Now, more than ever, users expect more from businesses regarding their online presence.
The Korea IT Times reported the demand for translated content grew by 20%. It’s a clear sign that non-native English speakers prefer content in their native language.
And so, if you’re planning to create one international online community, you will have to make your content multilingual.
To learn more about this, keep on reading!
How Translation is a Strong Factor to Your Global Marketing Strategy
A study conducted on the top 100 million websites found that 60.4% of the top websites’ content was in English. But, even though China has the most prominent internet users, only 1.4% of the top websites’ content is Chinese.
Despite the rise of translated digital content, few companies use multilingual digital content in their global marketing strategy.
Creating a global marketing strategy is about glocalizing, or finding the right balance between local and international. Many multinational companies, like Netflix and Starbucks, have done this. They create a marketing strategy based on their target market’s culture and language.
An overwhelming amount of research shows that a buyer’s native language influences their behavior.
It’s undeniable that translation is crucial for any company looking to promote itself internationally. Because of this, multilingual digital marketing is here to stay. So companies looking to enter a new market should have target-specific content.
4 Tips When Creating an Online Community for Your Global Marketing Plans
Having an online community takes time and resources. But a worthwhile endeavor for your global marketing strategy in engaging users.
Yet, suppose you’re planning to attract international users to your online community. In that case, you have two options:
1. You can create multiple communities for each target locale.
2. You can build one multiculturally diverse online community.
Even if your online members are English proficient, connecting to your users on a cultural level makes it more personalized. It’s because it will ensure that visitors will keep returning to your online community. Building an online community will take time. But if you follow these tips it will be a worthwhile investment into your global marketing strategy.
Get to Know Your Target Locale User before Building a Marketing Strategy
This article by Forbes stated that due to smartphones, many online users’ actions are automatically connected to their location. So if you’re planning to create an internationally diverse online community, you have to go local!
TIP: You can conduct online surveys to find out what countries have the most online members. From the information gathered, you can evaluate potential markets your business can enter and proceed to do your research.
You will need to research your target local users so you can develop a strategy that’ll improve their user experience within your online community and make them feel more connected.
By doing this, you’re filling a demand that your competitors might not have tapped into yet. Also, you’re not going to waste time in a market that lacks users who wouldn’t be interested in your online community.
In researching and developing a profile of your target locale and market, you will need to study the market demands, cultural and linguistic preferences, user interaction, consumer behaviors, and more.
TIP: You can make your online community accessible in different languages. You can start by making it accessible in Spanish and Chinese or whatever language is spoken by the largest number of members in your online community.
Establish The Necessity of Your Online Community
There are five key reasons why anyone would want to join an online community:
- To have a sense of identity and belongingness.
- They want to find their purpose.
- To achieve their goals.
- They want to share their passions and interests.
- They’re looking for motivation and support.
Through your local market research, you can tailor your online community according to a combination of these reasons depending on your brand’s niche and advocacies.
TIP: To encourage engagement, you can employ the help of bilingual moderators who can answer queries and engage with non-native English speakers. They can also post in your international users’ language, fulfilling the listed five reasons your users joined your online community.
Determine which Social Media Platforms To Use
When finding the right social media platform to build your online community for your target locale, you must verify if they’re active on the site.
For example, in Japan, Japanese users don’t use Facebook often. Whereas Twitter is their go-to social media platform, even famous academics, writers, and celebrities are very active. So if you’re marketing your online communities on social media, do it on the proper channels where your target demographic is constantly online.
TIP: In your survey, you can ask your users what social media they actively use, which could be your basis for marketing on the platform, or do your own research online.
Work with Local Influencers
Another thing to consider when planning to create an online community for your target locale is to contact local influencers. Many brands seek influencers to increase brand awareness and engagement with their target locales. You can also ask for some advice on the best way of interacting with your multilingual community.
TIP: You don’t necessarily need to go after mega influencers with over a million followers. You can collaborate with nano influencers (1,000 to 10,000 followers) and micro-influencers (10,000 to 100,000 followers). What’s vital is that you and the influencer have common goals, interests, and mindsets as partners in your global marketing strategy.
Final Thoughts
Online communities show that users want to build connections. By creating a more inclusive community for your international users, you’re making a statement that you see them and want to develop a relationship with them rather than a transaction.
