Digital marketing starts with three things before any ad: a clear message, a page to receive the customer, and measurement that tells you where each request came from. After that you go to the people already searching for you, then create new demand among those who don't know you yet. Most budgets get wasted when an owner reverses this order and launches a big campaign before knowing which ad brought which customer.
The market is large, but numbers alone won't decide for you
Digital 2026 estimates put internet users in Egypt at about 98.2 million in October 2025, with 51.6 million social media identities, according to the Egypt report. Saudi Arabia had about 34.4 million internet users and 38.6 million identities, according to the Saudi Arabia report. An identity isn't necessarily one person, since someone can hold several accounts.
These figures suggest your audience is probably online. They don't tell you which channel fits you. That decision comes from your type of business and your company's stage.
Stage one: foundations before spending
Complete this list before you spend anything on ads:
- Message: who you sell to and why they should pick you. If it isn't written yet, start with a brand strategy document.
- Destination: one service page or landing page that loads quickly on a phone and explains the offer.
- Contact: a short form, WhatsApp, and a number a person actually answers.
- Measurement: Google Analytics and request events. Google calls important events "key events" and explains them in the Analytics Help Center.
- Follow-up: someone responsible for replying, and a sheet recording each request's status.
That last item looks like it sits outside marketing, but it decides the result. If replies are slow, you'll blame the ad when the problem is follow-up.
Stage two: existing demand
Start with the person searching right now for what you offer, because they're closest to buying. Three channels, ordered by speed:
- Google search ads: faster results if people search for your service in clear terms.
- Google Business Profile: important if your business depends on a location or service area, and it has no subscription fee.
- Search engine optimization (SEO): usually takes months, then keeps working without paying for each visit.
Stage three: creating demand
If your product is new, or customers don't look for the solution themselves, you have to reach them. That means ads on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, content, and influencers. These channels need a strong message and several versions of each ad, since the person wasn't thinking about buying before they saw you. Our article on media buying covers how to manage that spending.
A decision map for your situation
| Where you are | Start with | Postpone |
|---|---|---|
| New company, limited budget, people search for your service | One page, measurement, search ads, Business Profile | Influencers and big campaigns |
| A new product nobody searches for | Message, content explaining the problem, a small ad test | SEO on terms nobody searches |
| Many requests, few sales | Reviewing request quality and follow-up | Raising the budget |
| Ads working, costs rising | Improving the page, existing customers, SEO | Adding many platforms |
| Online store with steady sales | Measuring through to purchase, retargeting, email or WhatsApp | Switching platform without a reason |
| B2B with long deals | Content answering questions, LinkedIn, managed follow-up | Judging a channel in its first month |
Which numbers should you track?
Track the whole path from spending to sale:
Spend → Requests → Serious requests → Sales → Profit
Write down your number at each point every week. Many requests with few serious ones point to targeting or message. Many serious requests with few sales point to the reply, the offer or the price. This simple sheet beats reports crowded with clicks and impressions.
For the details, see how to calculate customer acquisition cost, why many leads can mean few sales, how to set up conversion tracking, and why ROAS alone is not enough.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia: what changes?
Don't copy the same campaign between the two markets. Change the examples, currency, payment methods and seasons, and check the rules for your line of business in each country. Measure each market in its own campaign so their cost per request doesn't get mixed.
How do you set a test budget?
Work it out from the result you need, not from an amount that feels right. Estimate the cost per request in your field and multiply it by the number of requests that would be enough to judge the channel, such as twenty to thirty. If the result is more than you can spend, focus on one channel or a smaller segment rather than spreading a small amount across many places, where none gives you a result you can read.
This is a first estimate. The actual cost per request will correct it after the first two weeks. Write the expected figure down before launch, so you can compare it with reality and learn from it for the next campaign.
Mistakes that drain a budget
- Sending every ad to the home page: visitors want a specific answer, so send them to the right service page.
- Judging by clicks: a click is a cost, and the sale is the result.
- Changing everything at once: if audience, message and page all change on one day, you won't know what made the difference.
- Stopping a channel after a week: give it enough data, unless there's an obvious fault.
- Neglecting current customers: reaching them is usually cheaper than attracting someone new.
A plan for the first 90 days
- Month one: finish the foundations and launch one channel on a test budget.
- Month two: analyze request quality, and change the message and page before spending more.
- Month three: raise the budget on what's profitable, or add one more channel only.
Next step
Find your situation in the table and finish the foundations this week. If you want a team to build the measurement and run campaigns with a weekly report on cost per customer, take a look at PlanKit's digital marketing and campaigns service.