Email marketing campaigns 'need to adapt to cultural differences'

Multi-national email marketing campaigns must make sure that the content of the material is adapted for the cultural differences of each country, it has been advised.

According to some marketers who spoke to MarketingSherpa, clickthrough rates can triple when html email newsletters are translated for an international audience.

UK businesses looking to expand their client base could also be interested to learn that localising an email marketing campaign may also require adjustment to the newsletter's tone and imagery.

This extra work could put off companies from making the most of their marketing.

MarketingSherpa's 2009 Email Marketing Benchmark Guide found that 58 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses are not localising email content for international audiences.

And US companies using English-language html email newsletters in the UK need to be aware of subtle differences. "That includes differences in phrasing, such as 'ring me' instead of 'call me' or 'petrol' instead of 'gas,' as well as differences in spelling," the publication said.

Making a subject line stand out may also attract an international audience, Helen Leggatt of bizreport.com, recently explained. Subject lines should be less than 50 characters in length.

Written by Greig Daines