Going global: The do’s & don’ts for app industry

Mobile media content is an important factor of success for any advertiser looking to enhance his revenue. What to show and where to show are the big challenges a marketer will face in his career. Making ads relevant to the user’s interest is the goal any marketer would like to follow.

The Asian market is becoming big for game developers. Newzoo, a renowned games industry research firm, reported that Asian market drives 45 percent of the global gaming market revenue. As the number looks big, many game developers may think of expanding their markets to Asia. But, remember global markets are diverse and culturally oriented to a point where different dialects may even become a pivotal point for success, and this is where the pitfall lies.

The biggest challenge to overcome in the Asian market is to understand the differences in the user’s preferences. Also, other factors to consider may include trends, censorship rules, the language of communication, etc. In an article written by Si Crowhurst, General Manager, Vungle Creative Labs, he has recommended eight factors to consider before going global. In this article, we came up with the factors which may or may not work for a publisher.

Taking all these factors into consideration, here are the do’s and don’ts for Asian market:

What works?

Creative. Being creative and innovative is the biggest advantage that a marketer can have when he plans to go global. All the markets are not same, and Asia is a culturally diverse region, local expertise is needed at each and every step of innovation. Understanding the user’s need and aligning your content to his preferences might end up making your app popular. A publisher should take into consideration third party agencies to investigate on local preferences and develop content relevant to local interests.

Translation problem. Even though called as a problem, translation perhaps is the easiest part. The first thing to do is to find a quality translation, making sure that both voiceovers and texts are translated. Asian countries rely on their local dialects rather than English, and this can be disastrous if misunderstood. For example, in China, less than 1 percent users prefer content in English, but in Singapore, a country less than 1000 miles south of China, more than 80 percent users prefer English. 

Sharing tendencies. Recently eMarketer reported that 56% Millennials in China agree that they share everything that they do online. Sharing content is good news for game developers. Sharing is a global phenomenon and can grow very fast like word of mouth. We have seen in the past that the things that go viral move at a fast pace and act like no-cost promotions.

Gaming Trends. When it comes to gaming trends the most important aspect for a developer is to understand which game genres are the most preferred in Asia. Globally, the trends are not the same. For example, casual and RPG are top two trends in China, but in US, brain and matching puzzles are top two. Understanding the trends and developing content shouldn’t be something new for the publisher.

What doesn’t?

Regulations. Though Asia- Pacific seems to be one word, there is a universe in itself. By that what we mean is there are many countries in it, and they don’t have the same regulations when it comes to making your content available to everyone. Most countries have specific guidelines when it comes to running promotions. China has the most strict internet censorship policies among other nations. It is advisable that a publisher should seek legal help before he enters the Chinese market.

Mobile content. The Asia- Pacific market differs a lot when it comes to mobile content. It is a very common practice in the US that most TV video ads run on your mobile app, but when it comes to Asia, the preferences of users differ. In a study, IAB reported that 82% of viewers globally want to see mobile video ads that relate to their preferences and search history. Publishers should take into account research reports which exclusively talk about user preferences of Asia.

Overestimating popularity of your content. The best app in one country may not be the best in some other. Overestimating is a mistake we all do, one should be careful when planning to move globally. Putting some time into research, understanding preferences, popular apps, trends, and popular genres may help prevent a financial disaster. 

By knowing this do’s and don’ts doesn’t mean that a publisher will succeed in a global market. A plan, a strategy, knowledge resources, local advice and many other factors will be required to shape up the app suitable for that market. It is advisable that the publisher sets his foot outside his home and travel around Asia to explore the people and culture. The important thing in this do’s and don’ts is to learn more about Asian app market before spending big bucks on the campaign.

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