Did you know that almost half of the world’s population speaks more than one language?
That’s a pretty staggering number, and it proves just how important localization is for businesses. In fact, 75% of customers are more likely to buy from a brand again if they get support in their native language.
So, what exactly is localization, and how do you go about implementing a localization marketing strategy for your business? We’re giving you the 411 on everything localization so that you can take your business to the next level.
So grab a pen and paper, and get ready to take some notes!
What Is Localization?
Localization, at its most basic level, is the process of adapting a product or service to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of a niche market. This can involve anything from translating text and creating marketing materials in different languages to adjusting product design and user interfaces to make them more relevant to local consumers. An enterprise communications platform helps you deliver seamless service to your customers, and localization tailors that service perfectly to your audience.
In order to localize your website content so that you can conquer new global markets, you must understand how to decipher different cultural values and trends. For example, let’s say you want to promote your enterprise chat software in France.
You might think that you can just take your existing webpage and slap a French translation on it, but that would be a big mistake. In order to appeal to French consumers, you need to understand the cultural nuances that make them tick. What motivates them? What type of language do they respond to? What are their buying habits?
Why Localize?
There are a number of reasons why businesses should localize their marketing materials, including:
- To reach a more diverse audience
- To improve online businesses’ search engine rankings
- To increase website traffic
- To boost conversion rates
- To build brand loyalty among international consumers
- To protect against legal issues
Types of Localization
Localization can take on many different forms, depending on the needs of the business and the target market. Some common types of localization include:
- Translation
- Transcreation
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Localized social media marketing
- Localized email marketing
- Localized content marketing
8 Tactics to Improve Your Localization Marketing Strategy
Now that we’ve covered the basics of localization, it’s time to dive into some tactics that you can use to improve your localization marketing strategy.
1. Start With Translation
If you’re a localization novice, one of the best places to start is translation. This process involves taking your existing marketing materials and translating them into different languages.
When translating your content, it’s essential to work with a professional translator who is familiar with the target market and the local culture. In addition, it’s important to use a translation management tool that can help you track and manage translations in multiple languages.
Let’s say you’ve written an article on how to use your remote management tool, and you want to translate it into Spanish so that you can reach a wider audience. The first step would be to find a Spanish translator who is familiar with the topic of remote management. The translator would then translate the blog post into Spanish, and you would use a translation management tool to ensure that the translations are accurate and up-to-date.
2. Localize Your Website
In order to reach new global markets, you need a localized website that is tailored to meet the needs of consumers in those countries. This involves translating your website content into different languages and designing and optimizing your website for local search engines. Think about your web hosting too — an international data center close to your target market helps with website strategy.
Whether you choose country-specific domain names or an .ai domain for your cutting-edge company, you need to make sure your website appeals to a global audience.
Everything Your Website Needs to Scale
Launching your website is easier than you think. With up to 80% in savings on web hosting, bringing your business online is easier and more affordable than ever. Act now to take advantage of this limited time offer.
99.99% Uptime 24/7 Human Support 100% Money-Back Guarantee
3. Localize Your Social Media Marketing
Leveraging social media is a key part of any localization strategy, and it’s important to tailor your social media marketing efforts to meet the needs of local consumers. This means translating your marketing materials into different languages, using localized hashtags, and targeting your ads to specific demographics.
4. Localize Your Content Marketing
Content marketing is a key part of any localization strategy, and it’s important to create localized content for different markets. This means translating your blog posts, articles, and videos into different languages and targeting your content to specific countries, which is a great way to amplify your content.
5. Localize Your Product Descriptions
When selling products online, it’s important to provide localized product descriptions that are relevant to local consumers. It’s just a part of professional communication. This involves translating your product descriptions into different languages and including localized images and videos.
Let’s say your product is an app that helps people track their fitness goals. In order to sell the app in a foreign market, you would need to translate the product description into the local language. You would also need to include localized images and videos that are relevant to the target market. This will not only help you get a better app store rating, but it will also help you attract more local consumers.
6. Localize Your Email Marketing
Email marketing is another important part of a localization strategy, and it’s important to localize your emails for different markets. This means translating your email content into different languages, using localized subject lines and call-to-action buttons, and targeting your emails to specific countries.
7. Localize Your User Interface
User interface localization is an important aspect of website localization. This involves tailoring your website user interface to meet the needs of local consumers by translating menus and buttons into different languages and designing your website for different screen sizes. Don’t forget to make sure that your business phone number works for the local market.
8. Localize Your Marketing Materials
Localized marketing materials are an important part of any localization strategy. This involves translating your marketing materials into different languages and designing them for different markets. Localized marketing materials can include translated brochures, flyers, or catalogs.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it. These are just a few tactics that you can use to improve your localization marketing strategy. By following these tips, you can reach new global markets and connect with local consumers.
Localization is a great PR tool because, with the right localization, you can be found in all the major search engines for your target keywords, thus driving high amounts of relevant traffic to your website. Plus, localization also increases your chances of getting noticed in the local press, which can help to generate even more traffic and awareness for your brand.
Good luck and happy localizing!