Introduction
Want to get your audience’s attention with content that speaks directly to them? Hoping to grow your business in new and uncharted territories? You’re going to need marketing localisation.
Like all worthwhile business strategies, marketing localisation takes a bit of time and effort. But, if you get it right, you stand a chance at winning over an entirely new audience and getting that all-important competitive edge. Read on to discover the basics of marketing localisation and how it can help your business.
In this blog we’ll show you:
- What marketing localisation is.
- How marketing localisation can help you attract a wider audience.
- How to use marketing localisation to build stronger customer relationships and boost loyalty.
- How to get started with marketing localisation.
What is marketing localisation?
Marketing localisation is the strategy, process, and activities involved in adapting a brand’s marketing to a particular audience. Marketing localisation can apply to a wide range of content, both digital and physical. This can include website content, social media posts, e-books and other written content. But it could also apply to your overall marketing strategy and tactics, your visual brand assets, and adapting your pricing to the appropriate currency.
Marketing localisation is also important for UX. For example, if you’re used to visiting European websites, navigating a website designed for a Chinese market can be quite a struggle!
What are the benefits of marketing localisation?
If you’re considering growing your business to new territories or you want to improve your communications with a particular geographical audience, localising your brand’s marketing should be a priority. Here are some of the benefits of marketing localisation.
You can attract a wider audience
One of the many great things about the World Wide Web is that it’s – you guessed it – worldwide. If your business is thriving in your home country and your products or services are likely to suit the audience in another territory, then why not take a shot? The universal reach of the internet, trusted global payment systems and a wealth of reputable logistics providers have pretty much obliterated the barriers to international business. A bigger audience means more revenue, greater market share and an edge on your competitors.
Our advice to businesses with global ambitions is to get your marketing localisation sorted before your competitors do!
You form great customer relationships from the start
First impressions matter. If you deliver a website and comms that are localised to a professional standard (transcreated as opposed to translated, for example) you stand a much better chance of engaging your new audience, improving the customer experience and gaining their trust. Any slip-ups with spelling or grammar, or using cultural references that people don’t understand, will risk alienating them or distracting them from your pitch.
A 2020 survey from CSA Research found that 76% of online shoppers prefer to buy their products with information in their native language. Use the right wording and tone as well as relatable contexts that your potential customers will understand, and you’ll be in a great position to start building fruitful long-term customer relationships.
It increases customer loyalty
Marketing localisation helps brands to connect on a deeper level with their customers. Today’s marketing is all about sharing a compelling story with your audience. You simply can’t do this if your messaging isn’t culturally sensitive, is full of grammatical errors or delivers a poor user experience.
Customers don’t generally need or expect to buy from brands that are local to them. But they do want to be treated with respect and not feel like just another sales figure. Localising your marketing shows you are committed to serving your customers in the long-term – and that builds loyalty, trust, and advocacy.
How to get started with marketing localisation
- Make sure you understand the difference between translating and localising your marketing. If you’re confused about the jargon around marketing localisation, don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Check out our blog on the difference between translation, transcreation and localisation.
- Identify the countries or territories you want to test and target. Conduct market and competitor research to ascertain how you can best serve this audience.
- Create a plan for testing these markets. Unless you have a lot of resources, it is a good idea to approach one new market at a time. Alongside decreasing the risk of over-burdening your team, a more cautious approach means you can gain valuable insights and learn as you go.
- Get the right experts on board. To make your localisation a success, you need to consider every aspect of your sales and marketing communications. Your content, collateral, customer service, and every touchpoint your new audience will have with you. That’s a lot to do without professional support. Working with professional content marketing transcreators will significantly ease this burden. If you would like to find out more, contact our team today.
Recap marketing localisation
We hope this introduction to marketing localisation has given you some useful ideas and inspiration for growing your business in new territories. As we mentioned at the beginning, there is a fair bit of work involved, but the potential rewards are significant to say the least.
The team at Contentoo are more than happy to discuss your marketing localisation needs, so please reach out – we’d love to help. You can also find out more about marketing trends, including localisation in our new industry report.
