Lesson #3: Localize Your Content For The Global Market
Lesson #3: Localize Your Content For The Global Market
Since its inception, MySpace has had more than its fair share of critics. That, however, comes with the territory when dealing with dot-com startups. They say the site is just the latest in a long string of teen fad sites, including Friendster, Geocities, and Tripod. They say that once the fad has faded away, so too will the company. They also say that the statistics that show MySpace as being the third most popular website are unrealistic since many users spend all day on the site, thus boosting its traffic figures.
But DeWolfe and Anderson pay no matter. Instead, they are taking the criticism in stride and planning their next move. “A lot of people feel that those sites were much bigger than they were. Friendster had 1.5 million users,” says DeWolfe. “Last month in the US we had 54 million unique users. A lot of people have put their lives online and are using MySpace to manage their social lives. There was definitely a concern in the beginning that that could happen but if you have 100 friends and 99 of them are on MySpace you can't just go over to another website and expect them all to follow.”
So, what are DeWolfe and Anderson doing to ensure that they will still be around in the years to come? They are reaching out far and wide. “We’re only beginning to scratch the surface of where we can go,” says DeWolfe. “We plan to move into another 10 or 11 territories in the next year.”
But expanding into other countries, for DeWolfe and Anderson, does not just mean buying a different country’s domain extension and plopping their name in front of it. No, DeWolfe and Anderson understand that for each country they plan on entering, things are going to have to be a little bit different.
“The social platform is multi-local, not multinational,” says DeWolfe. “There are important local customs, such as the buying of gifts in Cyworld in Korea. MySpace is already localized in 18 countries. There will only be a few social networks in each country. We localize our product when we go into a new market.”
Immediate plans for MySpace’s future include expanding globally on the localized offshoots already established in the UK and Australia. Since the site was recently translated into German, the number of registrations has tripled. Exclusive Montreal musician video premieres, for instance, have also helped boost Canadian membership.
“We recognize that there are big differences in culture in all countries,” says DeWolfe. “For example, in Japan, they seem to be very interested in blogging in groups and sharing information by affinity groups, whereas in the U.S. it's more about the individual person and the friends that are around them.” DeWolfe and Anderson have even noticed differences between their Canadian and American members and have begun tailoring their sites accordingly.
“In every country we have a local management team on the ground that really understands the culture and customs and how people use the site,” says DeWolfe. “We just did that in January of this year, and our unique users have increased by 50 per cent.”
Lesson 3 Localize Your Content For The Global Market
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“We’re never arrogant, we're always looking at the competition,” says DeWolfe. “But they have not been successful for a couple of reasons. The intent to socialize on a site like Yahoo! isn't really there because the brand doesn't necessarily stand for anything and there's no real voice to it.”
Since its inception, MySpace has had more than its fair share of critics. That, however, comes with the territory when dealing with dot-com startups. They say the site is just the latest in a long string of teen fad sites, including Friendster, Geocities, and Tripod. They say that once the fad has faded away, so too will the company. They also say that the statistics that show MySpace as being the third most popular website are unrealistic since many users spend all day on the site, thus boosting its traffic figures.
But DeWolfe and Anderson pay no matter. Instead, they are taking the criticism in stride and planning their next move. “A lot of people feel that those sites were much bigger than they were. Friendster had 1.5 million users,” says DeWolfe. “Last month in the US we had 54 million unique users. A lot of people have put their lives online and are using MySpace to manage their social lives. There was definitely a concern in the beginning that that could happen but if you have 100 friends and 99 of them are on MySpace you can't just go over to another website and expect them all to follow.”
So, what are DeWolfe and Anderson doing to ensure that they will still be around in the years to come? They are reaching out far and wide. “We’re only beginning to scratch the surface of where we can go,” says DeWolfe. “We plan to move into another 10 or 11 territories in the next year.”
But expanding into other countries, for DeWolfe and Anderson, does not just mean buying a different country’s domain extension and plopping their name in front of it. No, DeWolfe and Anderson understand that for each country they plan on entering, things are going to have to be a little bit different.
“The social platform is multi-local, not multinational,” says DeWolfe. “There are important local customs, such as the buying of gifts in Cyworld in Korea. MySpace is already localized in 18 countries. There will only be a few social networks in each country. We localize our product when we go into a new market.”
Immediate plans for MySpace’s future include expanding globally on the localized offshoots already established in the UK and Australia. Since the site was recently translated into German, the number of registrations has tripled. Exclusive Montreal musician video premieres, for instance, have also helped boost Canadian membership.
“We recognize that there are big differences in culture in all countries,” says DeWolfe. “For example, in Japan, they seem to be very interested in blogging in groups and sharing information by affinity groups, whereas in the U.S. it's more about the individual person and the friends that are around them.” DeWolfe and Anderson have even noticed differences between their Canadian and American members and have begun tailoring their sites accordingly.
“In every country we have a local management team on the ground that really understands the culture and customs and how people use the site,” says DeWolfe. “We just did that in January of this year, and our unique users have increased by 50 per cent.”
Lesson 3 Localize Your Content For The Global Market
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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