Act Global, Think Local

With advancements in technology, larger brands are now operating on a global scale to reach their international consumers. When considering this, we usually think about the benefits to consumers and other factors such as the increased speed and ease of communication from one side of the world to another. Working within an ESP has allowed me to see the other side of this issue from a brand’s point of view. Consumers are becoming more savvy to marketing tactics. Whilst a brand’s marketing communications are reaching around the globe, their consumers’ expectations have simultaneously increased, with all of us wanting to be communicated with as an individual, rather than on a mass scale. Now marketers must consider how to give a global audience that individual relationship they want.

As you’d probably expect devising a local version of each and every email you send isn’t just a simple case of translation. At eCircle, our project management team allocate a lot of time to setting up clients with an automated solution to be able to tailor each and every send out by country and by user preference. There are many factors to consider to ensure your email is both specific and relevant to each user. The best start I can advise to anyone is to maximise use of your data and make sure it isn’t siloed across your channels.

If you are planning to move into international territory with your email marketing here are some other points you should consider:

Think local:
Segment your database not just by country but take into consideration different dialects, currencies and language preferences. Some recipients may also prefer to receive emails in English rather than a native language so ensure you have the correct preferences.  It’s important to have someone based in each country to check the design and content of each message.

Use your ESP:
Leading ESPs will have experience localising email communications, so take advantage of this. Email broadcasting tools enable brands to include dynamic content which can be matched with user/country preferences to carry out highly targeted segmentation strategies. A good ESP will have relationships with international ISPs, aiding email delivery wherever and whoever you are sending your message to.

Best time to send:
Time zones must be considered as well as the local hours people work, national holidays and when people typically take time off work. For example, people in the UK typically take time off over August when children are on school holidays, whereas in the US school holidays vary from state to state. Once you’ve planned the best time to send your campaigns you should automate this to reduce your workload.

Email format:
How much content you display in your emails can affect how well your campaign does from country to country. In the US, it is usual for articles to be accessed via a link in the email rather than displaying the whole thing. In other countries, the expectation could be that the article will be displayed in full. Localisation of landing pages and forms should also be taken into account.

Test types of content:
What works in one country might not work so well in another so test the email content and design until you get it right. Once you know what content works best your ESP should be able to build an email template around this. Content can be matched with user/country preferences and relevant content inserted automatically. As mentioned, with consumers needs and expectations changing so rapidly, it is best to continually test your templates going forward.

Personalisation preferences:
In some countries, personalisation works well. In others, it can have the opposite effect with the message seeming too artificial or informal. Recipients may also have privacy concerns so try to limit the amount of personal information displayed according to the response of your database.

Foreign laws:
When broadcasting emails to different countries ensure you’re compliant with all regulations. Opt in and opt outs can vary, in Germany for example, double opt in is required. Take note particularly of privacy regulations and use of personal details.

Use your tools to make sure each individual customer feels like you are offering them the personal service they are looking for and you will begin to reap the benefits of a global brand advocacy.