Ramadan Marketing Playbook: Timing & AI for Success

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Martin Tang
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maximise ramadan campaign

Ramadan is a significant period for Muslims, bringing shifts in daily routines, shopping behaviour, and online activity.

For businesses, this means new marketing opportunities—but only if strategies align with these changes.

Key fact: According to TGM Research Ramadan Insights 2023, 85% of Malaysian Muslims increase their online shopping activities during Ramadan, with a high focus on food, clothing, and personal care products.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

  • Best ad timing based on consumer behavior during Ramadan
  • Free tools (Google Trends, Meta Insights, TikTok Business) for research
  • AI-powered marketing strategies to stay ahead

By optimizing your ad schedule, content strategy, and AI automation, you can maximize business conversions this Ramadan.

1. Understanding Consumer Behavior During Ramadan

Ramadan influences how people browse, shop, and engage with digital content.

To capture attention at the right time, it’s important to match marketing efforts with consumer habits.

Best Timing for Digital Ads & Promotions

Data-backed insights from TGM Research & TikTok Ramadan Report:

Time Slot Consumer Behavior Best Marketing Opportunities
Sahur (3–6am) High engagement for early morning activities. Food delivery ads, health products, last-minute shopping.
Pre-Iftar (4–7pm) Users browse online while waiting to break fast. Food promotions, flash sales, last-minute deals.
Post-Tarawih (9PM – 12AM) Peak social media and entertainment time. Shopping ads, lifestyle content, video marketing.

Example: A food delivery brand can run reminder ads at 2AM to encourage pre-Sahur meal orders.

google ads asset scheduling configuration
You can use Asset Scheduling in Google Ads to display time-sensitive Promotion Assets for better budget allocation, as we know the majority of Muslims will be awake for Sahur at that time.
The 4 phases of Ramadan
If you’re focusing on content marketing, you may tune the theme towards food, cooking, fashion, or spirituality, then incorporate gifts along the journey during the Ramadan month.

Source: The 4 phases of Ramadan by Think with Google

2. Digital Marketing Strategies for Higher Ramadan Conversions

Create Ramadan-themed content for Higher Engagement

  • Use Emotional Storytelling – Highlight themes of family, generosity, and spirituality.
  • Leverage Short-Form Videos – TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts work best during high-engagement hours.
  • Ramadan Hashtag Strategy – Use hashtags like #RamadanSale #PuasaDeals #BukaPuasaPromotions for discoverability.
puasa content in Instagram
A quick way to research content is by using Ramadan-related keywords or hashtags like #puasa, allowing you to identify relevant ideas for reference.
facebook ads library ramadan
This is how you can find real Meta ads currently running in the country by filtering by keyword or page.

Search all the Meta ads: Ad Library

menu berbuka hari ini - nasi kerabu
By combining the Ramadan theme, food, and domain names, Exabytes has created this daily series of Ramadan food social content. It also raises awareness that nasikerabu.my is a premium domain.

Product Positioning & Exclusive Ramadan Promotions

How to structure Ramadan promotions effectively:

  • Limited-time flash sales – Run at Sahur (3–6AM) and Pre-Iftar (4-7PM) to capture peak buying intent.
  • Bundle Offers – Create exclusive Ramadan food packages, clothing sets or skincare kits.
  • Charity-Based Promotions – Promote “Buy 1, Donate 1” campaigns to drive higher emotional engagement.
top searches for charitable giving
Ramadan is a great time for charitable giving keywords or campaigns for your business.

Source: Think with Google – During Ramadan in Malaysia and Indonesia, technology helps out all month long

Leverage Influencer Marketing & User-Generated Content (UGC)

Why influencers work during Ramadan:

  • Muslim influencers create authentic, relatable Ramadan content.
  • Live streaming and TikTok challenges drive higher engagement.
  • User-generated content (UGC) builds trust—encourage customers to share their Ramadan moments with branded hashtags.
tiktok ramadan results
TikTok is always one of the best platforms to research and learn about UGC content. You can filter by keywords to find specific content for research.

3. Free Digital Tools for Ramadan Marketing Success

Use Google Trends for Market Research

Why Google Trends?

  • Identify when people start searching for “Baju Raya,” “Iftar Buffets,” or “Ramadan Sale”
  • Compare year-over-year search interest to predict peak times.
google trends baju raya search term chart
If you look closely at the trends over the last five years, Baju Raya only starts to rise around the second week of Ramadan.
google trends ramadan search term chart
The Ramadan search term spikes every year, making it a must-include keyword in titles and ad copywriting to stay connected to the trend.

Pro tip: If “Buffet Ramadan KL” spikes two weeks before Ramadan, start running ads earlier to stay ahead.

You can check it now for free on Google Trends.

Meta & TikTok Insights for Ad Optimization

Use Meta Audience Insights & TikTok Business Center to:

  • Analyze peak engagement hours for your target audience.
  • Identify trending content types that resonate during Ramadan.
  • Optimize ad placements for higher conversion rates.
facebook insights analytics
This tool has existed for quite a while and can provide insights into the existing followers on your Facebook page to help you understand your audience.
tiktok studio analytics
The Most Active Times data is invaluable if you’re running TikTok Live or struggling to find the best time to publish TikTok videos.

Example: If women aged 25-34 are highly engaged during Pre-Iftar (4-7PM), schedule fashion & beauty ads during this window.

4. AI-Driven Strategies for Smarter Ramadan Marketing

AI for Personalized Marketing

  • AI chatbots for 24/7 customer support (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Mampu AI).
  • AI-generated personalized product recommendations (Shopify AI, WooCommerce AI).
mampu ai homepage screenshot
Using AI-powered collaboration tools, especially on WhatsApp, can enhance the user experience during Ramadan, as people may start connecting before Sahur, even at very early hours.

AI for Predicting Consumer Behavior

How AI helps optimize Ramadan marketing:

  • Google Analytics 4, TikTok Pixel, Meta AI analyze past Ramadan trends.
  • AI-powered stock prediction tools help manage inventory better.
Google Analytics 4 traffic report
By expanding the time duration in Google Analytics 4, you can analyze which pages or products experience the highest spikes during this period and leverage this trend for your business.
tiktok ads manager audience insights
You can further filter your audience on TikTok by demographics, ad interests, hashtags, and engagement to identify the best opportunities for your business or brand.

Automating Ads & Campaigns with AI

  • Use AI-powered bidding strategies (Google Ads Smart Bidding, Meta AI) to optimize ad spend.
  • AI-generated ad creatives dynamically adjust images, headlines & CTAs for different audience segments.
Smart Bidding - Basics and best practices - Google Ads
If you’re a beginner and unsure about the hundreds of configurations in Google Ads, one way to start is by trying Smart Bidding to test the results. While it may not offer much control over settings, you can learn from the results and reports.
meta generation ai ads
Meta Ads provides AI-generated features like design and text variations for better A/B testing. Utilizing AI to generate content in bulk saves time during ad configuration.

Conclusion

Ramadan is a golden opportunity for SMEs to boost conversions with timing-focused marketing, AI automation and free digital tools.

Key takeaways:

  • Schedule ads based on peak engagement times (Sahur, Pre-Iftar, Post-Tarawih).
  • Use Google Trends & Meta Insights to align promotions with consumer behaviour.
  • Leverage AI for automation, predictive analysis, and personalized marketing.

By implementing these data-driven strategies, businesses can maximize sales & engagement this Ramadan.

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