The rise of global marketing campaigns has opened doors for businesses to expand beyond their current markets. In order to appeal to the global audience, however, it is vital to speak in their language and offer products/services that cater to their preferences. A multilingual marketing strategy, therefore, lies at the heart of a company’s globalization goals.
According to estimates, approximately 40% of the global population uses the internet today, with the number of users constantly on the rise. A company seeking to expand across borders would not want to miss out on the highly lucrative opportunities presented by these internet users.
However, a multilingual content marketing strategy is likely to be the differentiating point that would set the ground for global acclaim for a company.
The question is, how to craft a multilingual content marketing strategy that would serve as a competitive advantage for a company in the rapidly-evolving world of today? Let’s take a look at the importance of a multilingual content marketing strategy.
Why is Multilingual Content Marketing Strategy Important?
Localized marketing content is the one that targets the customers while adhering to their needs and preferences. A recent study revealed that about 65% of internet users prefer content that is presented in their native language. This implies that businesses that do not translate their content risk losing out a huge share of the global market.
The importance of a multilingual content marketing strategy can be estimated by the appeal and trust created in a brand when content is presented in the language of the target audience.
If your company speaks the same language as your target audience, they are more likely to feel connected to your brand. Naturally, this is a competitive advantage over a company that chooses to remain monolingual.
A localized and multilingual approach to content marketing is also more likely to convert one-time users to long-term loyal customers.
This is because as a company makes the user experience relevant to individual markets, it stands a better chance of forming connections with the target audience which goes a long way.
Establishing a strong bond with customers depends on a continuous stream of content offerings that is localized in the language of the target market.
This approach is being increasingly adopted by companies worldwide, with an estimated 76% of companies now adopting a multilingual approach to managing their content marketing strategy.
Whatever form this content is presented in, be it articles, blogs, videos, social media posts, e-books, or graphics. It is most effective when it caters to the needs of the customers.
Take a look at the other end of the spectrum–a company that offers content in only one language risks losing potential customers as a monolingual website is likely to ward off the customers altogether, instead of attracting them.
But how can companies leverage the power of multilingual content marketing strategy to appeal to global customers? We take a look at some of the ways a company can design its multilingual content marketing strategy.
Ways to Create a Multilingual Content Marketing Strategy
• Identify and Stick to your Core Message
The Harley Davidson brand, a well-renowned name, does not just sell motorcycles–it offers a lifestyle. This is because the Harley Davidson brand has recognized its core message “live to ride, ride to live”.
Unless you have a unique brand message like Harley Davidson that sets you apart from the competitors, you are likely to find yourself competing with other businesses offering the same product/ service as you.
This is why it is so important to identify your core message and unique business offering that would distinguish you from your competitors.
Crafting a core message is not the end of the story. You have to show consistency when developing a successful content marketing strategy. This means that the quality of your content should always be such that would appeal to a global audience.
Ask yourself; what are you offering that is unique and different from competitors? How do you want people to connect with your core message? How can you deliver a unique core message to the global customer?
By keeping your core message consistent while adapting to the global customer, you can develop a successful multilingual content marketing strategy and reach a wider audience.
You can craft your content with published articles, social media posts, and content channels that use multiple digital marketing tools for a competitive edge.
• Get to Know your Audience
Before stepping out of your local market with your multilingual content, pinpoint and research your target audience–including their language, preferences, values, culture, and norms. All these factors are essential for customizing and crafting a successful multilingual content marketing strategy.
Many companies rely on Google Analytics to analyze their website traffic and audience. However, keep in mind that Google is not a predominant search engine in all countries.
There are various other online tools that can deliver valuable insights into your organic traffic and SEO metrics such as Google Trends, which allows you to view what is being searched around the world.
Do research on the audience you want to approach first. Identify who they are, what are their preferences, buying habits, and languages. Most importantly, identify how a multilingual content marketing approach would appeal to this audience.
• Localize your Content
Once you have identified your target audience and your core message, it is time to localize your content. Start by creating content that is easy to localize. This does not mean that you strip your content of all its uniqueness and voice. Rather, you can ‘alter’ the content in such a way that it appeals to the needs of the target audience.
Here’s the part where a localization and translation company comes enters the stage. In order to make sure your message stays consistent across languages, you can use the services of a certified localization agency that knows the target market well and is familiar with the right content marketing approach to appeal to the customers.
Make use of a style guide and guidelines for each market you are approaching. Working with a translation agency will help you find a standardized glossary of terms that you can use for crafting your content in the future.
• Optimize Your Content for SEO
A good technique to optimize your multilingual website is to craft it for multilingual SEO. This means you need to adapt your content in a way that makes it rank higher in search results in all your target languages.
Start by identifying the best keywords people use for searching for goods and services in other languages. Here the objective is to identify the keywords that have a sufficient monthly search volume globally and to adapt your content around these keywords for maximum SEO optimization.
Once you have your multilingual website ready, be sure to include multilingual SEO components to reach a wider global audience. These components include:
• Ways of producing and maintaining content in the native language of your target audience
• Determining the languages that your pages are targeting with the help of analytics tools
• Identifying the target country or the region that has a global-friendly URL structure
Make sure to enter each market with appropriate keywords, as well as on-page and off-page SEO. Remember, internet search engines are the key methods to know your audience well.
It might be a bit tricky to craft your content for multilingual SEO optimization, but with the right tools by your side, you can carry out a multilingual content marketing strategy that would not go unnoticed by a global audience.
• Integrate your Multilingual Content Marketing Strategy
Marketing your multilingual content is the key to making sure you are noticed globally. Depending on the size of your brand, you can use a number of marketing channels for communicating your content both online and offline.
Nevertheless, if your marketing efforts go as far as only email campaigns, social media, and blogging, make sure your core message is integrated and well-connected so that every channel you use stays connected with one another.
For example, your Linkedin page should offer options for users to click easily to hop on your website, reach your current location, find your FAQ page and Instagram profile, and so on. In order to implement an integrated multilingual content marketing strategy, you need to identify which social media platforms your audience uses.
This identification will be useful when you are designing your promotion and advertising channels for your target audience. In addition, an integrated multilingual content marketing strategy will let you have insights into the preferences of target markets that would help you in adapting your product/service for the global audience.
Key Takeaway
Content is the king when it comes to making your company a globally-recognized one. This is the reason why so many companies invest in researching the content preferences of global markets. An integrated and well-planned content marketing strategy is likely to strike a chord with the target market, provided that it caters to their language, culture, and buying preferences. Nevertheless, getting the help of a certified and professional localization agency will amplify your chances of making it big in the global world and surpass competition the easy way.
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