We often get asked, why create Arabic content? This article discusses the importance and the growth of Arabic content online.
The Arabic Language has become one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, as it has become one of the sixth official languages of the United Nations. According to the latest statistics of Internet World Stats, the Arabic language is ranked fourth among the 10 most used languages on the Internet as of March 31, 2020. Today, more than 237 million internet users are Arabic speakers, which means it has increased from 2000 to 2020 by 9.34%. However, with all the previous numbers and statistics, The Arabic content penetration on the internet is around 5% with low quality.
One of the main sources of the content on the internet is “translation”. Unfortunately, automatic translation platforms are not very accurate, and in many cases, they cannot convey the original meanings intended for the content. As a result, Arabic-speaking internet users struggle to find correct and useful content in their native language. So, we do still need more diverse and high-quality content.
We believe that these numbers should be sufficient to make companies and institutions rethink using the Arabic language to make their marketing content on the Internet and social media platforms. If you are still not convinced, read this article for more information about why you need to start using it.
The importance of Arabic content in today's digital landscape
With over 420 million Arabic speakers worldwide, the Arabic language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Arabic is the official language of 26 countries, primarily located in the Arab region (Middle East and North Africa), including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, and Morocco. This makes creating content a crucial step for businesses looking to connect with this vast and diverse audience.
The growth of Arabic-speaking internet users
The internet continues to expand globally, and so does the number of Arabic-speaking internet users. According to a report by Google, the number of Arabic-speaking internet users is expected to grow to over 226 million by 2022, representing a big opportunity for businesses in the region. When businesses create content, they can tap into this growing market and establish a competitive advantage.
Increasing demand for Arabic content in the business world
With the growing number of Arabic-speaking internet users comes a high demand for content in Arabic in the business world. Arabic content plays an important role in digital marketing initiatives; social media, press releases, and forums. By creating content, companies can build trust and credibility with Arabic-speaking audiences, leading to increased brand awareness and engagement.
The role of Arabic content in promoting cultural understanding
Creating content also plays a significant role in promoting cultural understanding and bridging the gap between cultures. By providing Arabic speakers with quality content in their native language, companies can foster deeper connections and build long-term relationships.
How creating content in Arabic can benefit your business
Creating Arabic content provides several benefits for businesses looking to engage with Arabic speakers:
Tapping into a large and growing market
As previously mentioned, the number of Arabic-speaking internet users is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. By creating Arabic content rather than English content, businesses can tap into this vast and growing market and expand their reach.
Establishing credibility and trust with Arabic-speaking audiences
Creating high-quality Arabic content demonstrates a company's commitment to engaging with Arabic speakers and understanding their needs. By providing valuable and relevant content in their native language, businesses can establish trust and credibility with this audience, leading to increased engagement and loyalty.
Improving your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts
Creating content in Arabic can also improve a company's Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts. By including Arabic text and keywords in website copy and content, businesses can improve their ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) and increase their visibility to Arabic-speaking audiences.
Strengthening your brand reputation and image
By creating quality content in Arabic, companies can strengthen their brand reputation and image. By demonstrating an understanding of the cultural nuances and preferences of Arabic-speaking audiences, businesses can build a positive brand image and foster long-term relationships.
Tips for creating effective Arabic content
Creating effective content in Arabic requires a deep understanding of the language, culture, and preferences of Arabic speakers. Here are some tips for creating high-quality content:
Understanding the cultural nuances and preferences of Arabic-speaking audiences
Arabic speakers are a diverse group with a wide range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Understanding the cultural nuances and preferences of Arabic speakers is crucial for creating content that resonates with this audience. This includes adapting content to different dialects, and regions, and using appropriate Arabic words and phrases.
Hiring professional Arabic translators and writers
Creating high-quality Arabic content requires a strong command of the Arabic language and its complex grammar rules. Working with a professional Arabic copywriter or translator can help ensure that your content is accurate, culturally appropriate, and engaging.
Adapting your content to different dialects and regions
The Arabic language has several dialects and variations that differ in grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. Adapting your content to different dialects and regions can help ensure that it resonates with your target audience and avoids potential miscommunication.
Utilizing visual content and multimedia to enhance engagement
Visual content, such as images and videos, can help enhance engagement with Arabic speakers and make your content more accessible. Using multimedia can also help overcome language barriers and make your content more engaging and appealing.
Challenges and solutions for creating Arabic content
Creating high-quality content in Arabic can present several challenges, including linguistic and technical challenges, navigating cultural sensitivities and taboos, and finding the right resources and tools to create and distribute Arabic content. However, there are several solutions to these challenges, including:
Linguistic and technical challenges
Arabic script is cursive and written from right to left, which can present challenges for encoding, formatting, and digital content creation. However, many content management systems, including GoDaddy's Arabic Website Builder, offer features and tools that support Arabic script and enable users to create high-quality Arabic content.
Navigating cultural sensitivities and taboos
Creating Arabic content that is culturally appropriate and sensitive can be challenging for businesses that are not familiar with Arabic-speaking cultures. Working with a professional Arabic copywriter or translator can help ensure that your content is culturally appropriate and avoids potential miscommunication.
Finding the right resources and tools to create and distribute Arabic content
Creating and distributing content in Arabic requires access to the right tools, resources, and platforms. GoDaddy's Arabic Website Builder offers users access to a range of features and tools that support Arabic content creation, including website templates, translation services, and Arabic-language customer support.
Why create content in Arabic?
Here's why you should start creating content in Arabic:
First: the Arabic language is known for its richness
At a time when the number of the French language’s vocabulary does not exceed 150,000, the Russian language 130,000, and the English Language 600,000, the number of Arabic vocabulary without repetition has reached more than 12 million words, which means 25 times the number of English vocabulary. These numbers reflect how the experience of producing Arabic content differs from other languages, as it carries several terms that can be used to market your products and services and use words to reach people in an attractive and different way.
Second: Number of Arabs using social media platforms
Arabic speakers have a prominent presence on social media platforms. According to the latest GSMA statistics, the use of social media platforms in the MENA region since 2014 more than doubled by 44%.
And according to the “Social Media in the Middle East: 2019 in review” report
Nine out of ten MENA youth used at least one social media channel each day.
ِAlso it shows that half of the Arab youth said they get news on Facebook daily ahead of other channels, such as online portals (39%), television (34%), and newspapers (4%).
The State of Social Media report indicated in the MENA Region, 2018 by Crowd Analyzer states that the majority of users in Egypt, Jordan, and KSA used Arabic to publish their content and tweets about Fintech services. Meanwhile, 81% of activities in the UAE were published in English. And according to Social Media Insights for E-commerce Companies in the Middle East from the same report, Arabic dominated the content of all countries, except UAE which had 59% of its e-commerce content published in English.
Saudi Arabia also recorded the highest year-over-year growth in the number of social media users with a rate of 32%.
All the previous numbers and statistics show that companies and organizations must start creating Arabic content, especially if they want to reach the largest possible segment of their target audience. And they should remember that Arab users prefer to communicate and use the Arabic language to find the products and services they need.
Related: How to sell on Facebook Marketplace
Third: The state of online payment methods and e-commerce in the Middle East
The volume of online payments in the Arab world is estimated to reach US$69 billion by 2020. UAE has the highest consumer acceptance of 71% to pay online by country followed by KSA at 58%, Go-gulf this indicates the huge number of people who use E-commerce platforms in the Arab world and the Middle East. This encourages you as an E-commerce business to start creating the content of your products and company in Arabic.
Conclusion
Creating high-quality Arabic content is essential for businesses looking to expand their reach and engage with Arabic speakers in the MENA region and beyond. By tapping into the growing market of Arabic-speaking internet users, businesses can establish trust and credibility with this audience, improve their SEO efforts, and build a positive brand reputation. By utilizing best practices and working with the right resources and tools, businesses can create effective and engaging Arabic content that resonates with their target audience. Try out GoDaddy's Arabic Website Builder today to start creating high-quality content in Arabic for your business.
