Email Campaigns for International Customers: How to be Effective and Compliant

If your company markets with email campaigns, you know how beneficial it can be to your audience when they receive it. Customers may learn about what’s new in your business, current promotions, relevant news items about your particular industry, or even make a purchase based on something they see in one of your emails. The information you present to them via email can help customers become more engaged with your company, and in turn, increase their confidence in you to meet their needs as a consumer.

If you plan to target an audience in an international market, there are a few key points to consider when sending emails to make sure you are both effective and compliant.

• Once you know which international markets you’re targeting, be sure to have a professional translate and localize the content for each country. Choose only the content that is relevant for potential customers in these markets; you will not need to send them information on things that are only relevant to U.S. consumers, for example. Sending the information in their own language shows that you have written the content with them in mind, and these potential international consumers will be more likely to connect and engage with you, as a result.

• Familiarize yourself with email regulations in each target country. Check for anti-spam rules in the countries and regions where your customers live, and make sure you have a functional opt-out button for those who no longer wish to receive your emails. In addition, familiarize yourself with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) if you have customers in Europe.

• Consider time zones. Make sure you are not sending your emails when subscribers are unlikely to engage with or even open them, like in the middle of the night, for example. Take different time zones into account when you are scheduling your emails for optimal engagement.

• Look into what constitutes a successful email campaign in the countries you’re targeting. What types of subject lines have higher open rates? How often are these emails sent? How professional or relaxed is the tone of the email? The answers will likely vary by country and region, so doing a bit of research in advance will help ensure you are sending the most effective content to potential and current international customers.