GO LOCAL – Why creating content close to home can make your brand grow!

Friday: Collaborate and Innovate FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused cinemas, theatres, and other public spaces to close down. Because of this, a lot of people have resorted to various streaming platforms in order to watch their favorite movies, documentaries, or series. But how do you choose which streaming systems to use? Maybe, unaware to you, it could have something to do with the way these companies advertise. Did you know that many of these streaming platforms use various marketing strategies to expand their reach across the globe? But they also use tactics on a local level. And most likely these are the advertisements that may be influencing your decision on which streaming system to subscribe to. Keep reading to know how localized content can do wonders for your business. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

GO LOCAL – Why creating content close to home can make your brand grow! In a span of a decade, Netflix became one of the most successful streaming services in the world. Today, it seems like everyone you know has something to binge-watch. From famous movies and series to eye-opening documentaries… there’s just so much to enjoy! How did Netflix become the global entertainment sensation that we know and love today? By creating and providing LOCALIZED CONTENT! While Netflix has a massive library of movies and shows that have universal appeal, they also have shows and movies only available to a specific country. Some of these are popular local movies and TV staples. Some are produced in collaboration with Netflix called Netflix Originals. Such content diversity is what makes Netflix a very popular platform. Providing their subscribers with localized shows allows them to connect with a wider audience. Here are examples of popular locally-produced movies and shows by Netflix: Dark (Germany) Roma (Mexico) Sacred Games (India) Dead Kids (Philippines) This effort to produce localized content has helped Netflix become a global streaming powerhouse. As of April 2020, they have 182.8 million subscribers worldwide in 190 countries! The growth and success are bolstered by Netflix’s commitment to international expansion and the huge investment they made on it. They collaborated with a number of studios and productions from different countries. These collaborations support local film and television studios and introduce audiences to different settings and cultural themes. Netflix also acquired rights to stream popular local shows on their platform, giving subscribers more local content! Apart from their movies and series, Netflix also has social media pages specific to each country. This helps them interact with subscribers and provide them with engaging posts. Because of Netflix’s ability to understand their target market and create a customer-centric approach, they strengthened their brand image and online presence even more. Localizing content might seem like a tedious task, but its value to digital marketing is irreplaceable. Localizing content also doesn’t just mean creating various content for various cultures. It can also mean tagging your location. Search engines can now take location into account. If you search for something like “Japanese restaurants near me” on Google, you will get a map and the best recommendations around your area! Identifying your location is such a powerful tool… you don’t even need to be an expert to get this right! Your brand can create content about the places, people, and activities near you. You can start by creating blogs about famous locales in your area. You can also collaborate with other brands and businesses. If you want your brand to expand internationally, you can create a site with the option to view it in multiple languages! This is the fastest way to “localize” your content while you fix the rest of your site to fit the local market. It’s also one of the quickest ways for your brand to immediately pop up on local search results! Taking a page out of Netflix’s book, you can collaborate with local productions and content creators. No, we don’t mean you have to create movies or series of your own. You can create other kinds of engaging content unique to your brand and use the type of media appropriate for it. You can create vlogs, set up live video streaming events, or post stories on Instagram—other effective ways to expand your online presence! On social media, you can use geotagging to mark your posts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. People would be able to find the latest promos and events around their area faster, giving more exposure to your brand. Localized content provides more opportunities to be discovered. By following the example of brands like Netflix, you too can create content that taps into a local audience, helping your brand grow even more! Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn.     Stay tuned for next Friday’s Collaborate and Innovate! Learn more about Localized Content on next week’s Collaborate and Innovate!