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eBook | Social Media: Think Globally, Act Locally
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Netflix's marketing campaign for "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" serves as a prime example of a well-crafted, cohesive, and country-specific social media strategy. Notably, Netflix tailored their messaging on social media platforms based on the targeted country. For instance, the US account focused on video formats (reels), cast interviews, game interactions, and the actors' impressions of the show's scenes. Conversely, the French account emphasized the love stories between the characters, while the UK account capitalized on showcasing behind-the-scenes footage due to the predominantly English cast. Despite these distinct approaches, the aim was to maintain a cohesive look and feel across all three accounts. The moral of the story is that a good international social media strategy can be adapted to each country and is easy to implement.
For those seeking to leverage international social media strategies, a multitude of challenges arise. These challenges include maintaining brand identity and consistent marketing messaging while adapting to the cultural nuances of different locations and markets. Moreover, finding synergies in terms of technology and tools for deploying strategies, adapting content creation accordingly, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), and managing budgets are all crucial considerations.
One of the primary challenges is striking the right balance between the global and local teams. While the global team often focuses on broader corporate messages, the local teams tend to prioritize sales and the creation of local communities tailored to their target audience. Finding effective ways to meet the needs of both teams is essential, and utilizing suitable tools, such as Canva and Hootsuite, can facilitate this balance.
Canva serves as a versatile tool utilized across various departments, from marketing to HR, allowing teams to centralize their creative assets. This streamlines productivity by eliminating the need for switching between different digital tools. Additionally, Canva promotes collaborative work among multi-location teams, fostering effective teamwork.
Hootsuite enables the adaptation of social media messaging to suit the specificities of each geographic zone being targeted. It facilitates tailoring content for national celebrations, such as Mother's Day, while maintaining consistent creative designs.
“One of the main challenges we assist our clients in overcoming is striking the right balance between the needs of the global team and those of the local team all while advancing their goals and priorities”
Madeleine Blumgart, International Social Media Strategy Expert at JINTools play a crucial role in overcoming the constraints faced when deploying international social media strategies. Canva, for instance, optimizes productivity by centralizing creative assets. It enables international teams to share brand guidelines, fonts, colors, and brand templates on a single platform. Generative AI has enhanced the services offered by the platform: new features such as Magic Write, an AI powered assistant, that allows you to write content (drafts for social media posts, press releases, business plans, customer support responses, etc.) from a simple text prompt in seconds. The collaborative mode further enhances efficiency, allowing real-time sharing of creations and task assignment. Additionally, the integration functionality of Hootsuite allows for simultaneous work on both Canva and Hootsuite, maximizing efficiency and streamlining workflows.
To optimize content creation, it is essential to first determine the company's profile. The content should then be tailored to suit the needs of B2B or B2C structures. B2C entities typically utilize consumer-facing platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat to convey emotionally driven and aesthetically appealing visuals. On the other hand, B2B platforms, often established structures embracing social media to build digital communities, prefer professional networks like LinkedIn or Twitter to target their key audience, utilizing sleek and understated creative assets. It is crucial to consider these factors when creating content.
Creating open communication channels is the key to success in managing local teams while allowing them to maintain their independence. Information and asset sharing between global and local teams are pivotal for successful collaboration, enabling the dissemination of strong and effective messages while maintaining brand coherence and adherence to brand guidelines.
Local teams possess valuable insights into their target audience's needs and characteristics, but their content requires approval from a member of the global team who can provide a holistic perspective. Establishing global guidelines becomes a priority for brands and companies as it enables newcomers to understand the brand's DNA and identity.
Empowering local teams to utilize their creativity while respecting brand guidelines is essential.
Content must then undergo the approval workflow to ensure alignment with the brand's global requirements.
“The recipe for success for managing the local teams while still letting them be independent is creating open communication. “
Madeleine Blumgart, International Social Media Strategy Expert at JINGenerally, companies prioritize tracking overall performance, placing emphasis on global KPIs. Follower count, often referred to as the "vanity figure," holds significant importance in social media. In addition to this specific KPI, companies typically monitor impressions, engagement, and video view completion. However, KPIs should be tailored to the goals of each campaign. It is also valuable to track local KPIs to gain precise insights into the characteristics of each geographic zone and adapt future content accordingly.
“In the realm of social media, significant emphasis is placed on the number of followers, often referred to as the vanity metric.”
Madeleine Blumgart, International Social Media Strategy Expert at JINDeveloping and implementing an international social media strategy requires careful consideration and a balanced approach. By leveraging tools like Canva and Hootsuite, organizations can navigate the complexities of maintaining brand identity while catering to local nuances. Open communication channels, global guidelines, and efficient monitoring of both global and local KPIs are essential for effective collaboration between global and local teams. Ultimately, a well-executed international social media strategy allows brands to connect with audiences worldwide and drive meaningful engagement.
At JIN, our team is dedicated to crafting a dynamic and personalized approach that perfectly aligns with your unique local and global needs. Contact us today and let us guide you towards social media success!
