Twitter MENA Reports a 16% Increase In mDAUs in Q2

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Twitter’s Q2 earnings announced a 16 per cent year-on-year growth in average monetisable daily active users (mDAUs) recorded in 2022 (237.8million), with a 39 per cent increase in Tweet engagement.

Twitter MENA hosted an event in Riyadh for partners highlighting the platform’s plans for the fourth quarter of 2022. Twitter’s Q2 earnings announced a 16 per cent year-on-year growth in average monetisable daily active users (mDAUs) recorded in 2022 (237.8million), with a 39 per cent increase in Tweet engagement and a 29 per cent increase in watch time on the platform.

Over 2022, Twitter has continued to prioritise and invest in product improvements, research and insights to drive growth on the platform. It has included launches such as Branded Likes, which allows advertisers to own the Twitter Timeline for 24 hours and transform the ‘Like’ button into a custom animation using iconic brand imagery. Launched across four key markets globally, including Saudi Arabia, Twitter’s Timeline Takeover has witnessed a 277 per cent lift in recall and 202 per cent in purchase and consideration intent when paired with Branded Likes.

Twitter also has rolled-out internal testing of the Edit Tweet feature before expanding to Twitter Blue subscribers in the coming weeks. Through the Edit button, the platform aims for Tweeting to feel more approachable and less stressful, allowing people to participate in the conversation in a personalised way.

Antoine Caironi, Interim Regional Director of Twitter MENA, said, “With so much happening in the world, Twitter, more than ever, remains the place to connect with the biggest events and conversation drivers as they unfold in real time, where people are engaged, leaned-in and influential. As a platform, we have never been more committed to growth and innovation in MENA. With so many moments ahead of us, brands and marketers need to tap into the conversations and communities that aid brand awareness and drive performance during moments that resonate best with local audiences.”

Looking to the future

In parallel to platform updates, Twitter MENA released the Twitter Trends 2022 Report for Saudi Arabia for the first time this year, which revealed three must-know trends. In Saudi Arabia, Finance Goes Social was a unifying trend, similar to the global trend. It highlights a shift in behaviours and conversations, recording a 49 per cent YoY growth in conversations related to offers, competitions, and discounts. The trend also highlighted YoY growth in conversations around the digital economy (+36 per cent) and cryptocurrencies (+595 per cent). Whether it’s cryptocurrencies, online retailers, digital banks, or smart cities, the trend nods to people’s growing sense of financial empowerment.

The second trend, Identity in Transit, reflects feelings of pride in place, openness to new experiences, more gender balance in relationships, a desire to be recognised, and a melding of identity and personal aspirations. The report outlined an incredible growth in conversations around pride for smart cities and NEOM (+172 per cent), alongside aspiring to achieve the Saudi dream (+161 per cent).

The Saudi-focused report also identified Eco-innovation as a rising star, with sustainability driving real excitement about the nation’s future and individual advancement and opportunity. The platform recorded a YoY increase in conversations around tech (+49 per cent), electric cars (+55 per cent) and smart cities (+180 per cent).

Connecting with culture and sports

In 2021, Saudi National Day saw a 12 per cent increase in conversation volume compared to 2020. The conversation started as early as 9 September. It peaked closer to 23 September with a heavy focus on video content, with as high as 573 million video views on Twitter related to the occasion.

A great example came from Saudi National Bank (@snbalahli), which wanted to promote its Ramadan offers and saw an opportunity to connect with Twitter’s receptive audience. A Twitter Takeover was used to drive mass awareness, while an Amplify Sponsorship of MBC’s Al Assouf allowed @snbalahli to build cultural relevance by aligning with premium, relevant content. The bank stayed top of mind in the conversation by using a Branded Hashtag, website, and App Cards to drive conversions. It saw a massive 688 per cent increase in the use of the Branded Hashtag, highlighting high conversation volumes. Meanwhile, it garnered 132 million impressions, 12 million Pre-roll views, and a Pre-roll view rate of 54 per cent. The overall engagement rate was 1.65 per cent, and video viewers of the campaign reported significantly higher levels of Ad recall. Perhaps most impressive was the impact on website traffic and app downloads. The campaign resulted in 1.1 million clicks, driving consumers directly to @snbalahli’s website and app and fostering new leads.

With Saudi National Day and the 2022 FIFA World Cup fast approaching, case studies such as this highlight the importance of a multi-format approach, with a Nielsen Brand Effect study showcasing that using 3+ ad formats increase the probability of a campaign’s success.

In August, Twitter saw a 74 per cent spike in average monthly football conversations compared to the previous 12 months – reaffirming that football is one of the most significant conversations in the region and that Twitter is where football lives.

Twitter recently partnered with beIN SPORTS, the official broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), to share bespoke content throughout the world’s biggest football event this year, which kicks off in Qatar on 20 November 2022. beIN SPORTS will share content for regional audiences across Twitter, highlighting the most notable moments throughout the tournament and providing brands and marketers with association opportunities via Twitter Amplify.

Solutions such as Twitter Amplify offer the opportunity to align a brand’s message with more than 200 premium content partners. At the same time, Takeover Ads are a vital tool in owning the conversation on the platform’s most premium placement. Similarly, video content is king for driving engagement and interest.

In summary, with several connect moments fast approaching, there is a significant opportunity for brands to connect with their audiences and stay relevant by joining the conversation using a tailored and dynamic campaign strategy.