Google Ads Today!
Are you running a service based business in UAE?
Experiencing dry periods with few to no leads?
You want to scale your business but can’t seem to find a way to get more inquiries.
At Lead Ember we help service businesses in the UAE consistently generate new leads without extra effort.
We all you to focus on what you do best while we ensure a steady stream of inquiries to keep your business growing.
Our complete Google Ads management solution solves all your lead generation problems without any extra effort. Reach out to us to find out how we can apply it to your business.
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