Insights into the behavior patterns of Middle Eastern Twitter users during Ramadan.

1. Tweeting in
Ramadan
When are the best times for
companies to engage on
Twitter during Ramadan?
July 2012
Presented by The Online Project

2. Presented by The Online Project 2
Why read
this report?
As more brands in the Middle East engage on Twitter, they are
becoming increasingly accessible to audiences in the
region. Twitter users are using the channel to share
their customer service inquiries, grievances and
issues. As a result, a few brands are often delivering
friendly and timely service. Other consumers are
finding that following their favorite regional and local
brands is a practical and easy way to keep up with the latest news,
updates and at times, even offers from these companies
However, with more users adopting the platform, it is
increasingly challenging for brands to predict the best times
to engage with their audiences. These challenges are more
pronounced during the Holy Month of Ramadan where consumer
habits change drastically both online and off.
For brands that are interested in communicating in a more relevant
and timely manner, this report will give you a peek into some of
the changes we observed in a few countries in the
region. It will also serve to offer you a variety of tools
that can give you a more accurate assessment of the
timings of your community.
Ramadan, by nature, is a highly sociable month, we
wish you the best of luck in extending this tradition
online by ‘socializing’ with your followers and customers on Twitter.
Tweeting in Ramadan: When are the best times for companies to engage on Twitter during Ramadan?

3. Presented by The Online Project 3
How to
make use
of this report
The data and observations in this report are meant to serve
as a broad overview of trends in only a few countries in the
region on a macro level. This data will not reflect the habits and
trends within smaller communities in each of those countries;
therefore, we recommend you make the most use out of it by
using this as a starting point.
1. Recognize the overall differences in each country.
2. Look for your own trends within your region of interest, and
specifically within your community‘s habits.
3. Experiment with different times for your content and
observe the reactions using the tools mentioned in this
report. Remember to keep records by utilizing measuring
tools to assist in monitoring and analyzing data.
Tweeting in Ramadan: When are the best times for companies to engage on Twitter during Ramadan?

4. Presented by The Online Project 4
Findings
The best times to Tweet in each country during Ramadan
Egypt
9PM
TO
12AM
12A 3A 6A 9A 12P 3P 6P 9P
Kuwait
9PM
TO
12AM
12A 3A 6A 9A 12P 3P 6P 9P
Jordan
4PM
TO
6PM
10PM
TO
12A 3A 6A 9A 12P 3P 6P 9P
12AM
UAE
4PM
TO
6PM
9PM
TO
10PM
12A 3A 6A 9A 12P 3P 6P 9P
Tweeting in Ramadan: When are the best times for companies to engage on Twitter during Ramadan?

5. Presented by The Online Project 5
Findings
Percent of increase in the volume of tweets during vs after Ramadan
495%
231% 223%
135%
100% 100% 100% 100%
Egypt Kuwait Jordan UAE
The Key Takeaways
• The volume of tweets increased significantly during last Ramadan, implying
that people are even more keen to connect virtually during this month.
• The volume of tweets increases sharply post-Iftar in most observed countries,
with the exception of the UAE.
• There is a notable lull in tweets during the hours of Suhour (dawn) and
immediately following.
Tweeting in Ramadan: When are the best times for companies to engage on Twitter during Ramadan?

6. Presented by The Online Project 6
Recommended
Tools
While we have noticed overall macro trends in each country, these trends might
not be applicable to the idiosyncrasies within communities that develop around
a specific brand. For example, while the majority of people in a country might
tweet at 8 AM, followers of a specific music band for example might have a
tendency to tweet around midnight more often.
Because the differences vary so sharply between communities, we recommend
using some of the below tools to get a deeper understanding of your own
community’s habits, which will allow you to communicate at more relevant times.
Content Scorer* Twenty Feet Tweet Reach
Want a tool that will tell This tool tracks multiple If you need to find out the
you what the best time to social media channels, in reach for a specific hashtag
tweet to your community addition to several accounts or keyword, then Tweet
based on how they interact per channel, and can deliver Reach should prove useful.
with you? Content Scorer the performance results of It’s a good tool to assist in
ranks each of your tweets your channels via email and finding the most effective
based on how much of a RSS. words to incorporate in your
reaction they received. The tweets.
tool also analyzes what time Crowd Booster
your followers are most This tool analyzes your My Top Tweet
likely to retweet or engage tweets and performance, TwitSprout developed a tool
with your content and then then recommends optimal that helps you analyze your
recommends the ideal time times for posting, in addition latest tweets and find the
based on your own historical to churning out user insights. most successful ones based
data. on the number of retweets it
received.
* For transparency purposes, Content Scorer is a tool developed at The Online Project’s Lab, and
has received wide acclaim for its effectiveness. Users found it useful and we hope that you will, too.
Tweeting in Ramadan: When are the best times for companies to engage on Twitter during Ramadan?

7. Presented by The Online Project 7
Conclusions
The times at which users tweet varies greatly from one country to
the other; where possible, brands should look at this data as an
indication of the benefits of separating country specific channels.
The volume of tweets
increases significantly
during Ramadan, indicating
that there are more
opportunities to connect
with consumers during the
Holy Month.
Brands can and should
take advantage of
the increased volume
of tweets post-Iftar to
launch their campaigns for
Ramadan then.
Finally, a quick look into
the insights provided by
the tools mentioned in the
“Recommended Tools”
section should remind brand
managers to take a deeper look into their sub-communities and
analyze their own communication trends and habits.
Tweeting in Ramadan: When are the best times for companies to engage on Twitter during Ramadan?

8. Presented by The Online Project 8
Research objectives & Methodologies
The objective of this report is to Because Twitter does not make The tool then tracked the frequency
look for differences in the times that the data of Twitter user locations and content of publicly available
people communicate on Twitter publicly available by default (except tweets, including mentions of
during Ramadan, compared to where users choose to identify retweets and replies.
other times of the year. them), we developed proprietary
tools at The Online Project to track
This was done by taking a random users based on the location of
sample of Twitter users in each of where their tweets originate from.
the identified four countries and Albeit Saudi Arabia is a big market,
logging their tweets during and we could not generate enough
after Ramadan. The compared data tweets to be able to draw insights
was collected during two weeks on this country; this is due to the
of Ramadan, and two weeks of the sample being randomly pulled.
following November.
Contributors and special thanks
This report could not have designers Lama Qudah; and Baker; Julia Schmutzler;
been produced without the Mustapha Al Abdali. Our analysis Yasmine Sakka; Abdel Aziz
efforts of some of key team team: Hamzeh Janakhat, Islam Abu-Fadaleh; Hamzeh Zaher;
members and partners. Ayyeh, Mahoud Shahwan, Lina Salwa Qattan; Dana Abiqwa;
Mash’el, Rawan Hamed, and Zeid Furat Abuhashhash; Ez Zmeili;
A special thanks goes out Bushnaq. Our Products team: Mahmoud Madi Dwairi; Dina
to: Feras Hilal, Social Media Khaled Nobani and Ruba Nobani Habash; Ala’a Qaraeen; Dana
Marketing Manager, who served Kakish; Riham Abu Daqqa; and
as a main contributor in analyzing Our operations team for Maher Jilani, Ahmad Moqanasa,
the data; Roula Khatib, Social making it possible to do Tarek Qaitouqa and Nour Soudani.
Media Analyst, who collected what we do: COO Qais Al
and prepared the data; Firas Rousan; Human Resource And our colleagues at
Steitiyeh, Ahmad Moqanasa and Manager Hadeel Al Jobour; Modern Media for their
Zeid Haddadin, Products Manager Human Resource Officer Dana constant support: Razan
and Social Media Developers Refai; Business Development Goussous, Kholoud Sarsak,
(respectively), who created the tools Manager Hanan Dajani, Business Samah Ayoub, Zeina Gammoh,
to gather the data. Development Associate Eman Dina Al Sahhar, Odey Abdl Ghani,
Mufleh, and our finance team: Ahmad Anabtawi; and former team
We would also like to thank Khaled Al Azhari, Raed al Absi and member Ghada Odeh.
all the team members at Saad Hashem.
TOP who make it possible We received feedback,
to spend every day Former team members, who direction and information
learning something new: have left a lasting trace on from the following industry
Client Servicing Manager what we do: Hussam Binni; contributors, without
Nisreen Shawwa; Head of Nahla Tabbaa; Sohaib Ismail; whom the preparation of
Community Management Ahmad Akour; Osama Tuffaha; the report would not have
Jansait Qoqandoqa; Art Rama Abdelhadi; Dana Mismar; been possible as well: Naif
Director Suad Taji; Strategists and Loay Malahmeh; Mahmoud Qazlan, Founder of Mtwtron; Iain
Project Managers, Ali Zueiter, Ali Mujahed; Ali Babay; Ashtar Twine and Mark SooHoo from
Abdulhadi, Sima Zeidan, and Dima Daraghmeh; Firas Jallad; Nichola Edelman PR Agency for their
Shahin; Community Managers Khoury; Mohammad Moey mentorship and guidance; and
Diya Murra; Fouad Abida; Najeeb Shawash; Amer Al Saleh; Kim Rob Kubasko, who developed the
Nimri; Sabina Al Shawareb; Shatha Wutsen; Ali Al Hassani; Nader images and presentation of the
Hamdan; Tala Hammouri; Yara Abu Eiteh; Ahmad Salem; Tanya report.
Al Qudah; Zena Risheg; Kareem Marrar; Sara Assad; Mohammad
Shareef; and Tara Mubaidin and our Khatib; Mohammad Abu
Tweeting in Ramadan: When are the best times for companies to engage on Twitter during Ramadan?

9. Presented by The Online Project 9
About TOP
As the Middle East’s leading social media agency,
The Online Project develops and executes social media
strategies for Fortune 500 companies and high profile
organizations operating in the region.
Tweeting in Ramadan: When are the best times for companies to engage on Twitter during Ramadan?

10. Presented by The Online Project 10
Contact Us
For general enquiries please email info@theonlineproject.me
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Tel: +962 6 465 8209 Tel: +971 4 428 0731 Tel: +966 1 463 4462
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Amman 11184 Dubai Media City Olaya Riyadh, KSA
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Dubai, UAE
Tweeting in Ramadan: When are the best times for companies to engage on Twitter during Ramadan?