There are no universal numbers in marketing, but there are sensible ways to decide. Start from your goal and your margins, test small, measure properly and give each channel enough time to prove itself.
After five years of first meetings with business owners across Oman, we have noticed how consistent the questions are. The businesses differ, from cafés to clinics to construction, but the worries are the same. This is a straight set of answers, the way we would give them across a table.
1. How much should we spend on marketing?
There is no magic percentage. Start from what a customer is worth to you over a year, how many you need and what you can afford to pay to win one. If a new customer brings in 200 rials of profit, spending 30 to win one is sensible; spending 150 is not.
Begin with a small, measurable test budget for one or two channels, learn the real cost per enquiry and scale what works. Growth-stage businesses often end up somewhere between five and fifteen per cent of revenue, but your own numbers matter more than anyone’s rule of thumb.
2. How long before we see results?
Paid search and paid social can produce enquiries within days, once tracking is in place. Organic search, content and brand-building typically take three to six months to show clearly and keep paying for years. Plan for both horizons rather than choosing one.
3. Do we really need a website if we have Instagram?
If customers ever search for you, compare you or need to trust you before paying, yes. A website is the one place you control completely: it appears on Google, loads your menu or price list, holds your reviews and works when a platform changes its rules. It does not need to be large. It needs to be fast, bilingual and clear.
Social media is where people meet you. Your website is where they decide.
4. Arabic, English or both?
Both, written natively rather than translated, unless your research shows your customers strongly prefer one. In Oman, many people switch between the two depending on the context, and a brand that speaks each one well feels more local and more professional at the same time.
5. Should we post every day?
No. Post as often as you can be consistently good. Three strong posts a week with a clear purpose will beat seven rushed ones. What matters more is a plan: who you are talking to, what you want them to do and how you will know it worked.
6. Which platform is best for us?
The one where your customers decide, which is not always where they scroll. Consumer brands usually start with Instagram, Google Maps and WhatsApp. Business-to-business firms lean on Google search, LinkedIn and referrals. We map the journey first and choose channels second.
7. Can we just boost posts instead of running proper ads?
Boosting is fine for reach on a single post. For enquiries and sales, a proper campaign with defined audiences, conversion tracking and dedicated creative almost always performs better for the same money.
8. How do we know it is working?
Decide what a result is before you start, such as enquiries, bookings or orders, track it on your website and WhatsApp, and review the cost per result monthly. If a report only shows reach and likes, it is not showing you whether marketing is working.
9. Should we use AI to create our content?
AI tools are useful for drafts, variations, research and speed. They are poor at knowing your customers, your culture and your voice. Use them to work faster, with a person who understands the brand deciding what goes out. Be transparent where it matters, such as realistic AI-generated video.
10. What should we do first?
Fix the basics in this order: a clear offer, a fast bilingual website or landing page, a complete Google Business Profile, conversion tracking and a way to collect reviews. Then put budget behind the channel most likely to reach people who are ready to buy, and build the rest from there.
- A clear offer and a way to contact you in one tap
- A fast, bilingual website or landing page
- A complete, active Google Business Profile
- Conversion tracking that counts enquiries and sales
- A simple routine for asking for reviews
FROM THINKING TO DOING
Have a question that is not on the list?
Bring it to a free first conversation. We will give you a straight answer and, if it helps, a plan that fits your budget and your goals.
