Global best practices vs. localized content

Relying on comparison content

Research preferences of global IT Buyers

English-based assests can be effective

Multi-media should be localized

Key takeaways More in this series

Demographics/ About TechTarget

Understanding and Influencing the International IT Buyer

A TechTarget Global Marketer Services White Paper

Part Three: Making smarter content choices for different countries

Global best practices vs. localized content

Relying on comparison content

Research preferences of global IT Buyers

English-based assests can be effective

Multi-media should be localized

Key takeaways More in this series

Demographics/ About TechTarget

About TechTargetTechTarget has offices in the US, UK, France, Australia,

Singapore and China and serves the IT community

through its globally focused tech market specific websites,

featuring 70+ localized websites for over ten different

international countries in seven different languages.

With extensive Global Marketer Services and rich local

capabilities, we help global technology marketers get to

market faster in all the regions they care about most.

About the SurveyThe survey was fielded in 2012 in English and, where

appropriate, in local language. We garnered a statistically

significant set of results in the world’s most important

international markets: UK, France, Germany, Benelux,

Italy, India, China, Japan, ASEAN, and Australia/New

Zealand. Each country’s survey received a minimum

of 140 responses. In total, we collected 750 European

respondents and 1,100 APAC respondents.

To receive the full report data, contact Renee Cormier.

International online marketing contains no shortage

of conventional wisdom, some of which is true and

some of which is not. To shed some data-illuminated

light on how IT buyers actually behave—as opposed

to how we may think they behave—each year TechTarget

fields an International IT Buyer Profile Survey. The

goal: to help technology marketers better understand

the unique composition and research preferences of

IT buyers across 10 different geographies. The results

reinforce some commonly-held marketing beliefs and

debunk others. TechTarget publishes this research in

its presentation at Online ROI summits and in this

four-part white paper series from our Global Marketer

Services group.

Part one: Common attributes of international IT buyers

Click here to view this report

Part two: Shifting behaviors in international research

and engagement

Click here to view this report

Part three: Content decisions—Making the right content choices for different countriesPart three addresses the types of content that resonate

best from market to market, answering the following

questions:

• How important is localized content? Does its

importance differ by market?

• How critical is translated content, especially in

countries where many researchers are comfortable

with English?

• How much progress can marketers make

repurposing English language content for

international campaigns?

• Which content assets do users find most valuable:

whitepapers, case studies, trial downloads, etc.?

Part four: Engaging international buyers by phone

Helping marketers understand research preferences of international IT buyers

Research preferences of global IT Buyers

Global best practices vs. localized content

Relying on comparison content

Research preferences of global IT Buyers

English-based assests can be effective

Multi-media should be localized

Key takeaways More in this series

Demographics/ About TechTarget

Italy

67%UK

59%BENELUX

58%France

57%Germany

56%

Australia

56%India

76%ASEAN

70%China

38%Japan

22%

The prevailing wisdom outside of North America is

that content localization is the most important factor

for success when marketing internationally. But users

say differently. To gain more insight, we asked IT buyers

about the importance of having a site specific to their

geography when making IT purchase decisions.

Surprisingly, the majority noted that they rely more on

“.com” websites operating in North America because

these sites are more apt to feature globally relevant IT

tips, best practices, and advice than local websites with

content specific to a particular region/country.

Technology problems are rarely geo-specific.

For example, the challenges organizations face when

approaching a desktop virtualization project are the

same whether that company is located in Boston, Berlin

or Brisbane. It’s for this reason that users gravitate toward

.com sites, which tend to contain more insightful best

practices, product information and analysis to help

decision-makers with their purchase plans. This appears

to be true in all markets except China and Japan where

local language and nuances drive IT buyers to sites

based in their own country.

What does this mean for you?For technology marketers, this is really good news Your best, technology-centric content that works well in North America is also going to resonate well globally. When determining what content to leverage, keep in mind:

•Users first want to know what you are doing that is global and best

•Not to diminish the value of local content, just size the investment appropriately because it is typically the hardest to source, produce and approve

•The need to prioritize what you want to be “local” and look for cost-effective ways to put a local face on your global content

The need for global best practices information outweighs the desire for localized content

IT pros across EMEA and English-speaking APAC prefer websites with globally relevant tips over sites with localized content.56-76% of IT pros across EMEA and English-speaking APAC prefer websites with globally relevant tips over sites with localized content.

Global best practices vs. localized content

Global best practices vs. localized content

Relying on comparison content

Research preferences of global IT Buyers

English-based assests can be effective

Multi-media should be localized

Key takeaways More in this series

Demographics/ About TechTarget

UK

France

Germany

Italy

BENELUX

ANZ

India

ASEAN

China

Japan

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#2#1#1#1#1#1#1#1#1#2

Tech

Solutio

n

Compar

ison

#1#2#5#2#2#2#2#2#2#1

Trial

Softwar

e

#3#5#2#3#5#4#3#4#4#4

Product

Liter

ature

#4#3#3#4#3#3#4#3#3#3

Case S

tudies

AB

vs.

With regard to preferences in content types, the data

shows users respond well to a variety of content forms.

But the real stand out is a desire to view comparison

content when researching IT purchases. Across Europe

we often hear that marketers shy away from comparison

content because of concerns over regulations when

comparing their offerings to other vendors in marketing

materials. From TechTarget’s previous research into

international marketing regulations we see that while

some rules exist around comparison content, it is by

no means prohibited. In fact, we encourage vendors

to leverage comparison content whenever possible.

In addition to comparison content, researchers are

also interested in taking solutions for a test drive with

trial software downloads.

What does this mean for you?Create influence with buyers through 3rd party comparisons Sponsor editorial content that provides readers with an overview of options in the market. Not enough content like this exists. Using it will draw out ITDMs in the process of making purchasing decisions and allow you to follow up with and influence them through process.

Develop your own comparative content within local guidelines Working within applicable local guidelines, create and market solution comparison content which highlights and directly compares specific approaches or products to specifically differentiate your solutions in the market.

Format trials and case studies for easy local consumption Make software trials easier and formatted for local audiences. Your customers want them. Make the most of the case studies you have. These tend to work especially well as a secondary asset in the nurturing stream.

International IT pros rely heavily on comparison content to make technology decisions

Comparisons top choice for international IT buyersIn the majority of markets, comparison content is the most valuable content type for IT pros researching technology solutions. Trial software downloads are also highly valuable resources.

Relying on comparison content

Global best practices vs. localized content

Relying on comparison content

Research preferences of global IT Buyers

English-based assests can be effective

Multi-media should be localized

Key takeaways More in this series

Demographics/ About TechTarget

Germany

73%BENELUX

90%

% who are comfortable with English

France

74%

ble with E

Italy

84%

China

68%Japan

41%

English

In countries where English is not the official language,

but widely spoken, we uncovered a high level of comfort

in reading content in English. Perhaps surprisingly, the

vast majority of respondents in Benelux, France, Germany

and Italy are very or somewhat comfortable reading

white papers in English. The same is true across

Southeast Asia. In China and Japan, however, comfort

levels drops significantly and local language content

is essential when looking to drive leads from either of

these countries.

In order to make a deeper impact in European

countries where English is not the official language but

many are comfortable doing some pre-purchase research

in English, translating a few evergreen, top-performing

assets will absolutely be necessary. From TechTarget’s

own experience running European campaigns, 60%–80%

of our French, German, Dutch and Italian campaign

leads download local language content. Therefore,

you risk missing a significant portion of the audience

without the local language component.

What does this mean for you?Leverage your best performing English content in European-wide campaigns to make an impact and get good leads.

When looking to make a strong influence in specific countries, translate and promote a select number of key content assets to keep budgets manageable.

In Asia-Pacific, English content works well in all countries outside of China and Japan where local language content is a requirement.

In most markets, there’s no need to delay a program because local assets are not yet available. Launching in English will deliver some immediate results.

English language text-based assets can be effective for influencing international IT pros

IT professionals in Western Europe are very comfortable with English-language assetsChina and especially Japan are less comfortable viewing white papers and product literature in English

English-based assets can be effective

Global best practices vs. localized content

Relying on comparison content

Research preferences of global IT Buyers

English-based assests can be effective

Multi-media should be localized

Key takeaways More in this series

Demographics/ About TechTarget

Germany

36%BENELUX

12%France

32%Italy

21%

China

62%Japan

78%

English

% who are not comfortable with English

While users reacted favorably to consuming white

papers, case studies or other text based assets in our

previous finding, when asked the same question about

multi-media content like webcasts or videos, users had

much more of a mixed reaction. European respondents

who were comfortable reading white papers in English

note that they are less comfortable with media like

webcasts or videos. And users in China and Japan have

almost no threshold for English-language multi-media.

White papers and other text-based content allow the

user to consume the content at their own pace, whereas

multimedia assets require a non-native English speaker

to follow a speaker.

What does this mean for you?When only available in English, multimedia assets should be avoided for campaigns in non-English speaking markets.

Prioritize translation budgets on evergreen, technical white papers; multimedia assets should be re-recorded with a local language speaker, which tends to be more effective than translated subtitles.

English multi-media assets not preferable for many Western European IT prosOutside of Benelux and Italy, comfort level drops significantly. China and Japan have far less threshold for English-based multi-media.

Multi-media should be localized

International IT buyers are less comfortable with English-based multi-media assets

Global best practices vs. localized content

Relying on comparison content

Research preferences of global IT Buyers

English-based assests can be effective

Multi-media should be localized

Key takeaways More in this series

Demographics/ About TechTarget

What does this mean for you?Understanding and acknowledging that buyer-seller interactions are moving more and more online will help you develop a more informed framework and create deeper engagement with your international content marketing programs. For continued success and better synergies with your regional teams, it is imperative to pay close attention to localization as it relates to your website and content, as well as marketing and follow-up tactics.

Key Takeaways

IT Buyers’ need for problem solving content is universal

If forced to pick a preference, ITDMs care more about

understanding tech issues generally than about visiting

websites specific to their geography

Integrate comparison content into marketing efforts across all regions

Comparison content should be utilized in your content

strategy; it is highly sought after by ITDMs in all regions

English language text-based assets are effective

in many foreign markets

Across Europe and Asia-Pacific generally, English

assets are a great starting point; Don’t let a lack of

local language/translated content prevent your

campaign from getting underway

Multi-media assets must be translated and localized in most regions

If you have a budget for translation, identify the markets

you care most about and translate/localize key white

papers first, then recreate multimedia assets if budget

allows

International IT buyers have varied preferences for content formats and types

Key takeaways

Global best practices vs. localized content

Relying on comparison content

Research preferences of global IT Buyers

English-based assests can be effective

Multi-media should be localized

Key takeaways More in this series

Demographics/ About TechTarget

Part four provides insight into telemarketing and the

effectiveness of phone-based offerings, answering the

following questions:

• When, if ever, are researchers receptive to receiving

phone calls from IT vendors?

• How does the willingness to field a call vary based

on a user’s research stage or country?

• How accurate is the data telemarketers collect

about a company’s purchasing timeline and budget?

Part one of the series—Common attributes of

international IT buyers—focuses on who you are

marketing to. The research provides a profile of the

International IT Buyer by addressing the following

questions that have implications for your go-to-market

strategies:

• Do international buyers have specialized or more

general roles within their companies?

• Is there a “single buyer” at each organization that

you should aim to reach?

• How many projects does each buyer and buying

team research in any given quarter?

• What role does the IT manager play in conducting

pre-purchasing research on the Web?

In part two—Shifting behaviors in international

research and engagement—we took a look at how

research patterns are evolving, answering the following

questions:

• How heavily is the internet being used to research

online purchases?

• How heavily relied upon are more traditional

resources like print publications and face-to-face

meetings or events?

• How do the research habits of developing nations

like China and India differ from other markets?

How should this affect your marketing strategy?

• How do buyers prefer to interact with vendors

and how has this changed in the last two to three

years?

More in this series

More in this series

Global best practices vs. localized content

Relying on comparison content

Research preferences of global IT Buyers

English-based assests can be effective

Multi-media should be localized

Key takeaways More in this series

Demographics/ About TechTarget

Company size EMEA APAC

< 100 38% 28%

100 to 1,000 26% 36%

> 1,000 36% 36%

Job title EMEA APAC

IT management (manager IS/IT) 16% 17%

Consultant/systems integrator 14% 6%

IT staff 11% 15%

Project management 7% 5%

Senior IT management 6% 6%(CIO/CTO/VP/director)

Systems management/ 6% 7%administration

Programmer/developer 6% 9%

Network management/ 5% 8%administration

Architect 4% 3%

Senior non-IT management 3% 2%(CEO,CFO,VP,director)

Analyst 3% 5%

Application manager 2% 2%

Database administrator 2% 3%

Privacy officer 1% 0%

Telecommunications manager 1% 0%

Other 14% 11%

About TechTarget

TechTarget (NASDAQ: TTGT) is the online intersection

of serious technology buyers, targeted technical content

and technology providers worldwide. Our extensive

network of online and social media, powered by

TechTarget’s Activity Intelligence™ platform, redefines

how technology marketers view and engage technology

buyers based on their active projects, specific technical

priorities and business needs. With more than 100

technology-specific websites and a wide selection of

custom branding and lead generation solutions,

TechTarget delivers unparalleled reach, innovative

opportunities, and extensive Global Marketer Services

to drive technology marketing success around the world.

TechTarget has offices in Atlanta, Beijing, Boston,

Cincinnati, London, Paris, San Francisco, Singapore

and Sydney.

To learn how you can engage with serious technology

buyers worldwide, visit techtarget.com and follow us

@TechTarget.

To recieve the full report data, contact Renee Cormier.

Global study demographics

Demographics/ About TechTarget