Ad spend in the Middle East is $14 billion a year, and yet digital ad spend is hovering around %1 of that spend. It can be difficult for small startups to be compelling customers for ad agencies, yet Zeid Nasser, the Founder and CEO of MediaScope, a Jordan-based media company, lays out the ways that startups can improve their approach to advertising, from making it part of user experience in gaming, to putting ads before online videos, or selling apps that are sponsored.

While Nasser encourages startups to come to MediaScope for help with their online advertising, he also points out that other monetization models like creating mobile and tablet apps, and paying for premium services, may be easier to implement in the current market.

Ultimately, though, the best approach is simply to have good content. "Content, content, content," says Nasser.