The internet is truly a global place. Nearly half of the population of the continent of Asia is online, as is 80 percent of Europe, 31 percent of Africa, and 88 percent of North America. It’s no wonder brands are employing international content marketing to engage these vast online audiences.
It’s not just the web that’s global — many businesses these days are as well. The top 25 multinational companies have at least 40 percent of their employees at locations outside of the company’s headquarters. That means that those businesses are going to work with a customer base that’s located in more than one country.
Since different countries have different social norms and expectations, you can’t simply take content marketing that works in one location and put it in the language of another. An international content marketing strategy needs to take the needs and expectations of each location under consideration.
What Is International Content Marketing?
In short, international content marketing is an approach to content marketing that remembers that the internet isn’t synonymous with America. It’s an approach to content marketing that involves tailoring content to a global audience, or creating content that will appeal to someone in country A, and content that will appeal to an audience in country B as well.
What Sets International Content Marketing Apart?
Several factors set international content marketing apart from country- or region-specific approaches. They include:
Awareness of cultural differences.
Cultures, traditions, and preferences differ from one country to another. International content marketing is aware of these differences and tries to adapt to them. For example, if you create a blog post about Thanksgiving meal prep, you should be aware that it won’t have much international appeal, since not many countries celebrate the holiday. A blog post with more global appeal might offer tips for (any) holiday meal prep.
Content that you create for an international audience should also keep in mind that what’s polite in one country can be downright rude in another. For example, the “peace sign” with two fingers means something very different in the UK than it does in the US. Likewise, colors can mean vastly different things in different countries. In the US, white is associated with weddings, but in China, it’s associated with death.
Awareness of language differences.
Not everyone speaks English. In fact, less than a quarter of the world’s population (1.5 billion out of 7+ billion people) speak the language. If you want your content to reach a global audience, you’ll need to translate it. And don’t just rely on Google translate, which is known for making mistakes. Work with professional translators. Better yet, hire someone to create original content in his or her native language.
Awareness of different web-based preferences.
In the US, Facebook might be the most popular social media site — but it’s not the biggest platform in every country. For example, Facebook is blocked in China, so you wouldn’t even be able to use it to promote or share your content there. Internet users in Russia prefer locally grown social networks, while users in other parts of Europe are more fond of Twitter than Facebook.
Examples of International Content Marketing
Take a look at a few brands that have mastered a global approach to content marketing:
Dunkin’ Donuts
American might run on Dunkin’, but the coffee and donut brand actually operates in 36 countries. And you won’t find the same items or the same content in a Dunkin’ Donuts in China that you would in the US. The brand hasn’t just tailored its donuts to the tastes of each country, it’s also created specific websites that take into consideration the preferences and cultures of the countries it operates in.
AirBnB
Given that AirBnB is all about connecting travelers with hosts in countries around the world, it makes sense that it takes a global approach to content marketing. Although its one blog, AirBnBCitizen, is in English no matter which country site you link to it from, the online booking company offers country-specific guides in different languages. For example, here’s a guide for people in France, and here’s one for Icelandic people.
H&M
Clothing brand H&M has stores on six continents. It has also created content for each of its markets. For example, the magazine it produces for France is slightly different from the version of the magazine it produces for the US.
