Localization Marketing: Best Way to Build an Effective Global Business

Localization marketing is a vital strategy when your business is ready for entering new markets. Expanding into new regions can open up massive opportunities, but in order to take full advantage, you will need to make a significant marketing effort. 

If you are new on the global expansion journey, localization marketing may be unfamiliar to you. In this post, we will give you an overview of localization marketing, from what it is to how to implement localized marketing campaigns. 

#1. What Is Localization Marketing?

When you introduce a localized product in a new area, you will want it to be known by as many people as possible. Localization marketing is a type of marketing, which focuses on promoting your localized products through localized campaigns. This contrasts with a comprehensive marketing plan that covers every market in which you operate. 

Content, social media, affiliate marketing, email, and a variety of other channels can all be used for localization marketing. Nevertheless, these all fit within a localized strategy for each region. For example, how you utilize content in one place may be completely different from how you use it in your home country. 

Besides these elements, a localization marketing plan may also benefit from changes to your product. Localization itself is considered a form of marketing, which provides the ideal basis for localized marketing campaigns.  

Like any other marketing strategy, effective localization marketing is built on thorough research and creative thinking. Additionally, you need to understand your target audience to provide relevant content that resonates with them.

*Localization Marketing is Different from Marketing Translation & Marketing Localization Services

It is important to note that localization marketing is different from marketing translation or marketing localization. Marketing translation services is a separate process that involves translating your current marketing content for a foreign market. Although marketing translation is an extremely cost-effective approach to expand your presence internationally, it is typically considerably less effective than a comprehensive marketing localization strategy. This is because translation simply makes content understandable, but it does not mean it will attract your desired audience.

Meanwhile, the process of translating and customizing your current content for a new location is known as marketing localization. Again, this might offer a cost-effective approach for your global marketing. However, because you’re skipping the strategic aspect, the return on your investment is probably going to be much smaller. 

#2. 5 Reasons to Adopt Localization Marketing

By implementing a strategy that focuses on localization, you are likely to see improved results both at local and global levels. Below are some key benefits: 

• Better Engagement

In addition to improving brand awareness, a well-executed localization marketing strategy typically increases engagement with your content.

Just as people all over the world have different channel preferences, they may also search for different keywords, share different social posts, and enjoy different content. By putting a priority on localization, your marketing team may create the ideal strategy for connecting with prospects in each area.

There are cases when potential customers even approach brands with a different preconception. When seeking to establish a brand in the UK, the German discount grocery store, Lidl, encountered this issue. 

Locals initially believed that low costs meant bad quality. Lidl’s creative agency, TBWA London, responded with a local campaign called “#LidlSurprises” that highlighted the quality and origin of the products available at the stores: #LidlSurprises: Lidl Deluxe Scotch Rump Steak. The campaign is evaluated by most industry analysts as effective in changing customer perception.

• Reduced Barrier to Entry

Making your products accessible to new customers in your target market is one of the main reasons to localize your products. The same applies to marketing. By providing content that is native to your target audience, you may eliminate the entry barrier for prospects.

Thanks to this approach, mobile network operator, Mobily, has experienced rapid growth in the Middle East and North Africa. Once entering the company website, new customers will see information that emphasizes the best packages for them in that particular region.

Some companies even take a further step, combining marketing localization with other localized features. For example, ASOS, an online fashion retailer, introduced new collections tailored to certain regions as well as extra payment options, to enhance the shopping experience for those attracted by its localized promotions and content.  

#3. How to Build an Effective Localization Marketing Strategy

Although localization marketing has many potential benefits, it won’t bring rewards immediately. Localization marketing requires dedication, resources, and careful strategy. It’s worth spending time learning about this strategy if you are planning to work on it. This is a five-step process:

• Figure Out If You Need Localization Marketing

Any company that conducts international business should generally localize portions of its marketing. Localization marketing, on the other hand, is more significant; it is used by businesses with a global marketing plan that wants to get better regional outcomes.

Before committing to localization marketing, you should consider whether localizing your existing marketing campaigns might be more cost-effective. Usually, the cost-effectiveness of localization marketing increases with the size of the company.

• Create Teams and Workflows

Once you decide to implement localization marketing, your first step should be to build region-specific teams or recruit local specialists. Developing a customized marketing strategy for each local audience is a big task. Therefore, your local teams need to be well-staffed.

If you don’t want to set up several small marketing departments, you can also outsource. Hiring local firms will frequently result in cost savings and less investment risk. However, to oversee localization, you still need to have an in-house project manager.

Whichever option you choose, you will need to create workflows that keep everyone informed. Your toolkit, such as your translation management system, is part of this. This procedure can be standardized across all of your local teams, although some businesses let working groups establish their own procedures.  

In that matter, for building effective email marketing strategies as a part of localization marketing, it’s beneficial to use an SPF record checker and take other email security measures.

• Analyze Your Target Markets

The foundation of every successful localization is a thorough grasp of your target market. Therefore, once you have put your teams together and established their own workflows, the next step is to begin analyzing various marketplaces.

You should start by breaking out your own data. What kinds of content and forms of promotion are most well-liked in each region? Which landing pages are most effective across different countries?

After that, you may check external data sources. For SEO (search engine optimization) purposes, you should research which keywords people are using in each area. Your team can also take references from other businesses that have successfully used localized campaigns.

• Design Your Localized Marketing Strategies

Every insight you gather should be used to create a strong plan for each target region. The following are some of the points that you need to consider: 

• Marketing Channels: Will potential customers respond better to SMS marketing, video marketing, SEO content marketing, or social media posts?
• Paid Promotion: Which media should you invest your advertising funds in, and what messages are most likely to be well-received?
• Trends and Topics: What is popular in your target market? What is trending on Twitter now?
• Resources: How many resources can you devote to your selected market while still getting a good return on investment?

Each regional campaign should give equal weight to these points. It is well worth noting that as you begin to come up with solutions, you can find some overlap across several regions. In this case, it is high time to take advantage of all your sources and seek additional help from localization partners if needed. 

When you lack the in-house expertise or resources to handle marketing effectively, you may consider outsourcing this aspect to specialized SEO companies. Swedish SEO agencies, for example, can provide valuable insights and assistance in optimizing your website and content for search engines, ensuring better visibility and organic traffic in your target markets.

• Partner With a Localization Service Provider

A large portion of the content you develop for localized campaigns will be produced in the native language; however, that does not apply to all aspects of your brand. Many additional elements may need to be optimized for local audiences, from taglines to your logo.

For this reason, it is a better choice to collaborate with a localization service provider. If you choose the right provider, all of your various localized campaigns should be handled.

#4. Better Localization Marketing With GTE Localize

If you’re looking for a marketing localization solution that is reliable, fast, and affordable, GTE Localize is definitely worth your attention.

As a professional translation agency and a member of the Globalization & Localization Association (GALA), we are committed to giving our clients high-quality content at a reasonable price.

Contact us now to discover just how simple localization marketing can be! We will get back right away to know more about your localization marketing campaign and give you a free consultancy.

Download our white paper if you are interested in localization strategy for SMEs.