5 Critical Mistakes Emirati Influencers Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Over the past few years, influencer marketing campaigns have become essential in successful marketing plans in the UAE.

With a diverse population, high smartphone penetration, and a unique blend of local and expatriate audiences, the UAE is a prime ground for successful influencer campaigns.

Many brands make crucial mistakes that may cost them money, credibility, and even legal trouble.

What are the five Common Mistakes of Emirati Influencers, and How Can They Be Avoided?

Influencer marketing mistakes vary, but there are five main mistakes that we will mention together, including

1- Ignoring Cultural And Audience Diversity.

Some commercial brands treat the UAE as a unified market, ignoring the cultural diversity among social segments.

What is the cause of this mistake?

This mistake is because over 200 nationalities (with only 11% Emirati (Gulf News, 2023)) live in the UAE, with many languages, different cultures, and preferences.

Some marketers overlook this complexity and create campaigns that fail to connect with distinct groups.

How to avoid this influencer's mistake?

• Use bilingual content to reach a wider audience.
• Segment your audience based on nationality, language, and lifestyle.
• Collaborate with influencers with niche appeal in specific communities (e.g., Emirati lifestyle, Filipino expat vlogs, and South Asian beauty).
• Ensure your visuals and messaging are culturally appropriate, respectful, and localized.

2. Focusing On The Number Of Followers While Neglecting The Credibility.

Choosing influencers based on their followers can be misleading and ineffective.

Over 40% of influencers in the UAE have fake followers (According to HypeAuditor’s 2024).

How to avoid this mistake?

• Focus on influencers with high engagement rates and niche credibility.
• Use tools like HypeAuditor or Upfluence to assess real engagement.
• Look at audience quality and comment authenticity. And content alignment.
• Micro-influencers in the UAE have deeper trust with their communities and deliver a better conversion rate than macro-influencers.

3. Overlooking UAE Marketing Laws And Compliance

Overview: The UAE has laws to regulate advertising content on social media.

Why does this mistake happen?

Some brands underestimate the legal consequences or ignore the law, which exposes them to accountability.

How to avoid this mistake?

• Only work with licensed influencers by relevant authorities, such as the national media council.
• Ensure clear disclosure of promotional content using tags such as #ad or #sponsored.

According to the UAE's National Media Council,

• avoid promoting prohibited or specially regulated products, such as drugs or financial products.

Violations can result in fines up to AED 500,000 (per Article 38 of the UAE Cybercrime Law).

you can explore this topic in our manual for UAE influencers laws and regulations

4. Failing To Set Clear Goals And Track The Right Metrics Overview:

Without clear objectives or KPIs. It is impossible to measure success or optimize future influencer campaigns.

Why does this mistake occur?

This occurs due to a lack of planning. Some companies launch a campaign just to get noticed without setting measurable goals.

How to avoid this mistake?

• Define your goals precisely. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Generate directly? Or increase engagement?
• Choose appropriate performance indicators such as click-through rate (CTR), conversions, follower growth rate, and brand sentiment.
• Use performance analysis tools to evaluate campaign results in real time.

You can read about influencer campaigns, tracking, and analytics in the Boomrang guide.

5. Not Building Long-Term Relationships Or Allowing Creative Freedom.

Some brands prefer quick, tightly controlled campaigns, which lead to a loss of content authenticity and duplication of advertising messages.

Why does it happen?

A lack of trust in the influencer or a desire for complete control over the messaging causes the brand to neglect the creative side.

How to avoid this mistake?

• Build long-term partnerships with influencers; this builds trust and provides a more authentic experience for your audience.
• Allow influencers to create creative stories that resonate with their audience without imposing literal scripts.
• Your relationship with your influencer is one of trust, based on understanding and collaboration, not simply direction and control.

Boomerang Partnership With Influencers

The success of influencer campaigns in the UAE depends not only on who you choose but also on how you plan, follow up, and treat your audience with respect and realism.

Good planning and cultural and legal awareness can also avoid influencer campaign mistakes.

As a Dubai-based influencer marketing agency, we help both brands and influencers stand out in the crowded GCC market.

Boomerang, as a talent management agency, can help celebrities avoid mistakes and legal incompetence.

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