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How to choose the right marketing agency to assist with your APAC strategy
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With many strong national economies in Asia, there has never been a better time to find customers in the region. However, not all agencies will have the right skillset, personnel and experience necessary to help businesses succeed. In this article, we offer you some pointers on what to look out for.
This may seem obvious, but many agencies do not employ native speakers from each market they serve. For global agencies that work with many different markets, this can be a challenge, which is why we always include native speakers on any project that we work on. In fact, there are many things that can go wrong without a native speaker, such as incorrectly translating words or phrases without considering language, market and cultural context.
When rewriting your communications for a new language, it is imperative that you localise your message for the chosen country in the APAC region. Marketing language should never be simply translated. This is why it is important to have a trusted agency, who can guarantee the accuracy of the translations, and ensure that market and cultural nuances have been correctly integrated.
It is best to find native speakers who are also digital marketing experts to comb through your strategy, website and campaigns with a sharp marketer’s eye. The people in charge of your marketing in the APAC region should have market knowledge and experience, as well as skills such as copywriting, SEO and PPC ad management. Here’s a guide we wrote about Japanese online advertising for further details.
Working with customers in any foreign market requires market research, and the APAC region is no exception. In order to run campaigns there, you will need to know who your competitors are, their marketing activity, who your customers are, and what platforms they use. Market research will allow you to fully understand these and more. Identifying market trends through methods such as social listening might also be important. A good agency will have market research as part of their consultation and will create target audience personas specific to the markets in the APAC region.
Finally, hiring a well-connected agency with a broad network of contacts in the industry can be beneficial. It is likely that a reputable agency will have preferred vendors and partner companies in each country within the APAC region. For example, a brand wanting to expand their ecommerce business in Asia may need guidance on exporting and logistics. In this case, an introduction to a vendor via an agency may present you with special offers or preferential pricing. If you want to know more, please refer to How to start selling your consumer product in Japan through Ecommerce.
Are you ready to kick off your business in Asia or already doing so? Make sure to read over our article on things you should know before launching in the Japanese market. If you are ready to hire an agency, our team of bilingual Japanese digital marketers are on hand to support you. We are online advertising experts that also offer consultation, website localisation, social media marketing and SEO services, as well as social listening for market research. In addition, we have an extensive list of contacts and partner companies in Japan that can further help you in your Japanese market entry journey. Contact us today for your free initial consultation and quote.
