Diverse cultural backgrounds come with different values, perspectives, and expectations. This creates unique marketing challenges for educational institutions looking to recruit more international students. What’s the solution? Localisation. Let’s explore how you can craft content to bridge cultural gaps and connect with prospective students worldwide.

Adapt messaging for cultural sensitivities

When marketing to different countries, it’s important to modify your messaging and tone to align with local cultural norms. For instance, more direct and assertive language may resonate in some Western cultures, but could seem overly aggressive in parts of Asia where subtlety and nuance are valued. Conducting thorough market research will enable you to understand these unique cultural distinctions and craft culturally-aware content in terms of wording and tone. This helps establish trust and rapport with local audiences.

Translate beyond words

Word for word translations often fail to fully capture the true meaning and essence of a language, and in turn, your content writing. Thus, effective localisation requires that you go beyond direct translation in order to explain concepts, idioms, humour and other linguistic and cultural nuances. Consider hiring a professional translator who is fluent in both the source and target languages, enabling you to avoid miscommunication or messaging that seems awkward or confusing.

Use visuals that resonate

Photos and videos help make content more engaging and memorable. If you want to appeal to international students, it’s important to select imagery featuring people, behaviours and settings that local audiences culturally identify with. This helps your audience form an emotional connection and signals your institution’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

By adapting messaging, translations and visuals, international education marketers can shape content that genuinely resonates with potential students worldwide. Here at Schools & Agents we have years of experience writing culturally-sensitive content for our international clients, so why not let us handle your content strategy? Get in touch today to find out more!

Written by Stephanie Clark