Localization of email campaigns is the process of adapting content, and letter design to the language, culture, and regional characteristics of the target region.

 

This is an important and necessary part of the job because the cost of making a mistake is usually high.

 

For example, when localizing mailing content for clients from Canada, you should write not just in English, but in its Canadian version. As you work with text, you change date formats, calls to action, button colors, and more.

 

Explore your target market If you are already in the international market, then this is probably not new to you. But given the trend of globalization, most marketers forget about the religious and cultural aspects of working with clients in another country.

 

Before creating a newsletter, you need to study the target audience of the local market. To do this, study the following questions:

 

1. Prohibitions. What religious prohibitions can there be in this country (drawings of animals, the absence of scenes of cruelty in pictures, restrictions in the image of people, etc.) For example, if a photo of a model girl is acceptable for a US resident, then for some Arab countries this is a ban.

 

2. The political situation in the country. Which topics are best avoided, and which topics are not to be joked about?

 

3. Color. Is of great importance. The meaning of color in different cultures is different, be sure to see what color means. This will be useful in the design of the letter. For example, red in the United States symbolizes love, in France - masculinity, in Germany - negativity, and in China - success.

 

4. Custom of the country. This information is important for news feeds, writing texts, comparisons, etc. Study the customs of the people, national holidays, important historical events, and persons.

 

5. Communication style. Germans prefer a more formal tone of communication as opposed to Americans who choose a casual style. An email in German must begin with Frau / Herr, which is equivalent in English to Ms./Mr. For American readers, an unofficial form of greeting is fine.

 

 

What do you need to localize in your email?

 

1. Subject of the email campaign. The main thing is the length. Make sure that it is not cut off by the edges of the screen. The ideal subject length for English is up to 50 characters, while for French and German, it grows to 70 characters.

 

2. CTA buttons. As a marketer, you must find wording that does not break the letter design and interests the target audience. Pictures need to be adapted. Avoid symbolism, because in two neighboring countries, the same symbol may have different meanings. It is important here to explore the moment of religion and censorship in your clients' country (for example, images of animals in Islam, blood, skeletons, and zombies in China).

 

3. LTR and RTL interface. Middle Eastern languages ​​such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Urdu are written from right to left, unlike English and other European languages.

 

4. Consider the laws governing email marketing. The main rules include:
- consent to the newsletter;
- unsubscribe button;
- a mandatory indication of your contact information in the email.

 

5. Time. Consider time differences, weekends, etc.

 

6. Signature in the letter. For example, the “Regards” signature is considered standard in the US, while “Kind Regards” or “Warm Regards” are preferred in the UK. In Brazil, it is common to end a letter with a phrase that means a hug. And in some countries, there is a prayer or blessing at the end.
Therefore, before choosing a phrase for your signature, study the culture of the audience so as not to confuse subscribers with your wording.

 

7. Translation. That is a very important question. Of course, using free translation services is easier and cheaper, but you are doomed to semantic and sometimes grammatical errors.
Ideally, it is better to hire a native speaker translator who can fully adapt the letter to the local specifics, while retaining the purpose, idioms, context, and tone of the original in the translation.

 

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