What to consider when globalising your campaigns
Whether you’re simply tweaking a website or launching an international campaign, there are certain steps you can take to increase your chances of global success.
Consider both copy and design
Simplicity is always best when it comes to web design. Keep your pages structured and broken up with headings and rich media.
Colour plays a hugely important role, too. Red can signify a fall in North American stock markets, whereas it’s a mark of prosperity in East Asian culture – not something to confuse!
Don’t forget to consider the target language and norms around content structure. For example, Portuguese and German tend to favour longer sentences.
Use a professional translator
It’s not enough to use a machine translation – just look at the differences between British and American English! Make sure you employ a native to translate your text and localise it with cultural references.
A native may also be able to help you choose the right images. Pick the wrong one and you could risk offending your audience. A thumbs up is generally positive in Britain and the US, but is
considered a far ruder gesture in Western Africa, Russia and Greece!
Align your campaign activity with your target country
Overlooking time zones is easily done when you’re doing 100 things at once. Schedule your campaigns in advance to go live at a reasonable time in your target country, and don’t forget about national holidays.
Check privacy regulations in your target country
Who doesn’t love a good old bit of GDPR? But on a serious note, make sure you’re up to scratch with privacy regulations in your target country, for example, when tracking user data. Use a one-size-fits-all approach at your peril.
Consider technology
We mentioned simplicity earlier. Remember that not all regions are blessed with 4 or 5G just yet, so try not to overload your site with data-sapping media. You should also consider optimisation – use metadata to check the location, not just the language.
For instance, somebody from the UK visiting France may be looking for information on a local hotel. They would prefer their content in English, but the key information to be localised, such as currency, telephone number and location.