What is social media to you? Did that attract you to social media? Or is there something else?

Social Media is a lot of things to me. It’s a way for me to stay connected with my friends, both local and international. It’s a set of tools that makes my social life easier – sharing photos and videos, organizing events etc. It’s a set of tools for me to stay ‘in the know’, where I get relevant information in a timelier manner at a place I choose. It’s also a means for my to build my Personal Brand and build thought leadership around what I do.

Given my personal interest in technology and academic interest in marketing, Social Media came naturally to me. It was obviously the social aspect that got me onto the platform first, but I started to see the commercial element to it as well and got more involved.

How has social media influenced you in your daily life?

I can certainly say Social media has made me feel more connected. It has also enhanced, rather than replaced, my social life to a great extent. I have been able to network and meet people who I might not have met otherwise. This improves both my personal and professional life.

What do you think is the potential for social media?

Social Networking gives you access to the power of a very strong and generous community, access that hasn’t really been seen in any other media before. We talk about permission marketing, and Social Media is a medium that exemplifies that concept perfectly. People connect with brands that they choose to, and once that connection is established, people are much more welcoming to the updates and messages by the brands. With more and more people getting online, and using various forms of social Media to make their purchase decisions (http://www.ameinfo.com/224824.html), there lies an immense potential for brands which still, for the most part, remains untapped.

How long have you been in UAE? How has the social media scene evolved since then?

I have lived in Dubai pretty much all my life. I’ve seen the UAE, and the Middle East in general has always lagged behind the west in technology trends. E-commerce is still not as prevalent - especially physical goods – for a variety of reasons. Although the purchase of services (movie tickets, hotel bookings etc.) seem to be picking up. So while the number of Social Media users in the region is relatively small, it’s growing at a steady pace. As is the case worldwide, Facebook remains the dominant platform, especially with the relatively recent introduction of the Arabic language.

Are there more individuals or corporations using social media?

There’s definitely more individuals using Social Media than there are businesses. It’s people getting onto Social Media for various reasons. Brands are still playing catch up with a lot of them being skeptical about putting themselves ‘out there’.

In 5 words, define Socialize.

Social Media Consulting & Training Agency

How does Socialize help companies?

Socialize teaches and helps businesses attract and engage customers using online platforms and tools
Our training division offers personalized interactive sessions across a broad spectrum of Social Media topics, to help you develop your own Social Media campaigns and strategies.

Our consulting division can also work with you to develop a social media campaign to create awareness about your products, connect with stakeholders and fuel a discussion. We will leverage industry best practices, and help you define and measure metrics to track the success of your campaigns.