Top 3 tips for engaging foreign shoppers through email

Kristina: What is different about the Asian market than, say, opening a business to international consumers?

Gillian Hamilton Rogers, Marketing and Advertising Consultant, Singapore, Metia: The main challenge in Asia. . .is a greater diversity of language, culture and development. You cannot have a one-size-fits-all strategy here - it must be tailored on a country by country basis. In terms of email marketing from a Western brand it means that before sending you must address elements such as:
• Language - what is the best language for your email to be sent in? For some countries such as Australia and Singapore sending an email in English is acceptable, however in countries such as China, Japan & Korea it is imperative you communicate in the native language. Sending marketing emails in China is particularly challenging as you need to ensure you avoid words which flag their censors.
• Symbolism - colours, animals, numbers - these may represent something in the country you're sending your emails to. Double check that you've used them in the correct context to avoid offence.
• Design - different cultures respond best to different designs. What you think looks great might not be right to in another country. Do you research and test.
• Legalities - each country in Asia Pacific has their own individual laws when it comes to sending email marketing campaigns. Don't fall foul - at best you'll hit the spam folder, at worst you'll be liable for prosecution.

Kristina: What are your top 3 tips?

Gillian: Know your market. Do your research thoroughly before confirming your strategy and starting a campaign. In terms of email this means researching preferred end user device e.g. phone/pc, colours, language, data protection laws, phraseology amongst others. As a Western brand if you try to apply the same strategy to Asia you will be seriously hindering yourself. Hire a company like ours to provide the expertise needed to make your email campaign work and to avoid the pitfalls. Test it, tweak it and test it again. You won't get it right the first time, so don't be afraid to test something.

Embrace mobile and social. Ensure your email campaigns are optimized for smartphones and tablets - and make sure you continue your campaign across to social media to reinforce the brand engagement.

Focus on your USP (unique selling proposition). You must distinguish your brand not just from your usual competitors but also any local brands

Tags: email marketing, email messages, email trends, Metia