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Everything You Should Know About Global Content Marketing

Global content marketing has emerged as a powerful strategy for businesses to engage and connect with audiences worldwide. In today’s interconnected world, businesses are expanding their reach beyond borders and targeting international audiences. With the rise of the internet and digital communication, the concept of content marketing has evolved to embrace a global approach.

In this article, we will explore the fundamentals of global content marketing, its significance, and how to develop an effective strategy to achieve global success.

Table of Contents

1. What Is Content Marketing?

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach that focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a specific target audience. Instead of traditional advertising methods that directly promote products or services, content marketing aims to provide informative, entertaining, or educational content that addresses the audience’s needs and interests. The core principle of content marketing is to deliver value to the audience, building trust and credibility with them over time. By offering valuable content, businesses aim to establish themselves as authoritative sources in their respective industries, fostering strong relationships with their target customers.

Content marketing involves various formats, including blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts, social media posts, infographics, ebooks, and more. The content is often tailored to different stages of the customer journey, from creating awareness and generating interest to nurturing leads and driving conversions. The ultimate goal of content marketing is to drive profitable customer actions, such as making a purchase, subscribing to a service, or sharing the content with others. By providing valuable content consistently, businesses can attract and retain a loyal customer base, enhance brand visibility, and achieve long-term success in the digital landscape.

2. What is A Global Content Marketing Strategy?

So, we understand the concept of content marketing. A global content marketing strategy extends the principles of content marketing to a worldwide audience, taking into account the diverse cultural, linguistic, and geographical factors across different regions. It involves developing a comprehensive plan to create and distribute content that resonates with international audiences while maintaining consistency with the brand’s core values and messaging. Unlike a localized content marketing strategy that focuses on a specific region or language, a global content marketing strategy takes a broader approach, considering the unique characteristics of multiple markets. It requires careful research and understanding of the target markets, including their cultural nuances, consumer behaviors, and preferences.

A successful global content marketing strategy involves creating content that is not only translated but also adapted and tailored to suit the local cultures and languages. This may include modifying the tone, imagery, references, and even storytelling techniques to ensure relevance and connection with the target audience. For example, if you’re producing English-language content for an American audience, you will need to go beyond translation if you’re marketing to people in Japan, as Japanese is the primary language there. Simply repurposing content without considering the targeted region is a recipe for failure.

However, as you modify your marketing campaigns for different countries, there’s a risk of diluting or altering your brand messaging, losing the accurate representation of your brand. This challenge highlights the importance of maintaining brand consistency while producing and adapting content for specific local markets. A global content marketing strategy also involves selecting the appropriate channels and platforms for content distribution, considering the digital landscape and popular mediums in each target market. It may include leveraging social media platforms, local content-sharing sites, influencers, or even traditional media outlets.

3. The Importance Of Global Content Marketing Strategy

3.1. Build trust

Build trust

According to a study by Edelman, 81% of consumers globally say that trusting a brand to do what is right is a deciding factor in their purchasing decisions. A global content marketing strategy enables businesses to build trust by providing valuable and relevant content that addresses the specific needs and interests of diverse audiences. By consistently delivering valuable content, businesses can establish themselves as trustworthy authorities in their respective industries.

3.2 Boost customer loyalty

Trust plays a pivotal role in maintaining customer loyalty. As highlighted in the Edelman Special Report 2019, trust is crucial for sustaining long-term relationships with customers. The report reveals that over two-thirds of respondents agreed with the statement: “A good reputation may initially attract me to a product, but if I don’t develop trust in the company behind the product, I will eventually discontinue my purchases.” A global content marketing strategy allows businesses to tailor their content to local cultures, languages, and preferences, fostering a sense of connection and resonance with international customers. By consistently engaging and providing value, businesses can strengthen customer loyalty, leading to repeat purchases and brand advocacy.

3.3. Increase SEO rankings in various languages

Implementing a global content marketing strategy that includes localized content can significantly impact search engine optimization (SEO). According to Common Sense Advisory, 75% of clients prefer to buy goods/services in their native language. By creating localized content, incorporating relevant keywords in different languages, and optimizing for local search, businesses can improve their SEO rankings and increase visibility in various markets, attracting organic traffic and potential customers.

3.4. Generates global leads

Generating global leads is a significant benefit of adopting a global content marketing strategy. Research conducted by Demand Metrics highlights the effectiveness of content marketing in lead generation, showing that it generates over three times as many leads as outbound marketing methods while costing 62% less. This finding is particularly relevant considering the diminishing impact of traditional marketing channels. Many people skip ads, over 90% unsubscribe from company emails, and up to 50% ignore emails. In contrast, content marketing proves to be highly engaging and effective in capturing the audience’s attention.

Demand Metric’s research further reveals that 6 in 10 people are not only inspired to search for a product after consuming relevant content but also enjoy reading content from the brand. By creating compelling and tailored content for different international markets, businesses can attract and engage potential customers, guiding them through the sales funnel and ultimately converting them into valuable leads.

3.5. Make your brand successful globally

A global content marketing strategy helps businesses establish a strong and recognizable brand presence on a global scale. Research by Nielsen reveals that 60% of consumers prefer to buy products from familiar brands. By consistently delivering high-quality content, adapting to local cultures, and maintaining brand consistency, businesses can increase brand recognition, credibility, and trust worldwide, paving the way for global success.

3.6. Enhance ROI

Content marketing has proven to be a cost-effective strategy with high returns on investment (ROI). According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing generates three times as many leads per dollar spent compared to paid search advertising. By implementing a global content marketing strategy that effectively targets international audiences, businesses can achieve significant ROI by driving engagement, conversions, and long-term customer relationships.

4. How To Create A Global Content Marketing Strategy?

How To Create A Global Content Marketing Strategy

Creating an effective global content marketing strategy requires careful planning and consideration of various factors. Here are key steps to guide you in developing a successful strategy:

4.1. Identify and keep the focus on your global target audiences

The first step in creating a successful global content marketing strategy is to identify and understand your global target audiences. It is crucial to have a clear understanding of the people you want to reach and engage with through your content. You should begin by conducting thorough market research to identify which international audiences are already showing interest in your brand, products, or services. Analyzing data from sources like Google Analytics can provide insights into the geographic locations of your website visitors. For instance, if you notice a significant number of visitors from Germany, it indicates a potential market to focus on.

Once you have identified your global target audiences, dive deeper into understanding their unique characteristics and preferences. Consider factors such as demographics (age, gender, occupation), languages spoken, interests, desires, and pain points. This information will help you tailor your content to resonate with their specific needs and motivations. Additionally, research the social media platforms or online channels frequented by your target audiences. This knowledge will guide your content distribution strategy, ensuring that you reach your audience through the most appropriate channels.

You should also remember that audience characteristics and preferences may vary from market to market. Adaptation and customization of your content may be necessary to engage with diverse global audiences effectively. This could involve modifying existing content or creating new content tailored specifically for each market.

4.2. Understand restrictions in culture

When developing a global content marketing strategy, it is crucial to recognize and respect the cultural nuances and restrictions of your target markets. Cultural differences can significantly impact how your content is perceived and received by international audiences. Here are key considerations for understanding cultural restrictions:

  • Cultural sensitivities: Different cultures have varying norms, values, and sensitivities. It’s essential to research and understand these cultural nuances to avoid inadvertently causing offense or misunderstanding. For example, if you are marketing a food product globally, it is important to consider dietary restrictions and cultural preferences. McDonald’s successfully adapted its menu offerings in India to remove beef and pork, which are not consumed due to religious and cultural considerations and introduced vegetarian and chicken options instead. This cultural sensitivity allowed the brand to connect with the local audience and establish a strong presence in the market.

  • Legal and regulatory compliance: In certain countries, such as China, strict regulations govern online content. For example, Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China, so a global social media marketing strategy should consider alternative platforms like WeChat and Weibo that comply with local regulations. By understanding and adhering to these legal restrictions, you can ensure your content reaches the intended audience without violating any laws.

  • Religious and social considerations: When creating content, it is important to respect religious beliefs and social customs. Nike’s “Pro Hijab” campaign, which celebrated the athletic achievements of Muslim women, was a powerful example of acknowledging and catering to the needs of a specific religious group. By understanding the cultural and religious significance of the hijab, Nike successfully connected with Muslim women worldwide and garnered positive attention.

  • Language nuances: Language plays a vital role in cultural communication. For instance, Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign took cultural adaptation to another level by personalizing bottles with popular names in each region. In some countries, like China, where given names are typically one or two characters long, the bottles featured common Chinese expressions of friendship and joy. This localization effort demonstrated an understanding of language nuances and cultural preferences, resulting in a highly successful campaign.

4.3. Do global SEO keyword research

Optimizing your content for higher search visibility is a common and effective method to improve its distribution. However, the process of optimizing your content for search engines should begin during the content creation phase, rather than as an afterthought. You can start by conducting comprehensive keyword research to identify the search terms or keywords your target customers use when conducting online searches. This research will help you understand what potential customers are looking for and enable you to create content that aligns with their search intent. By ranking for relevant high intent keywords, your content has a higher chance of being discovered by your target audience, driving more website traffic and potential sales.

When conducting global SEO keyword research, the process is similar to researching keywords for a local audience. Shortlist high-potential keywords for each target market by considering factors such as search volume, keyword difficulty, and search intent. To gain insights and refine your keyword selection, you can utilize SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or Semrush. In addition to identifying new keywords, a comprehensive global SEO strategy also involves translating and localizing your existing keywords for new audiences. This approach allows you to leverage the keywords you have already identified and maximize their impact in different markets.

By conducting global SEO keyword research and incorporating relevant keywords into your content, you can improve your search rankings, increase visibility, and attract organic traffic from international markets. It is important to note that optimizing your content for search engines is an ongoing process, so monitor keyword performance and make adjustments as needed to maintain your content’s search visibility.

4.4. Find the most appropriate channels

Find the most appropriate channels

Identifying and leveraging the most suitable channels is a critical aspect of a professional global content marketing strategy. To effectively reach your target audiences, it is essential to understand the digital landscape and preferences of each market. By conducting thorough research, you can determine the platforms, social media networks, search engines, and other online channels that resonate with your audience in different regions. You should begin by analyzing the demographics, behaviors, and content consumption patterns of your target markets. This information will help you select the channels that align with your audience’s preferences and habits. For instance, while platforms like Facebook and Twitter may dominate in certain markets, others may favor platforms like WeChat or Line.

It is also worth considering collaborations with local influencers or industry experts who have established themselves as influential figures in your target markets. Partnering with them can provide an opportunity to amplify your content and extend its reach to a broader audience. By strategically identifying and utilizing the most appropriate channels, you can optimize the distribution of your global content, ensuring it reaches the right audience at the right time.

4.5. Set local and global KPIs

Before delving into content creation, it is crucial to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that will serve as benchmarks for measuring the success of your global content marketing strategy. These KPIs will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your efforts and help you make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaigns.

Some essential KPIs to consider include:

  • Content views: Tracking the number of times your content has been viewed allows you to gauge its reach and assess audience interest. This metric can be tailored based on the format of your content, such as YouTube video views or social media reach.

  • Click-through rates: Monitoring the number of clicks your content receives provides insights into audience engagement and their willingness to explore further. Higher click-through rates indicate a stronger level of interest and potential for conversions.

  • Conversion rates: Defining what constitutes a successful conversion for your business is crucial. It could be an order placement, a demo request, or any desired action that aligns with your marketing objectives. Tracking conversion rates allows you to measure the effectiveness of your content in driving meaningful actions.

It is important to note that the prioritization of KPIs may vary across different markets. For instance, if you are focusing on building brand awareness in a specific market, emphasizing content views in that market would be essential. On the other hand, in markets where your presence is well-established, conversion rates become a more critical KPI as you focus on driving sales and revenue.

4.6. Write content

Moving on to the next step, it’s time to focus on content creation, the exciting part of your global content marketing strategy. Rather than attempting to create content for every available platform, it is advisable to concentrate on one or two content formats initially. You should avoid spreading your resources too thin by resisting the urge to publish daily blog posts, frequent social media updates on multiple platforms, regular webinars, and podcasts all at once and in multiple markets. Overextending yourself in this manner can compromise the quality of your content and strain your resources.

Once you have decided on your chosen content formats, strive to produce high-quality content that resonates with and provides value to your target audience. Consider conducting expert interviews to gain insights into the challenges your customers face and how your products can address them. Alternatively, you can leverage the expertise of your team members to address customer inquiries and concerns regarding product usage. Your content should address the pain points and desires you have uncovered through meticulous market research. Additionally, don’t forget to optimize your content with the search keywords identified earlier to enhance its discoverability.

The packaging of your content also plays a significant role in its reception by your target audience. Consider investing in custom images, infographics, and visually appealing elements for your blog posts, rather than relying on generic stock images. If you are producing videos, ensure they are filmed using professional equipment and techniques to enhance their production value. If your in-house team lacks the necessary expertise in content production, consider collaborating with external agencies to fulfill this need. Also remember, the aim is to deliver valuable, engaging, and professionally packaged content that captures and maintains your audience’s attention.

If you own a Magento 2 website, you can check out our Magento 2 blog extension to manage your blog posts and content effectively.

4.7. Translate your content

Translating your content is a crucial step in effectively reaching global audiences. When expanding into new markets, it’s essential to ensure that your content is available in the preferred language of your target audience. This is where the expertise of a professional language service provider (LSP) becomes invaluable. Whether you require software translation services or specialized fields like medical translation services partnering with an LSP ensures accurate and culturally sensitive translations that resonate with your global customers.

In particular, working with a professional LSP offers several advantages. They have a team of experienced translators who can accurately and effectively translate your content while preserving its original meaning and intent. Professional translators are not only fluent in the target language but also have a deep understanding of cultural nuances and localization requirements. A professional LSP will also carefully assess your content to determine the most appropriate translation approach. They can adapt your content to resonate with the target audience, taking into account their language preferences, cultural sensitivities, and specific terminology.

Moreover, an LSP ensures the quality and consistency of your translated content. They employ rigorous quality assurance processes, such as proofreading and editing, to deliver high-quality translations that reflect your brand’s voice and messaging. Collaborating with a professional LSP also allows for efficient project management. They can handle large-scale translation projects, work with multiple languages, and meet tight deadlines while maintaining the highest standards of quality.

4.8. Localize your content

Localize your content

Localizing your content is a critical step in ensuring its relevance and resonance with your target market. While translation addresses the language barrier, localization goes beyond that by adapting your content to align with the specific cultural preferences and nuances of the local audience. An effective localization strategy involves more than just linguistic adjustments. It requires considering various elements to create a seamless user experience. Some key aspects of content localization include:

  • Language adaptation: Translating your content into the target audience’s native language is the foundation of localization. However, it’s important to go beyond literal translations and consider local slang, idioms, and colloquialisms that resonate with the audience. For example, if you’re targeting the Australian market, you might replace the word “breakfast” with “brekkie” to align with the local slang and make your content more relatable to Australian users.

  • Cultural sensitivity: Understanding and respecting cultural norms, values, and customs is crucial. Adapting your content to avoid any cultural misunderstandings or offensive references is essential for establishing a positive connection with your audience.

  • Visual elements: Images, videos, and other visual assets should be reviewed and replaced if necessary to reflect the local audience’s preferences and cultural context. This can include using culturally relevant imagery, local landmarks, or diverse representation that resonates with the target market. Let’s imagine you have a travel blog and want to localize your content for Chinese readers. You would replace images of Western tourists with visuals featuring Asian travelers, local landmarks, and culturally significant experiences to resonate with the target audience. A similar feature concerns the hiking content as well. In the case of a reputable trekking company Bookatrekking, its experts strive for finding a response from their audience by adopting their blog to the target market. For instance, if they feel the need to localize their content for German readers they will actively apply visuals related to the rich culture and traditions of German people correspondingly.

  • Design and layout: Adapting the design and layout of your content, such as website themes or user interfaces, to support the reading direction, color schemes, and aesthetics of the target language and culture enhances the user experience. Let’s suppose you have an e-commerce website expanding into the Japanese market. To cater to Japanese users, you would adjust the layout to support the right-to-left reading direction, ensuring a seamless browsing experience.

By localizing your content, you create a more engaging and relatable experience for your global audience, increasing the likelihood of positive user engagement and conversions. Remember, effective localization requires in-depth knowledge of the target market and its cultural nuances. Collaborating with professional linguists, cultural consultants, and localization experts can significantly enhance the success of your global content marketing strategy.

4.9. Track the performance of your content

Tracking the performance of your content is essential to understand its impact and make informed decisions for future marketing efforts. Here’s how you can effectively monitor your content’s performance:

  • Utilize analytics tools: Leverage powerful analytics tools like GA4 (Google Analytics 4) to track website-based content. Measure key metrics such as page views, user engagement, bounce rates, and conversion rates. These insights will help you understand how your content is resonating with your audience and identify areas for improvement.

  • Platform-specific Insights: For content published on specific platforms, leverage their built-in analytics. For example, YouTube provides data on video views, watch time, and audience demographics. Instagram offers metrics like likes, comments, shares, and saves for your posts. Utilize these platform insights to gauge content performance and engagement levels.

  • Identify success patterns: Analyze your top-performing content to identify commonalities and elements that resonated well with your audience. This can include content format, topic, style, or promotion strategies. By understanding what works, you can replicate successful patterns in future content creation.

  • Learn from underperforming content: If certain content fails to meet your expectations, review its performance and identify potential shortcomings. Assess factors such as relevance, targeting, messaging, or delivery. Learn from these insights to avoid similar mistakes in future content creation and make necessary adjustments.

  • Allow for time and context: Keep in mind that some types of content, like search-engine optimized articles, may require time to gain visibility and deliver results. Be patient and allow your content sufficient exposure before making conclusive judgments about its success or failure.

Regularly tracking and analyzing your content’s performance will enable you to make data-driven decisions, refine your content marketing strategy, and optimize your future efforts for better outcomes.

4.10. Update your content marketing strategy

Consistently adjusting and updating your global content strategy is crucial to maintaining its effectiveness and ensuring ongoing success. One key step is to adapt your strategy based on market feedback. Pay close attention to audience feedback and market responses to your content. If a particular piece of content is gaining traction in one market, consider localizing and adapting it for other relevant markets. By customizing your content to resonate with the preferences and cultural nuances of specific regions, you can enhance its impact and relevance.

Data-driven decision making is another important aspect of updating your content marketing strategy. Utilize data gathered from analytics tools, user feedback, and market research to make informed decisions. Analyze the performance of your content, identify gaps or areas for improvement, and prioritize adjustments accordingly. Regularly reviewing and refining your strategy based on these findings will help you optimize your content for better results.

Staying agile is also essential as global markets and consumer behaviors evolve rapidly. Responding to changing market dynamics, technological advancements, and emerging opportunities requires flexibility and adaptability. Continuously refine your strategy to align with current market conditions, leveraging new tools and platforms as they arise. By remaining agile, you can ensure that your content stays relevant, reaches the right audiences, and delivers desired outcomes.

5. Some Case Studies Of Global Content Marketing

Here are two case studies of global content marketing strategies implemented by Spotify and Apple:

  • Spotify Case Study: Content Localization

Spotify, the Swedish audio streaming service, has experienced significant growth in its number of monthly active listeners. From 2018 to 2021, the company doubled its listeners from around 200 million to over 406 million. One of the key drivers of this growth has been their hyper-localized content marketing strategies. Spotify’s platform is available in 62 different languages, showcasing its focus on building a “borderless audio ecosystem.” This multi-language support extends to their social media accounts as well. For example, their Italian Instagram account features content different from their global account.

While Spotify’s music catalog remains largely the same across countries, it customizes how they present the music to its audience. They create playlists that recommend music based on popular artists and trends specific to each country. This localized content strategy is based on extensive research on customer preferences, revealing that more people than ever are listening to local music. By speaking directly to local markets in their own language, Spotify successfully appeals to a global audience.

Another example of Spotify’s personalized approach is its feature called Spotify Wrapped. Leveraging personal user data, this annual feature provides users with valuable insights into their listening habits. The result is free word-of-mouth marketing as users share their findings on social media, further promoting the Spotify brand.

Spotify Case Study
  • Appla Case Study: Content Standardization

Apple, a renowned technology brand, follows a global content marketing strategy based on standardization with limited adaptation to local audiences. They focus on publishing simple and universal content that easily translates across markets. An iPhone is the same product regardless of the country, allowing Apple to streamline its content marketing campaigns and deliver consistent value to consumers worldwide. The only difference in Apple’s product presentation on its websites, as seen in the example below, is the language used while retaining the meaning of the original tagline.

In their Your Verse campaign in 2014, Apple demonstrated how the iPad is used by various individuals, such as a hearing-impaired travel writer and a Finnish conductor in LA. By emphasizing the human aspects of technology, Apple localized its global campaign and made it relatable to different cultures. Creating content with a universal narrative enables Apple to leverage economies of scale, making its brand message cost-effective and widely accessible. However, it’s important to note that Apple’s strong brand recognition plays a significant role in its ability to implement this strategy. While it’s essential to meet your audience where they are, it’s equally important to strategically leverage existing business resources to efficiently achieve your business goals.

Appla Case Study

When it comes to global content marketing, it’s crucial to steer clear of certain pitfalls. Here are some popular mistakes to avoid:

6.1. Being overly promotional

Excessive promotion of your content can be off-putting to readers and may have a negative impact. Instead, focus on providing value in each post, whether by describing a situation or offering solutions. Integrate your call to action and promotional tools thoughtfully and strategically. For instance, you can compare the advantages of your product against competitors or create a price comparison table. By presenting information in a helpful and informative manner, you can avoid giving the impression that you are forcing customers into making a purchase.

### 6.2. Overlook CTA

Every content asset should include a clear call to action. It’s not just about making a direct sales pitch, but rather providing your audience with the next logical step based on the content they have consumed. Create pathways and tell connected stories that guide prospects through the buyer’s journey, building momentum and engagement along the way.

6.3. Underestimate the power of various formats

While written content may be at the core of your strategy, it’s essential not to neglect the power of other formats such as video, podcasts, slide presentations, and more. Different audience segments gravitate towards different formats, so diversify your content offerings to cater to their preferences. Repurposing content into multiple formats and leveraging its potential across various channels and platforms.

6.4. Expect quick results

Content marketing is a long-term strategy with a cumulative effect. It’s essential to have realistic expectations and avoid the temptation to seek immediate results. Remember that it takes time for content to gain visibility, generate traffic, and yield conversions. Be patient and consistent in your efforts.

Conclusion

As businesses continue to expand their horizons and tap into international markets, global content marketing has become an indispensable strategy for achieving success on a global scale. By creating and distributing valuable content tailored to diverse cultures and languages, businesses can drive brand success, enhance customer loyalty, and generate valuable leads. Hopefully, the insights shared in this article have provided you with a profound understanding of global content marketing, empowering you to chart a clear path toward success in the worldwide market.

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