In a rapidly transforming marketing landscape, especially within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and with the acceleration of digital development and the artificial intelligence revolution, organisations are facing new challenges in the world of digital marketing, especially with the change in consumer behaviour and the way they interact with brands.

Using a marketing strategy designed to suit your needs and goals will make a fundamental difference in your results. In this article, we review with you, through our experience at ThreeSixty, practical steps to build a successful marketing strategy that suits the Saudi market and achieve sustainable growth away from temporary solutions.

What is meant by marketing strategy

In general, it can be defined as a framework that describes your current situation, your goal, and how you will reach it in the long term, by putting plans into effect that are specific to a long-term period, aiming to identify the target market that serves a particular target group, and study this group, to achieve the desired return and profit for the institution or company.

It must be measurable, realistic, and most importantly, implementable, and limited to a long-term period, so that you can provide more value to your target customers, and you can outperform your competitors in the same field and target market.

:Marketing strategy includes

• Market and competitor analysis

A comprehensive study of the market to understand its size, trends, and level of demand, with a careful analysis of the main competitors by analysing their services, prices, strengths, and weaknesses, to identify opportunities for excellence and build an effective competition strategy in the Saudi market.

• Accurately define the target audience.

This is done by identifying the ideal category of customers that the company targets, in terms of age, gender, region, income, interests, and purchasing behaviour, and this ensures that marketing efforts are directed towards those who are actually interested in the product or service.

• Choosing the proper marketing channels

By identifying the most appropriate platforms or means to communicate with the audience (such as: Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, email, Google Ads…), so that the channels used are effective in terms of reach, impact, and purpose, and suitable for the local market.

• Formulating effective communication messages

Writing explicit and attractive marketing content that speaks the customer’s language and provides them with real value, focusing on what distinguishes the offer or product, as effective messages increase interaction rates and increase the likelihood of customers making a purchase decision.

• Integrated content plan

A time plan is developed to publish diverse content (visual, written, audio) that suits your marketing goals, and it is distributed to different channels in a balanced and effective manner, which enhances the brand’s presence and builds an ongoing relationship with the audience.

• Identify measurable KPIs (measurement indicators)

Choosing numerical indicators that measure the success of marketing goals, such as the number of visits, conversion rate, cost of acquisition, etc. Without these numbers, it isn’t easy to know whether you are moving in the right direction or need to modify the plan or campaign.

Why do companies in Saudi Arabia need a clear marketing strategy?

The Saudi market is characterised by unique factors such as:

• Growing interest in digital transformation
• Different purchasing categories (Generation Z and Millennials, Business)
• Cultural and geographical diversity between cities

Without a strategy, any marketing effort is like moving without a compass, whereas with a thoughtful approach, you can:

• Reduce costs by focusing the budget on effective channels.
• Improve Return on Investment (ROI)
• Achieving true excellence in a crowded market

Steps to build a successful marketing strategy in the Saudi market

Analyse the market and target audience in depth.

Market research is the first smart move. Before you start any plan, you should ask:

Who are your real customers in Saudi Arabia

Determine who your ideal customer is within the Kingdom. Are you targeting individuals or companies? What age group is appropriate? What geographical areas is this category located in? What is the nature of their work or interests?

The more precisely you define your audience, the greater your chances of successfully reaching and influencing it.

What are their challenges and purchasing behaviour?

What problems or needs does your audience have? What motivates him to choose a particular product or service? Does he care about the price? Or quality? Or at delivery speed? Or after-sales support?

Understanding these behaviours helps you present a marketing offer that suits him and gains his trust.

What are the new trends in your sector?

By monitoring the market and constantly keeping up with developments, are there new technologies? Changes in consumer behaviour?

Keeping up with these trends ensures you stay competitive and gives you an advantage.

At ThreeSixty, we rely on advanced analytical tools and local reports to understand the Saudi market from the inside and guide you with the best strategies towards achieving your digital goals.

Setting SMART Goals Smart Marketing Goals

When setting marketing strategy, they must be clear and based on precise criteria, which is why it is recommended to use the SMART framework to set practical marketing goals. It is an abbreviation for the five main characteristics:

Use the SMART formula, which should be:

Specific: That is, the goal should be clear and direct without confusion or ambiguity, such as “increasing the number of customers from Riyadh.”

Measurable: This means that there is a number or percentage that can be tracked to measure the extent of progress, such as 10% growth in the number of customers within 3 months.

Achievable: The goal must be realistic and implementable based on available capabilities.

Relevant: that is, it is linked to, and not isolated from, general business objectives.

Time-bound: That is, it is specified within a specific period to achieve the goal.

Develop a marketing message tailored to the local market.

Every market has its tone, values, and expectations. In Saudi Arabia, it is not enough to translate messages from English to Arabic; it is necessary to:

• Formulate a professional and local tone.
• Use phrases close to the local culture.
• Taking into account the difference in customs between Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar

At ThreeSixty, we help our clients write marketing messages that are local and professional.

Choose marketing channels based on data.

When determining the appropriate marketing channels, the choice depends on the data and analysis related to the target audience and their digital behaviour, as well as what is consistent with the company’s goals:

LinkedIn

An ideal platform when targeting corporate managers and clients in the B2B (company-to-company) sector, LinkedIn has a professional audience structure that enables you to reach decision makers, especially in the service and consulting sectors.

Google Ads

Very effective when the goal is to reach customers who have direct purchase intent, by targeting search terms, where you can appear in front of people who are searching for your service or product.

Twitter/X

It is considered one of the influential platforms in Saudi Arabia, especially among the technical public, entrepreneurs, and those interested in new trends, suitable for building awareness and participating in public or specialised dialogues.

Email Marketing

A powerful tool for strengthening relationships with existing customers, by sending personalised offers or exclusive updates, it is effectively used in the post-purchase stages to maintain loyalty and stimulate repeatability.

The more your decisions are based on accurate data, the greater the chances of achieving tangible results at the lowest possible cost. Let the team of experts at ThreeSixty help you reach your target audience with the highest efficiency.

Planning marketing content according to the customer journey

Each stage of a buyer’s journey requires a specific type of content:

• Awareness: awareness articles, short videos
• Interest: Case studies, comparisons
• Decision: presentations, social proof, experiments

At ThreeSixty, we build a content calendar that covers these stages to guide a potential customer from “interested” to “buyer.”

Define KPIs and continuous measurement.

Without measurement, there is no marketing strategy. The most critical performance indicators:

• Conversion rate
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
• Reaction rate
• Page exit rate
• Keyword order

We don’t make plans and disappear; we constantly follow, measure, and adjust.

Common mistakes in building marketing strategies that should be avoided

1. Focus on tactics, not vision.

The mistake here is to start implementing marketing strategy tools like advertising or campaign design before there is a clear vision.

Correct: You must first define the big goals, the target audience, and the desired results, and then build tactics based on this vision.

Not allocating the budget based on priorities.

A common mistake is to distribute the budget evenly across all channels or spend it randomly, without relying on performance data or expected return on investment (ROI).

Correct: Analyse the results of previous channels, determine the most effective ones, and then direct the budget based on that. For example, if Google ads generate a higher conversion rate than Twitter, they are prioritised in financial distribution.

Ignoring cultural privacy

Content that is generic or copied from other markets may not have a practical impact in the Kingdom, as every society has cultural, religious, and social characteristics that must be respected and observed.

Correct: Use a tone close to the Saudi consumer, and be careful to direct messages in line with the values and customs of the local community, which enhances the acceptance of the message and the credibility of the brand.

Relying on seasonal campaigns only

Some companies make the mistake of relying solely on campaigns in certain seasons, such as Ramadan, National Day, or White Friday, and omitting the rest of the months of the year.

Correct: Successful marketing strategy requires a continuous presence throughout the year, as seasonal campaigns can be strengthened, but they must be part of an integrated plan that includes content marketing, paid advertising, and constant digital interaction.

Neglecting sustainable content

Focusing only on temporary content or quick ads leads to short-term results. Many brands overlook the importance of building a library of educational content that will be used in the long term.

Correct: Create sustainable content like blog articles, explainer videos, how-to guides, and other materials that keep your audience connected to you and improve your search engine visibility (SEO).

Suggested internal links:

• Marketing strategy service
• Market research
• Write custom content
• Search Engine Optimisation

Reliable external links:

• Google Think with Saudi Arabia – Trends
• Statista – Digital Marketing in KSA

The market does not reward those who work randomly, but rather those who have a plan.

A brilliant marketing strategy is not a luxury, but rather a necessity to build a strong, clear-sighted, and influential company in the Saudi market.

Let us at ThreeSixty help you get there.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Does one marketing strategy work for all companies?

No, the marketing strategy varies by sector, target audience, and goal.

How long does the strategy-building process take?

Usually 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the complexity of the goals and target market.

Should the strategy be digital only?

No, but in digital Saudi Arabia, the digital aspect must be a priority.

How do I know if a strategy is successful?

Through clear KPIs (measuring indicators) such as growth rate, sales, or engagement.

Does ThreeSixty offer a post-planning implementation service?

Yes, we provide integrated solutions from strategy to implementation and follow-up.

Can the strategy be changed later?

Of course, we recommend periodic review and flexible adjustments based on performance.

Why is ThreeSixty your ideal partner in building a successful Saudi marketing strategy?

We don’t sell a ready-made “plan.” We start from your goals and build a workable and analytical plan on them:

A specialised team that understands the market

Global analysis and measurement tools

Flexible results-based methodology