Content marketing seems like child’s play sometimes, but people always assume it’s only about social media and online engagement. The truth is that this sector is considerably difficult to tackle and cannot be leveraged similarly over the globe but instead adapted to each country’s features. Learn how to improve content marketing in the lands of legends and folklore.
The need for national adaption is why Italian ads push la dolce vita ideology, while content marketing in Germany is challenging to distinguish from advertising, often annoying consumers.
If we analyze the Nordic methods of creating content and promoting a product, we notice a profound expansion of local culture and norms mixed with high-tech and considerable interest in sustainability. While these elements seem easy to reach, entering a new culture through content marketing must be done in consideration of the people.
Overall, using content marketing to penetrate the Nordic market is fun and rewarding, but you must be patient. Here’s how to do it.
What to know about Nordic countries
The Nordic area includes the countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, and two other regions, the Faroe Islands and Åland. These countries are known to be the richest due to their exemplary economic model, they provide plenty of opportunities to grow for young people and are global leaders when it comes to trust, freedom, and happiness.
The public expenditure on culture is the highest in Europe, employment is at its best, and people still enjoy a great movie at the cinema. Hence, we can say that citizens are pretty achieved and might not be fooled by regular advertisements, which is why a straightforward approach is best.
This is also the business culture in the Nordic regions, where individuals are open and do not need to feel superior to others because they prioritize their own success.
What does this mean to you as a content creator?
Although the population is small compared to an entire country, Nordic areas have significant purchasing power due to high levels of digitalization and understanding of their needs. Luckily, there’s an increased demand for imported goods, meaning any overseas company could enter the market with a little effort and consideration. Hence, B2B businesses across Europe have a chance to expand their products in the Nordic market.
Unfortunately, you must face the language barrier and adapt to the Nordic culture to appeal to people. Even if you can provide the products demanded by the market, you must consider marketing them in the local language. Of course, this depends on the target audience because in these regions, people have the highest English proficiency, so they wouldn’t have problems understanding the message. Still, you’d have to comply with the country’s requirements on product packaging, for example, which sometimes requires labels in the original language.
You should also be wary of cultural differences and respect them. Your content strategy should be friendly and humble, focusing on sustainability, quality and transparency regarding manufacturing and transportation.
Go all in with social media
Luckily, the Nordic area is one of the most connected with the internet and social media, so you can succeed with only posts on social media, blog posts, emails, and newsletters. The overall internet penetration is about 97%, with people using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat quite frequently, if not daily.
The steps you should take to develop the best content marketing strategy in the Nordic countries include the following:
- Create your Nordic audience personas. Usually, they’re people with consistent technology knowledge and care about the environment as well as preserving culture.
- Establish your brand story and positioning on the market by addressing the right message but being transparent with your mission and purpose.
- Settle your mission statement by defining your media value proposition based on the audience type, the benefits and outcomes of your business strategy.
- Identify your goals in the Nordic market, from offering digital customer service to providing high-tech platforms and communication channels.
- Plan your content strategy based on your resources, timeline and outsourcing possibilities and try to approximate the time for results.
Approach integrated campaigns
Although they’re engulfed in social media and technology at every age, Nordics don’t really appreciate plastic and robotic campaigns, meaning you must add a personal touch to an advertisement to make it appeal to them. The best strategy here is integration, where you create a mix of posts on social platforms, podcast involvement and working with influencers to make your brand stand out of the competition.
Of course, this method is not easy to manage because you need to align all content in a way that makes sense for the viewer and consumer, which may be difficult to handle initially. For example, if you’re selling cooking utensils, you can invite Nordic chefs to podcasts to discuss various subjects, make social media posts about delicious meals, and work with influencers to create cooking contests.
All these activities involve various departments, from communication to financials and PR. Hence, coordinating them and polishing your message best takes a lot of work. However, it’s the best strategy for companies entering the Nordic market because you introduce local customs and citizens within your brand without making it unfitting or obvious you want to sell.
Remember to have a down-to-earth approach
Nordic people can always tell if you’re honest, which might help your business or not, depending on your brand image. Therefore, if you respect the culture and want to blend in, always be genuine with your social media campaign. You don’t need complex language, even if citizens are intelligent and well-spoken. At the same time, you don’t have to work on your storytelling department too much because being straightforward will be better. Telling what you want to achieve as a business is considerably easier than taking various routes to convince people to buy your products.
How to Improve Content Marketing in the Lands of Legends and Folklore – Wrapping up
Selling products in the Nordic regions might seem easy as pie, but it’s actually a challenge. As a content marketer, you need to understand the language, people, and culture to fit in. Moreover, you’ll sell only if your marketing strategy is simple and direct, so remember to be unambiguous and honest, and you’ll win the cold hearts of the Nordics.
How to Improve Content Marketing in the Lands of Legends and Folklore, written for Daily Scandinavian by Mary Hall.