Buckle up for another #BalikKampung season!
The holy month of Ramadan and another colourful Hari Raya are upon us. Widely celebrated in Malaysia; it is no surprise that retailers typically see major increase in sales this time of the year and publishers see a major spike in subscription and engagement. For some, their conversion rates during Ramadan alone would predict whether they are going to make it or break it throughout the year.
Here, we compile a list of tips and tricks that will help marketers across verticals plan their marketing approaches and better connect with Malaysian online consumers:
Deliver timely and personalised offers during peak hours to boost conversion.
According to Criteo’s report in 2018, weekly retail sales in Southeast Asia saw an average sales uplift of 52%. As research reveals, this period of high engagement provides brands with a great chance to catch customers’ attention. Practicing Muslims spend a lot of time and money on Hari Raya preparations.
Malaysian online traffic increased by 105% at 5am in Ramadan 2018
Source: iPrice.my
Delivering personalised offers that are valid only between iftar and suhoor via enticing 1:1 message on web, mobile web and apps can encourage visitors to visit product detail pages which could increase conversion rates.
Create urgency with countdown timer coupon
According to Google’s 2019 report, “the desire for self-improvement during Ramadan transcends age, gender and income.
That’s why businesses’ targeting strategy needs to go beyond demography and focus on audience’s intent to buy.
Ads served based on intent alone see a 30% increase in consideration and 40% in purchase intent than the same ads that are served by demographic.
Targeting visitors based on specific keywords and delivering eye-catching coupons with a countdown timer will encourage them to make purchases. Coupon codes are unique to each visitor to prevent duplication and applied automatically at checkout, shortening the path to purchase even further.
Increase subscription and reader loyalty
Consumers have more leisure time to spend on reading news, magazines, books, watching films and videos. A study conducted by Marketing in Asia finds that Muslims started watching videos on YouTube as early as 4.00a.m. in Malaysia, whereas Google’s data shows huge spikes across several content categories on YouTube during Ramadan each year including Cooking, Fashion, Interior Design, Beauty and more.
Delivering Ramadan or Hari Raya related and personalised content based on readers’ interests such as recipes, hijab tutorials, religious content and nutrition tips will help to catch visitors’ attention which will encourage them to spend more time scrolling through your websites while driving subscriptions.
Bridge the gap between digital and physical spaces through geofence push technology
As the financial industry taking a leap to speed up its digital transformation, creating omnichannel experiences becomes more and more important. As some customers are still hesitant about making digital transactions or applications, bridging the gap between digital and offline experiences is vital in building trust and credibility. When brands provide a unified experience successfully, customers can consume financial services whenever and wherever they want easily.
During Ramadan month, a great number of Muslims apply for Islamic loans and insurance to cover their personal and travel expenses, especially during Aidilfitri. Financial institutions can target customers who abandon online applications and encourage them to visit a physical branch when they are within close proximity. Setting up geofence areas around branches and targeting form abandoners on web, mobile web or apps with mobile push notifications when they enter a geofence area able to increase form completion rates and drive acquisitions dramatically.
Encourage faster bookings with limited-time offers
MasterCard Global Muslim Travel Index 2018 shows that there is a strong trend of travelers seeking unique Ramadan experiences during the holy month. In Ramadan, Muslims try to combine the performance of Umrah (minor pilgrimage) in Makkah with the unique benefits of experiencing fasting during Ramadan within the sanctity of the holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah.
Majority of Muslims spend a great deal of time planning their pilgrimage during Ramadan to make sure their trips are extensive and come at a great price. To encourage travelers to complete bookings, travel brands can reveal the popularity of tours by effectively leveraging on social proof.
Exhibiting how many users are currently looking at the same travel deals or how many economy seats are left will create a sense of urgency and drive booking revenue significantly. Social proof is an effective way to ensure your visitors make faster decisions.
Messengers are the new normal. Get onboard or get left behind
As it’s not always possible to get home in time to prepare a good meal for iftar, food delivery searches naturally are higher than average. According to Google report in 2018, there was a 140% hike in food-related queries in Malaysia. Most fast food chains attempt to attract customers by offering special Buka Puasa meals. Designing a personalised, fuss-free and less time-consuming food ordering journeys will help you drive conversions during Ramadan.
Source: Facebook
Whatsapp Business API allows you to deliver high-value, relevant and time sensitive messages to user on their Whatsapp chat. Once a user opts-in to receive Whatsapp updates, you can send personalised messages including order confirmations, receipts and more.
Insider released an eBook titled “Top 6 Proven Personalisation Tactics to Drive Digital Growth during Ramadan” to help brands across Asia to improve customer experiences, drive conversions and optimise digital spend during Ramadan, the holy month of spirituality, feasts, and festivities.
