Looking to branch into an entirely new market with a different regional culture, and maybe even a new language? Contributor Shane Barker provides his considerations for localizing your content for more conversions.
If you want to expand your business and really reach your target markets, you need to develop a content localization strategy. Learning how to localize your content isn’t just a case of translating your marketing content into the local language; it involves connecting with your customers and understanding their cultures, traditions, and languages. But how can you pull that off?
In this post, I will share five of the most effective tips to improve your content localization strategy, with an aim to increase conversions on these localized content pages.
1. Localize Your Content for Relevance
As I’ve mentioned, you cannot simply use Google translator and translate your content to localize it. You know that search engines look for content that is more relevant and closer to users’ queries, so you need to create content that is locally relevant as opposed to simply translating existing content into the local language. You need to ensure that both the written content and the visual content is relevant and appealing to the local audience.
BrightLocal Academy’s How to Perform Local SEO Audits for Multi-location Businesses course will show you how to create an actionable audit for a multi-location business – whether that’s for two or 200 locations!
To localize your content, I suggest that you study the new market and its specifications in detail. I recommend that you collect data related to marketing trends, the economy, and the culture.
You also need to consider factors like the demographics and the government policies related to search engines, local SERPs, and algorithms. Creating a localized user persona, from interviews and research, is a great way to get connected to that audience and understand what makes them tick.
If you want to promote your brand in Asia, for example, you need to carefully research that market. It will be very difficult for a Japanese or a Chinese speaking person to understand your brand in English so you will obviously need to translate your content.
But there’s a lot more you also need to consider. For instance, did you know that Baidu is a much more popular search engine than Google in the Asia Pacific region? To create local content that is relevant, you need to consider factors like this.
2. Work with Local Experts
Local experts have a better understanding of the local culture, so I would strongly recommend that you identify and collaborate with them. This could be anyone from a marketing and sales expert to a local influencer.
Collaborating with experts and influencers in the area you want to target will ensure that your content is localized, accurate, and relevant. Many times, you may not know about the local culture, language, and people’s behavior, so never shy away from seeking help from a local expert, as they are the right people to effectively sell your brand to your target customers.
Hiring and teaming up with a local expert is also one of the best ways to get the most accurate translations of your content. Working with influencers will ensure that your content is conveyed effectively to your target audiences. The influencers are the ones who are directly in contact with the audience. They can give your brand a human touch, and they can properly convey your brand’s emotions and messages to your target audiences.
3. Optimize Your Offerings for the Local Market
For a content localization strategy to be effective and complete, you also need to adapt to local pricing. You cannot simply use global prices or prices from one region for another region. Adapting to local pricing can be the key to your brand’s success.
I believe you also need to consider the economic status of your audiences. What may seem affordable in one region can be way too pricey in another region. Also, when local markets come up with products or services with the same feature, it becomes very competitive and difficult for you to gain traction.
You also need to consider the percentage of discounts, coupon codes, and other offers you are providing. A 5% or 10% discount might excite many of your customers from the USA or the UK. But in regions like Africa or South-East Asia, your customers might hope for a higher discount on your products because they’re used to getting massive discounts.
You also need to capitalize on local festivals and seasons. It might seem obvious, but many companies overlook this. Chinese New Year is very different from New Year’s in the USA. So you can leverage this occasion in China and other countries with large Chinese populations to offer discounts to promote your brand.
You can use occasions like this to build stronger connections with your local audiences. Acknowledging their traditions and festivals makes them feel special and will strengthen your presence.
4. Be Part of the Local Community
Being a part of the community is not limited to celebrating festivals and the good times. You need to build your presence and stand by the community in their bad times as well.
You really have to show the locals that you genuinely care about them. And for you, it’s more than just business. To do so, you can collaborate with a local NGO and work with them for the betterment of the local livelihood. This will help you to win their confidence and trust.
In the case of any natural or man-made disaster, you can show your support by donating money, or you can get your employees to help the locals in any way possible. You can also consider blending the rich local culture with your products or services.
All of this will help you to build a stronger connection with your local audience. It’s also a great way to give back to the local community.
5. Identify the Perfect Marketing Channels
I think by now you understand the importance of localizing content, and how important it is to create locally relevant content. But in the process of creating perfect local content, remember to also use the most relevant social platforms.
Not everyone uses the same search engines or social media platforms that you do, so you can’t completely rely on Instagram, Facebook, or Google and expect your content to perform well. Every region has its own preferences.
I suggest that you spend some time to research and identify the most popular social media platforms in your target region. Also identify the most-used search engine in the region. This will help you plan your social media and marketing strategies accordingly.
You may be comfortable with Instagram, but if your new market region is China, then you might have to rethink. In China, social platforms like Weibo and WeChat are very popular, and you need to find your way around these two social platforms.
Ready to Localize Your Content?
I believe that for any global brand, it’s critically important to crack local markets as well as the global one. This will help them to generate leads and boost conversions.
I suggest that you collaborate with relevant local experts to get the job done, and also optimize your offerings for the local markets. Always invest time into identifying the most popular and most used social platforms in that region, and use them to promote your brand to generate more conversions.
Now that you know the importance of localizing your content, it’s time for you to get started and observe the impact it has on your target audiences. Don’t forget to share your experiences with us in the comments below!
