How to Form a Content Localization Strategy: The Key to Impactful Global Expansion

To effectively connect with multiple audiences, a company can use a content localization strategy for its brand. Selling something in a language that is foreign to the buyer will not guarantee successful sales. Based on a study, more than 70% of people prefer to purchase products in their native language. Many people would not even consider purchasing a product if they do not find information in their language.

This further proves that localization strategy is a crucial aspect that any company should always consider, especially if global expansion is the ultimate goal. They need to invest more in the localization process. Here is some information regarding the strategy of content localization, and other key details. Do not miss it!

What is content localization?

Let's understand what content localization is first. Content localization is the process of modifying a business's content to match a specific market. When targeting a new market, companies should not only rely on literal translation. They also need to adapt to the cultural nuances, cultural values, and regulatory requirements. These actions will help make the business more accessible to the target audience. Many companies do not spend the time to do localization but only rely on translation. However, word-to-word translation is not enough because it can cause confusion if cultural references are not properly applied. There will be cultural sensitivities, language nuances, and idioms that need to be considered. To build strong brand loyalty and relationships with new markets, businesses should prioritize localization in their marketing strategy. Content localization’s scope extends to many platforms. Here are some of the types of content that usually will need to be localized:

• Website content such as homepages, landing pages, product descriptions, blog posts, articles, and navigation menus.
• Content marketing such as social media posts, email campaigns, ad copy, and brand messages.
• Legal and compliance documents such as privacy policies, terms and conditions, compliance documentation, and cookie notices.
• Product information such as descriptions, features, user manuals, setup guides, and package labeling.
• Support center such as customer service script, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides.
• Content reviews such as community forums, user comments, and testimonials.

Read more: What is localization quality assurance is and why is it important?

How do you make a content localization strategy?

How can one create an effective content localization strategy? Check out the information below!

• Define the highest priority target markets.
  The first step in a content localization strategy is to determine the highest-priority target markets and languages to focus on. You can start with the markets that have the highest demand for your products or services. This will help enhance the success of future market expansion. To determine which countries for content localization you can try to evaluate current customer data to understand the possible countries to choose. You can also check your web analytics to see the traffic. Significant traffic from a certain region is a strong indicator of demand for your products and services.

• Do market research
  After selecting the highest-priority countries for localization, proceed to the next stage: market research. Market research is the necessary process of compiling and analyzing data about the target markets. Companies need to do market research to understand the target market's preferences, values, behaviors, and expectations. This process is crucial for understanding how to adapt a company’s messages and content to fit the target markets. You can do market research using surveys, customer interviews, email campaigns, and many more.

• Identify the highest priority content for localization.
  Every content is needed but not all of it is crucial. Some content is necessary for the sake of customer experience while some others are needed for their functions. Define which types of content that require thorough localization. This type of content is usually the one that gets the most engagement. Examples of other high priority contents are:

  • Marketing content such as email, website, social media campaigns, and video promotion.
  • Product documentation such as user manuals, product tutorials, help sections, and FAQs.
  • E-commerce content such as price sheets, shipping information, and product descriptions.
  • Legal content such as privacy policies and terms of service.

• Set the budget
  The next stage is to set the budget for the localization process. Setting the budget beforehand will help understand how much you will spend for the localization process. It will help define the services you need to prioritize. To figure out how much you should spend, try to ask these questions:

  • How many languages to localize?
  • What types of content need localization?
  • How much volume of the content needs to be localized?
  • What kind of localization process will you need?
  • How often does the content need to be updated?

• Figure out the complexity of the work.
  Measure the success of content localization. Content localization is not a short-term project that will result in revenue after it is done. It is a long-term investment that needs to be tracked down to understand its success. You can measure user engagement, financial impact, and return on investment. Those metrics will give insights into how to improve content localization in the future and form better strategies that will help the company.

• Choose localization services
  The next stage is to choose localization services. Choose a company that can provide the services you need. Check out their project history to see how much experience they had. Choosing a trusted localization service will help execute large-scale projects that need a lot of hands to handle. Find a localization company that understands your business vision and has the necessary resources.

Conclusion

There you have it—information on content localization strategies that will help businesses expand globally. The localization process is a necessary move to help companies that want to expand to multiple audiences in many regions. Global expansion requires significant effort from the start. If a business does not invest in localization early on, its efforts to reach wider audiences may backfire. Therefore, it is crucial to prepare a localization strategy. To simplify the process, businesses can use localization service providers such as Digital Trans Asia. Digital Trans Asia will help you with localization services in the Asia region with the help of experts with years of experience.

Ready to boost your global expansion with a tailored content localization strategy? Visit https://digital-trans.asia/ to learn more about our services. Contact us today to get started!