Are you taking time off to do some travelling this summer? When I travel, I want more than just a change of scenery and a break from my regular routine. To me, the whole point of travel is to get a fresh perspective. To step out of my comfort zone. To see things from a different point of view.
Build your international audience one action item at a time.
August Tip:
Find out what the most
popular networks are!
You may know exactly which social networks your local audience hangs out on. After all, who isn't on Facebook these days? But in other parts of the world, people may be using completely different networks, ones you may not even have heard of.
In much of Europe, for instance, business people may not have a LinkedIn account. When is comes to professional networking, German speakers gravitate towards XING, while French speakers prefer Viadeo.
For Russian speakers, VKontakte (or VK) is the social network of choice. For many Japanese, it's Mixi.
In China, access to networks like Facebook and Twitter is limited. Most people use government-approved networks such as Sina Weibo and QZone.
So when you're planning an international social media strategy, do your research and know your audience. Decide which countries you are targeting, and find out what the local popular networks are. Those are the networks you need to focus on.
A curated selection of articles from expert sources.
It's estimated that about 90% of all online business is currently done in English. Yet over 70% of internet users don't speak English as a first language, and nearly 75% of non-native speakers will not buy from an English-only platform. As Paula Shannon of Lionbridge points out, this is a huge missed opportunity for digital commerce in particular: "The traditional 'spray and pray' approach to marketing just won't work anymore. Consumer expectations have dramatically increased". In her article on Balancing Global Messaging With Local Relevancy, she lays out a new approach for brands wanting to communicate with a global audience.
