localizing content for a global audience: what every content marketer should know

LOCALIZING CONTENT FOR A GLOBAL AUDIENCEWhat Every Content Marketer Should Know

Sarah MitchellLush Digital Media

@globalcopywrite

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HELLO

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MAMAO Y TOTO

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SHOW OF HANDS Global Brand Working at company headquarters Working in a regional office

Doing business globally from single location

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Less than 6%of the world’s population speaks English well enough to conduct business.

Consider this

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AND YET…

“Many of us treat the world-wide web like the Ohio web or the American

English web. Marketers are overwhelmed and unprepared.”

SCOTT ABEL,The Content Wrangler

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Over 60% of global marketers attending CMWorld USA (2103) admitted they have no strategy in place for global content marketing.

Cloudwords Survey

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That’s important because . . .

“We’re inching closer to a linguistically local internet, in which people no longer have to

leave their native languages to get where they want to go.”

JOHN YUNKER,Global by Design blog

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SO HOW DO YOU REACH THE

OTHER 94%?

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By making localizationpart of your global strategy

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TRANSLATION IS NOT ENOUGH

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“I’ve come across too many texts translated into a different language via

Google Translate. Agencies selling ‘native speakers’ should sound warning bells.”

NENAD SENIC,PM, poslovni mediji

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“How to strike that balance between global and local is really an art and a science.”

PAM DIDNER,Author, Global Content Marketing

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LOCALIZING CONTENT

It’s Complicated

ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL

The Grand Picture

or

The Big

Picture

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ADDRESSINGCommunication

Effectiveness

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“I might commence to spend provided that viable chopping it up that has a fellow geek, every one of the even

though not selling anything.”

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“October is the time of year when most companies lock in plans and

budgets for next year.” #GLOBALFAIL marketing company

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Localization Equation(Translation + Localization) x

Number of localities

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Know Your AudienceTip

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LOCAL CONSIDERATIONS

Colors

Holidays Sports

Religion

Fiscal Years

Superstitions

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PAPER Size of documents Hole Punches

z vs. s er vs. re ‘or’ words medical terms

SPELLING

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Quid • Buck • Dosh • Loonie

SLANG

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Ute • Bakkie • Pickup

SLANG GONE MAINSTREAM

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Same Word, Different Meanings Gong Football Rug Powerpoint

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COLLOQUIALISMSRobot vs. Traffic light

Speed bump vs. Sleeping policeman

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Units of MeasureEngineering • Cooking • Pharmaceuticals

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Nickel • Dime • Quarter

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CURRENCY EXPRESSIONS

Sports Terminology Knocked for six That’s not cricket Hit a home run It’s in my wheelhouse

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ACCENTS

Do you needsubtitles or voiceovers for your video content?

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RELIGION

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CUSTOMS

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Sister Rooms Theatre ED

Medical Terms

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SUPERSTITION

4 8

Don’t try to globalize ALL your content. Select key pieces. Focus on top 20% of your content

INTEL METHOD

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Collaborate, don’t legislate

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Make sure everyone has skin in the game

Budgets Accountability towards performance

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“Think global, publish local.”

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SARAH MITCHELL,Lush Digital Media

Questions?Sarah Mitchell@globalcopywrite

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