Why US Content Does Not Work in Germany

Germany is the biggest market in Europe and offers huge potential for US and UK companies that are willing to invest in a local presence there. However, the biggest mistake any US or UK B2B company can make when entering the German market, short of not engaging in content marketing at all, is to simply translate a US-style content marketing strategy into German, or to only reuse English-language assets. 

Many global companies believe that when these texts are translated, the content will work in Germany too. This is absolute nonsense – and for good reasons too. The way a German and American read texts related to buying a service or product is neither slightly nor significantly different from each other – the difference is fundamental.

Americans Pay Attention to Authors

American readers consider the author of an article to be very important. Authors are often mentioned with a picture and brief profile. Authors take pleasure in giving an account of an experience of a product or service from their own, very personal viewpoint, and in giving recommendations. American readers appreciate this and are glad of the advice! They know their authors and this builds a level of trust that means the reader can rely on having the same experience with the recommended purchase or that they will be held in high esteem by many others. This is how American authors develop a reputation. Their personal judgment carries weight. A good example is Walt Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal. If he tears an Apple product to shreds, the CEO travels personally to meet him, as his opinion is crucial for Apple.

Germans Pay Attention to Facts

Germans are completely different. They know which magazine, newspaper and online website they read regularly. But what about the authors? It is very rare that they know the authors’ names – it is simply not important to them. They tend to trust the chosen medium. Germans also expect as many facts, data and diagrams as possible and often like to form their own opinion. The editor is supposed to cut down as much work as possible for the reader with their research, but the reader still prefers to decide for themselves which product suits them best. 

For this reason, the largest computer magazine in Germany, “c’t”, does not determine any test winners when comparing products and services, instead providing the reader with endless tables. They do not include a box with a picture of the author and what he has written over the past 10 years either. It is about the products, not the author. 

Translating Is Pointless

If you give an American a “nice” German test review, he will wonder: “So what am I supposed to buy? Who is the author and what has he previously written?” The German text will not appeal to him because he does not know who the author is and whether he can trust him. Furthermore, there is no clear recommendation.

The same problem occurs the other way round: If a German reads a text that has been translated from American English, he will feel like he has not got a lot out of it. He is not interested in the personal impressions of somebody he does not know – who knows what this person’s preferences are or who he’s being paid by. A German expects facts, measurement results and diagrams so that he can make his own judgment. If these things are missing, he will have a very bad gut feeling and will not take the text seriously. 

This does not only apply to texts. Americans love to read figures, such as “according to IDC, you can reduce costs by 30% if this solution is chosen.” Behind this figure is a source that the reader can trust: in this case, IDC. And as it is IDC saying this, it carries weight. This kind of thing is less common in Germany. Germans prefer to look more closely at the example and the figures and decide for themselves whether it would work for their company. Having a number on its own is too vague – Germans prefer to have more facts and background knowledge so that they can make their own judgment. 

Localization Is Key

Having a simple translation done is therefore a waste of time and money. If you are translating English content into German, you have to rework it in such a way as to fulfill the expectations of the German reader, thereby adding more facts and taking away personal assessments. A good content marketing agency will be aware of these differences and will let the American customer know that a translation alone is not enough, and that additional work is required. 

2 Tips for Executing a Successful Content Marketing Strategy in Germany

Content should generally be more serious, factual and detailed

Again, although the more relaxed and tech savvy digital native generation will bring change, the majority of German buyers in most industry sectors still prefer fact heavy, proof-oriented content over pretty infographics or conversational marketing stories. That doesn’t mean you can’t be creative, but it does mean that any ‘wacky’ content pieces that may have delivered great results in the US or the UK, may not play well in Germany. They may even do more harm than good if they make it hard for buyers to take your organisation seriously. When in doubt, stick to the facts, and provide quantified proof points wherever possible.

Case studies must be highly relevant i.e. same industry, similar company size/strategy

This as much a general best practice recommendation about case studies and references as it is a local market issue, but it is particularly important in Germany. For example, a large German automotive company will expect you to provide proof that your solution works at another large German automotive firm or, at the very least, another large manufacturer of complex products. A reference from a professional services company will not convince them, no matter how big or famous the brand, or how outstanding the results that were achieved. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use references from other sectors to back up your story, but you should expect them to be less influential in converting leads than in other markets.

Conclusion

There are fundamental differences between German and US/UK B2B buyers in terms of online behaviour, content consumption habits, the customer journey, and attitudes towards a range of issues. The harsh reality is this: Simply replicating a US or UK-oriented content marketing strategy in Germany, even in the local language, is extremely unlikely to succeed. 

Germany remains one of the most difficult markets to run demand generation campaigns in across Europe. I would love to share details about successful campaign and content strategies my customers have employed in the region to drive better ROI.

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This article originally appeared digitally at the NetPress Blog. There are even more insights ...