Often, there’s a little bit of misunderstanding when we talk about content strategy and content marketing. Still, a lot of marketers use the two words without highlighting a considerable difference.
When we speak about strategy, we mean all the different kinds of content you want to produce for various purposes, such as brand awareness, engagement, customer service, and sales.
This type of content can have different forms and lengths and includes:
- blog posts,
- infographics,
- landing pages,
- videos,
- CTAs,
- social media posts,
- e-mails.
And so on.
On the other hand, when we talk about content marketing, we mean the way this content is going to be distributed to be eventually seen by your potential buyer personas and help you reach your goals.
Having clarified that, do you need to rely on a content strategy and content marketing to expand your fashion brand abroad? Absolutely yes!
According to these stats:
- in 2017 40% of YouTube users turned to the platform to obtain more information about a brand;
- in the same year 54% of consumers stopped purchasing from a company due to lousy service;
- 52% of consumers are more likely to lose interest in a brand which doesn’t offer personalized communication and tailored offers;
- in 2016, 63% of US shoppers declared that they trust consumers’ photos more rather than brands.
Let’s have a look at this step-by-step guide which will give you some practical tips on how to make your business global thanks to content.
4 tips to internationalize your brand with content marketing
1. Do your homework
It’s very important for you to know the market in which you want to expand your business.
Culture, lingo, buyer’s habits even the political situation are some key factors for you consider when developing a meaningful content strategy successfully.
Also, today is even easier to do market research without spending crazy budgets, thanks to:
- keyword research,
- online surveys,
- social media.
Consider doing a specific research on what platforms are mostly used by your potential buyer persona in that specific country.
Maybe you’re planning to expand your business to Italy, for example, and you’re considering investing a big part of your budget in an Instagram strategy, but with a big surprise, you’ll discover Facebook it’s still a powerful channel for fashion brands in that country.
In other words, do your homework before, to invest your budget wisely after. Knowing your local buyer persona is a great starter point, for example.
2. Produce “shoppable” content 
Content is still king, and for this reason, you have to produce smart and digestible content. But at the end of the day, you want to sell.
So, you have to plan a content strategy that involves “shoppable” content, that may include:
- Click and Shop. The most important social platforms for fashion brands, such as Instagram and Facebook, already include that feature so consider using it.
- User Generated Content. As we saw, potential clients rely a lot on UGC, but today’s online user has become aware of the influencer marketing dynamics and doesn’t want to be tricked.
Also, measuring the ROI from Influencer marketing and UGC has become tricky, so here’s a tip: try to involve micro influencers. Recent surveys show that this kind of content creators have fewer but more engaged followers.
Introducing a new brand in a foreign market surely will need the support of local decision makers and getting in touch with the right influencers is an excellent way to start.
- Blog. With the rise of graphic and video content, many brands seem to forget about the almost lost art of blogging, but, surprise surprise, it’s still a great move to get your brand well-known.
On the one hand, SEO optimized blog posts will help your website/e-commerce rank the Google SERP.
On the other, producing valuable content will increase your brand reputation.
Articles about the latest trends in the fashion industry or suggestions of new outfits can be combined with internal link buildings of your products.
3. Keyword research
Keyword research is a significant part of a content marketing strategy.
Producing valuable content is crucial but it has to be optimized to reach the right audience organically.
SEO will remain crucial for content marketing, and you’ll need to invest in local professional figures who will help you optimize your website and blog content.
4. Don’t forget about personalized communication
We’ve seen how important it is for brands to offer personalized deals and content at each stage of the buyer’s journey.
Personalized communication involves different channels and platforms, such as:
- IM apps. In this article, we had a look at the importance of instant messaging in a marketing strategy. With the help of marketing automation platforms and chatbots, you’ll be one step ahead in providing a tailored experience to your clients or potential clients abroad.
- E-mails. E-mail marketing is still a very powerful strategy for you to communicate with customers online. Forget about cold and plain e-mails and open your mind to a personal, compelling and informal tone of voice, not forgetting to include the essential information according to the stage of customer’s journey.
A quick recap on how to expand your fashion brand abroad with content marketing
- Do your research through some valuable content you might find online.
- Produce smart and compelling content through social media and blog posts.
- Optimize your content through SEO strategy according to the local keyword research queries.
- Optimize your touchpoints with personalized content to offer:– tailored experiences,
– customer support,
and to grow your revenue.
You’re new at content marketing, and you don’t know from where to start?
Download our editorial calendar to start planning your content marketing strategy and conquer new markets!
