Global Content Marketing: Reaching a Worldwide Audience

As of January 2024, there are about 8.085 billion people in the world. Even if you live in India, the world’s most populated country, at most, about 17.75 percent of the world’s people live within your borders. That means 82.25 percent of the global population lives abroad. If you’re running a business, that’s a lot of markets you won’t reach unless you take your company global. Imagine what that means for businesses operating in one of the world’s other 194 countries. For comparison, the US only houses about 4.2 percent of the world’s population.

In other words, why would you limit your business’s reach to your nation’s population alone when you can reach billions more by expanding into international markets? In this blog post, we’ll discuss tips for global content marketing to help your business expand its reach beyond your national borders.

Why Is Good Global Content Marketing Important?

As mentioned above, there are simply too many people outside of your national borders to pass up the ability to sell to them. Content marketing is a powerful tool for building brand awareness and interest. However, when we say “global content marketing,” we don’t just mean “hire someone to translate your blog posts into Hindi or Mandarin.”

Proper global content marketing demands a deep understanding of cultural nuances in your target market and the ability to create content that has universal resonance. Making a half-hearted attempt at global content marketing might look embarrassing or turn people overseas against your brand, and we don’t want that.

Research the Content Landscape of the Market

The world is a brilliant mosaic of cultures, languages and traditions. That means what works in one region might not work in another. Your content should reflect this diversity and respect the uniqueness of the various audiences you’re reaching out to.

Effectively tailoring your content starts with research. You need to understand the preferences, values and behaviors of the target audience in every market you aim to enter. Conduct thorough market research to identify cultural nuances, language preferences and communication styles.

“Localization” is more than just “translation”; it means adapting your content to a region’s specific cultural and linguistic aspects. For instance, if your business sells primarily to farmers or other rural individuals, you might use “y’all” in messaging, but how does that translate into Dutch, Portuguese or Japanese?

Create Multilingual Content

Language plays a pivotal role in a global content marketing strategy. English is a widely spoken language, but it’s vital to go beyond it. Simply put, creating content in multiple languages allows you to reach a broader audience and demonstrate a commitment to engaging with consumers in their native language and culture, which can foster trust and authenticity.

When creating multilingual content, ensure the translations are accurate and culturally sensitive. Consider hiring professional translators, especially native speakers, to guarantee quality and authenticity.

Craft Universally Appealing Content

While it’s vital to respect cultural differences and celebrate the world’s vast diversity, some content can resonate universally. Understanding these universal principles of global content marketing can help you engage audiences across borders.

Focus On Storytelling

Storytelling transcends cultural boundaries. A well-crafted story can evoke emotions in audiences regardless of their background. Focus on creating narratives that are relatable, inspirational or emotionally compelling.

For example, you probably don’t speak Thai, but this commercial for the Thai phone company, True Move, called “Giving,” went viral online because it resonated emotionally with people around the world. Tapping into the human experience and using globally appreciated techniques like triumphing over adversity can help your content be more impactful, no matter the audience.

Use Visual Appeal

Even if you didn’t speak Thai and the video above hadn’t been subtitled, you could probably understand the gist of what was going on, right? Visual content often speaks louder than words, especially when those words have to be translated.

Images, videos and graphics can convey messages that transcend language and cultural barriers. However, when using visual elements, consider the following:

• Use imagery that is culturally relevant and relatable to your target audience.
• Be mindful of symbols and icons that may have different meanings in different cultures. For instance, skeletons, which are popular imagery in the US around Halloween, can be seen as deeply disrespectful to one’s ancestors in China.
• Ensure that the design and layout of your content are visually appealing and easy for a reader of any language to navigate.

Keep It Simple, Keep It Clear

Clarity is key when communicating with a global audience. If you’re using English, avoid complex language, jargon, slang or colloquialisms that might not translate properly. Instead, use simple and concise language to get your message across.

Make sure that your content is easy to read or watch. Clear headings, bullet points and subheadings make your content more digestible.

Be Consistent and Reliable

Consistency in messaging and branding is essential. Ensure that your values and voice remain consistent across all markets. Locals will be more inclined to trust you when you can reliably deliver quality products and services (including content).

Work With Locals and Listen to Feedback

Customer feedback has always been a vital source of information for businesses, and that doubles or triples when you’re working overseas. Engaging with local communities, learning about the cultural nuances, and demonstrating your commitment to the regions you’re branching out into are great ways to build local credibility and boost your understanding of your audience — but you might get things wrong.

In that case, take responsibility and work to change whatever caused the fumble in your global content marketing strategy. Don’t double down on a bad hand because your pride is at stake.

Work With a Reputable Global Content Marketing Agency

Global content marketing can be lucrative and rewarding, but it can also be challenging. So, why not turn to the experts? InnoVision Global Marketing knows how to reach overseas audiences with authentic, culturally resonant and sensitive content. As a full-service marketing agency with a network of resources and branding expertise, we’re here to help your business take its content marketing worldwide.