Have you ever wondered why some businesses struggle to see growth despite having a solid marketing team and lead-generation methods? It all comes down to one crucial factor that limits their success. That factor is not utilizing localization by repurposing their English marketing materials for international markets. With a little under half of internet users not speaking English, businesses are missing out. It's evident in the modern age that leveraging the power of localization can be critical for the success of your business and the means of acquiring new customers in different markets. In this guide, we will go over whom to market to, what content to repurpose, how to localize your content, and how to track your metrics. 

Analysis of Ideal Target Markets

First, let's discuss what markets we should target. This determining factor alone will dictate whether your localization efforts will be successful or not. Targeting the wrong market could be a costly mistake, so we must identify the right audiences that will be consumers of your services or products. One approach to finding a suitable market is by utilizing market research. Analyze different needs based on consumerism. For example, if your business targets e-commerce markets, consider targeting the French market since their annual online sales equate to 80 billion dollars and is ranked as the seventh-largest e-commerce market in the world!

Another way to help determine who to market to is by using built-in analytics on your website or social media. Many platforms already have the data provided, like Google Analytics for example. To access location reports on Google Analytics, go to the Reports tab on the left, select user attributes, and click Demographic details.

Identify What to Localize

Once we determine the right market to target, we can identify what materials need to be localized. Localization is turning your marketing materials, whether video media, documents, or marketing ads, into something your target market can consume. Localization is not just changing the words; we are talking about tailoring the content piece into something people can relate to. Tailoring the content includes everything from idiomatic expressions to ensuring that visuals and graphics align with the cultural context. 

Example

One example is Axon Enterprises turning its English taser training modules into modules the Latin American market could consume. With the help of Outbound Media’s professional localization services, they successfully targeted Spanish and Portuguese markets to help promote global public safety.

‍

Figuring out what needs to be localized varies between companies. Still, a general rule of thumb is to prioritize the localization of content that aims to improve brand recognition, build credibility, or boost conversions.

‍

 Some content pieces may range from:

• Social Media posts
• Ads 
• Internal Media
• Product Videos
• HR documents
• Website
• Landing Pages

‍

Extra Tip

When localizing internal media and marketing materials, dubbing is another vital aspect. This can be accomplished with traditional voice actors or with AI dubbing. Both have pros and cons, but depending on the project, it may be crucial for the project’s success. 

Dubbing AI:

When dubbing your media into your desired language to target a new market, AI dubbing may be a more immediate solution. Still, on the other hand, you should be aware of the common obstacles you may face when using AI. Some cons may include:

• Lack of realism
• Lack of tonality
• Limitations on expressiveness

With the lack of human presence and expressiveness with AI, it makes more sense to use a traditional voice actor to convey your message more effectively.

Dubbing with Voice Actors:

Dubbing with professional voice actors can be a great way to localize with new potential customers because it brings in the realism that AI lacks. While AI voiceover may be acceptable, it may come off as nonprofessional and hinder your ability to convey your message, especially regarding more significant projects. According to voicebot.ai, 70% of people prefer a human voice instead of a synthetic voice for their user experience.

Tools to Help Execute

After figuring out who to target and which content to repurpose, we next need to figure out how to create the localized materials. There are two methods for accomplishing this task:

• Doing it yourself
• Working with a localization company

Doing it Yourself

Note that when doing the localization process yourself, you may see it's cheaper than working with a company, but it may not be the best or most efficient option. Some main challenges you may encounter are the process being time-consuming, encountering translation issues, not being of the highest quality, and the risk of the materials retaining cultural context. Here are some Tools to help with the process of doing it yourself:

‍

Tools for Translation:

• Google Translate
• Crowdin
• Deepl
• Bing Microsoft Translator

‍

Tools for Voice-Overs:

• Dubverse
• ElevenLabs
• Speechify
• Murf.ai

‍

Tools for Video Editing:

• Adobe premiere pro
• Davinci resolve
• Final Cut Pro
• CapCut
• Hitfilm

‍

Tools for Graphic Design:

• Canva
• Adobe Express
• Design Wizard
• Photoshop
• Gimp

Working with a Localization Company:

While some individuals want to take on the localization process on their own, there is a more efficient way. A surefire way to ensure accurate localization materials is to partner with a professional and seasoned company like Outbound Media, which focuses on handling the entire localization process for you. It's a more convenient way to save you time and effort. It is more reliable since AI translations, for example, may only have an accuracy rate of 55% when taking context into consideration. Inaccurate errors like this could lead to miscommunications between your brand and your audience. Feel free to schedule a quick 10-minute chat to see if you qualify!

Track Progress

Once your content has been localized, you can move forward with tracking progress to assess its effectiveness. Depending on the nature of the materials you have localized, there are several ways to track your metrics. For instance, if you have rolled out localized ads to target a new market, you can track your metrics by:

• Page visits
• Social media interactions
• Website Traffic
• User demographics
• Conversion rates

Conclusion

Content localization is not just translating text; it's turning content into something people around the world can relate to and connect with. Giving people the ability to understand and access your brand in different markets may compel a broader audience to purchase your service or products. Localizing your first piece of content may feel daunting, but figuring out who to target and what materials need repurposing will help smoothen the process for you. If you want a greater guarantee of accuracy and personalization of your brand to new markets, consider working with Outbound Media! On top of translating and dubbing your dialogue transcripts, our Quality Check team will approve of the accuracy and context to ensure your new materials are of the highest quality and maximize market relatability.