Content localization can be a time-consuming, research-intensive process, which is probably why it’s often overlooked — even by big brands that otherwise have highly robust and effective SEO strategies in place. But that’s also what could make it such a key differentiator for you.

When you take the time to accurately localize your content, your brand won’t just feel like another option for your audiences. Instead, you’ll feel like a brand that actually understands them and takes the time to speak to them on their own terms (literally). You’ll stand out from your competition, form more authentic relationships with your audience, and drive more qualified traffic to your web pages. All it takes is a little extra work on the front end.

If you’re wondering whether it’s worth localizing your content for different regions, that’s already a pretty good sign the answer is yes. 

What is content localization?

Content localization is the process of creating or editing content for a specific region. Though localization is related to — and frequently conflated with — content translation, the two are separate undertakings that require separate expertise.

Where translation is about converting the text of one piece of content from one language to another, localization can be thought of as converting the meaning of a text. Localizers are in charge of rewriting text to ensure its message makes sense to and resonates with the localized audience they are attempting to communicate with.

Compared to translation, content localization is much broader in focus. It could involve any number of alterations to content, including changes to:

• Spelling, such as changing American English to British English (for example, changing the spelling of “color” to “colour”).
• Measurements, such as switching from the imperial measurement system to the metric system (for example, changing feet to meters).
• Time and date formatting, such as changing the MM/DD/YYYY format used in the US to the DD/MM/YYYY format used in most of Europe.
• Idioms and phrases, which may rely on cultural knowledge that makes them difficult to translate to other cultures, requiring a replacement or analog instead.
• Hyperlinks, including any links to other webpages or websites you include in the content. You don’t want to localize one page only to send your visitors to an un-localized, irrelevant webpage when they want to learn more.
• Images and other media are often overlooked by localizers, but swapping out images and videos with media that’s more relevant to a local audience is a great way to make a page feel more targeted.
• Emojis, which can have different connotations in different cultures and regions. For example, the smiley face emoji actually symbolizes contempt or distrust in China.
• Keywords are also highly affected by localization. Using localized keywords is an opportunity to rank highly in the locales you’re targeting, significantly boosting your visibility to the right audience. Keyword localization is an important part of international SEO.

Depending on the nature of the content itself, even more substantial changes may be necessary. For instance, if you’re writing about celebrations or cultural events that aren’t observed in every region you’re targeting, then it won’t make much sense to publish that content in those regions. Instead, your content team should consider creating an alternate piece of content for those regions — or scrapping the idea entirely in favor of something with broader appeal.

Content localization best practices

No matter your audience, your content, or the region you’re localizing to target, you should always take the time to follow each of these best practices.

Get to know your regions first

The earlier you start your localization process, the more effective it will be. If possible, make thoughtful localization a part of your content and SEO market entry strategizing. As you develop audience personas, take note of where these audiences are located, and gather insights such as the following:

• Languages spoken in the regions
• Formatting styles used in the region (for date, time, measurements, spelling, etc.)
• Average demographics in the region (including age, education, income level, etc.)
• How people within this region typically find and interact with content online
• Major competitors in the region and how they approach content creation
• Audiences most likely to be interested in your product 
• Major holidays celebrated in the region
• Unique cultural factors to be aware of within the region
• Specific words, phrases, and subject matter to avoid 
• Anything else your content creators should know about the region

The later you implement your localization strategy, the more content you’ll have to retroactively localize, which can be a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. If you already have a great deal of existing content you’d like localized, it’s worth taking the time to conduct an SEO content audit with your new regions in mind.

Create (and maintain) regional style guides

Once you’ve researched the regions you’re targeting, build out separate style guides for each. These style guides should contain all of the information you found during your research and will serve as a source of truth for your content and SEO specialists.

Consult these style guides frequently and continuously update them as you learn more information about the region in question. If and when you conduct additional customer research, cross-check your learnings with your regional style guides and update them accordingly. If you maintain them properly, your style guides should continue to become more accurate and useful the longer you have them — just like your personas.

Don’t think of your regions as “primary” and “secondary”

Chances are, you probably do most of your business in one or two major regions. It’s tempting to think of these regions as your “primary” regions and narrowly focus on them. But by deprioritizing “secondary” regions, you risk stifling their potential for growth.

Take the time to consider all of these regions a primary source of traffic and potential revenue, and create content for them accordingly. Doing any less will only serve to alienate your “secondary” regions — which is exactly what localization aims to avoid.

Measure success for continuous optimization

Track all the localization changes you make to content closely so you can measure their success. Detailed, regionally segmented reporting will help you understand the specifics of progress and opportunities. 

Keeping a close eye on how your localization efforts affect your success within target regions can inform your ongoing content approach. Include learnings in your regional style guides to build out more informed and impactful localization strategies for each of your regions over time.

Ask for local guidance

There’s nothing more valuable than local insight for any stage of your content localization. If you’re just starting out, ask locals to review your research and style guide and add anything they can come up with. Have these locals review any localization edits you make to your content on an ongoing basis to ensure a higher level of authenticity and effectiveness.

You’ll find that your brand gets out of content localization what you put into it. If you take the time and invest the resources to accurately and thoughtfully localize your web content per target region, you’ll see just how valuable localization can be.

Want to learn more about advanced content strategies that can help your brand get ahead? Check out our full content marketing hub.

About the author

Harry is one of TopRank Marketing’s Content Strategists, and has been a professional digital content specialist since 2016. During this time, he has honed his content writing skills and worked closely with SEO and SEM experts to enhance his understanding of how to most effectively create high-quality content that performs well on both search engines and social media. Harry is passionate about creating content that represents the voice of his clients well and provides genuinely relevant, insightful information that his client’s customers will find helpful and entertaining to read. When Harry isn’t writing content, he’s usually reading it, or watching movies. He watches a lot of movies.

Key Takeaways 

• Memes are a great tool for marketers to connect with consumers, create content that can be shared, and capitalize on societal trends.
• In the digital marketing world, memes highlight common struggles or triumphs while telling a short and funny story. 
• When done well, meme marketing can humanize the brand, making it feel more approachable and relatable. 
• Some audiences prefer dry, sarcastic humor, while others enjoy lighter jokes.
• Some memes do well with minimal text, while others need a bit more context.

What’s inside?

A meme, as you already know, is a type of content spreading rapidly online through social media platforms. It often consists of images, videos, or text, sometimes paired with cultural or pop-culture references, no doubt. 

According to evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins (and his 1976-dated book) memes are:

“Our ideas, ideals, cultures, and customs [that] replicate themselves. Like viruses, they travel from person to person through imitation, sharing, and repetition.”

In marketing, memes serve as a way for brands to tap into cultural trends, build rapport with their audience, and create shareable content.

We actually talking about a type of humorous content that is appreciated by 74% of consumers, according to research by Adweek. While they are typically lighthearted and entertaining, they have become powerful tools in marketing because of their ability to quickly engage audiences, create connections, and spread brand messages in a way that feels non-intrusive.

What’s more?

• Memes are naturally designed to go viral due to their easy-to-digest format and relatable nature. 
• Memes allow brands to quickly join conversations that are already happening online, creating an immediate sense of connection and relevance.
• While traditional advertising campaigns may require large budgets, memes can be created with minimal resources yet still have the potential to reach millions. 
• Memes allow brands to showcase their human side through humor. 
• Memes are succinct, making them perfect for today’s fast-paced digital environment, where attention spans are short.

Considering that type of content has all these benefits, it’s not surprising that brands & businesses have 10 times more reach when using memes. 

In case you want to know about advertising memes, check out the following video. Now, we’ll jump into the next section. 

What Makes a Great Marketing Meme?

As we stated before, memes bring humor and relatability to the often stressful, constantly changing digital marketing world. The main question is what makes them a great tool for that field. 

No matter the type, advertising, brand awareness, or client memes resonate with each side of the digital world—both clients and marketers. Because they highlight common struggles or triumphs while telling a short and funny story. A meme about scrambling after an algorithm update, for instance, speaks directly to the frustrations marketers experience.

Let’s try to describe what makes a great marketing meme in 4 phases:

• Creative and Funny Storytelling: A good meme tells a mini story about the trials and triumphs of being a part of the digital marketing world. Whether it’s poking fun at a dwindling engagement rate or a client’s last-minute request for revisions, these punchy pieces of content make marketing challenges feel lighter and more manageable.

• Cultural Relevance: It is hilarious how true memes that make fun of attempting to follow constantly shifting social media trends are. They reflect real-life situations people face and offer a humorous take on an otherwise serious topic, making them highly relatable to industry professionals.

• Content Marketing Integration: Memes also serve as an essential tool for content marketing; so much so that, with minimal effort and high engagement potential, they are a creative way to communicate brands’ message and establish a presence in conversations around digital marketing challenges.

• Instant Engagement A well-crafted meme is immediately engaging and often shared across platforms, allowing both marketers and brands to demonstrate their creativity while connecting with their audience on a deeper, more human level.

Top Marketing Memes That Industry Insiders Love

When you think of memes in the digital world, a few iconic images likely come to mind: Success Kid, Michael from The Office, the three Spider-Men pointing at each other, and stills from The Shining. It’s no coincidence—marketers love to tap into these widely recognized memes.

In this section, we’ll explore some of the most popular ones.

Let’s start.

“Be Like” Memes

“Be Like” memes totally reflect the nature of memes; they are simple, relatable, and highly adaptable. 

These memes allow users to create personalized messages that resonate with their audience via everyday situations or common frustrations. 

Source: Google 

And yes, the format is easy to customize, making it perfect for delivering humorous or clever messages while still promoting a product or service. 

Source: Make your Mark Digital Instagram 

Their familiarity and shareability help boost engagement and reach, making them a powerful tool for marketers looking to connect with consumers in a fun and memorable way.

Source: Agency Analytics Instagram

Job Role Memes

Job Role memes are inside jokes in the marketing world. 

Source: Hubspot Instagram 

Especially popular among agencies, those kinds of memes are a brilliant way to engage audiences because they play on the relatable experiences of different professions. 

In addition to offering a connection with the target audience by poking fun at common job challenges or stereotypes, job role memes also humanize businesses. So, we can say that memes are serving both sides; agencies and brands/businesses. 

Source: Hubspot Instagram 

Because these memes often highlight inside jokes within industries, they help build a sense of community and shared understanding among professionals; it can increase social engagement and brand loyalty.

https://www.tiktok.com/@upwork/photo/7363388061012462881?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7404743397925946886

Daily Life, Starter Pack & Client Memes

If we are talking about digital marketing memes, then we need to secure a spot for the “oldies but goldies.” 

As every marketer knows, Daily Life, Starter Pack, and Client Memes have been widely used for several years, and there is no need to say that they are quite effective in marketing environments. 

Daily life memes are not risky when resonating with audiences because they are relatable and often humorous. 

Source: Hubspot Instagram 

When done well, they humanize the brand, making it feel more approachable and relatable. At that point, we need to remind you that daily life memes should avoid seeming too informal or out of touch.

Similarly, starter pack memes are a creative way to visually communicate ideas, products, or experiences. They are often used to humorously showcase stereotypes, expectations, or industry insights.

Source: Upwork Instagram

These kinds of marketing memes can attract a lot of attention if they cleverly tap into trending topics or specific niche interests; they can drive engagement and are great for sparking conversations, especially on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter.

Employing humor works also for client interactions. We are talking about client memes.  

Memes about client behavior resonate with many professionals, especially in fields like digital marketing, design, or freelancing. It allows the audience to see their experiences reflected in a humorous way, which can build engagement.

If done right, client memes can go viral, increasing visibility and engagement for your brand or content. However, it’s important to balance humor with professionalism, ensuring the content doesn’t alienate or offend actual clients.

Expectations vs. Reality Memes

Another type of content that has a natural virality factor is expectations vs. reality memes. 

Since people love to share content that captures their frustrations or makes light of common situations, these memes can significantly boost engagement, brand visibility, and relatability. 

The “expectations vs. reality” format is a useful tool for agencies to highlight their humorous problem-solving abilities or to call attention to common misconceptions held by clients. For example, comparing unrealistic client demands with a more realistic outcome driven by expert solutions.

How to Create Memes That Resonate in the Marketing World

As a social media marketing tool, memes consist of simplicity, low production, and humorous nature. When considering that memes can help break down barriers, make messages more palatable to audiences, and get clients indirectly, it’s not surprising that you may want to create your own memes.  

Actually, there are numerous tutorials on creating memes, like the following one:

However, we prepared a quite quick guide for you. 

Step 1: Identify the Pain Point

Find a common frustration: Think about the typical challenges digital marketers face daily, such as:

• SEO algorithms are constantly changing.
• Clients expect instant results from PPC campaigns.
• Balancing social media engagement across multiple platforms.

Choose a specific pain point: Make sure the pain point is something your audience can relate to, like:

• Clients misunderstand metrics like impressions versus conversions.
• There is pressure to jump on every new social media trend (TikTok, Threads, etc.).

Step 2: Choose a Recognizable Meme Template

• Pick a well-known meme format/template that fits the message in the previous step. Memes that digital marketers are familiar with will increase engagement, such as:

“Expanding Brain”: Perfect for showcasing levels of complexity in tasks, like PPC management.

“Distracted Boyfriend”: Ideal for showing marketers getting distracted by shiny new trends while neglecting tried-and-true strategies.

• Match the pain point with the visual: The meme template you choose should complement the pain point you’re highlighting. 

For example, if you’re focusing on how clients want overnight SEO success, use a visual like “This is Fine” to express how marketers might feel about it.

P.S. In 2024, there is no strict rule that you need to find a template for memes; a popular photoshoot, a backstage photo, or a funny image that has made a wave in social media can be your meme. 

Like the meme, we posted a short ago:

Step 3: Adapt the Text

• Keep the text concise: Memes are quick-consumption content, so the text needs to be short and impactful. Don’t over-explain the joke; let the image and the context do the heavy lifting.

Example: For the “Mocking Spongebob” meme, if the pain point is clients expecting fast results, the text could be:

• Client: “Why aren’t we #1 on Google yet?”
• Marketer (Spongebob mocking): “WhY aRen’T wE #1 On GooGlE yEt?”

• Incorporate industry terms: Use jargon or inside jokes that digital marketers understand, like “CTR,” “ROI,” “meta tags,” or “GA4 migration.” This helps create a deeper connection with the audience.

Example: If you’re using the “Expanding Brain” meme for PPC ads, you could label each stage with increasing levels of ad campaign sophistication (e.g., Boosted posts → Google Ads → Cross-channel attribution).

Step 4: Keep It Relatable and Shareable

• Use universal experiences: Even though the meme is industry-specific, it should still be rooted in shared experiences, so it resonates widely. 
• Don’t overcomplicate the meme: Make sure it’s easy to understand at first glance. The simpler and more relatable the joke, the more likely it will be shared. Memes that require too much context or explanation won’t resonate as well in the fast-paced world of social media.

Step 5: Test and Post

• Post at the right time: Timing matters. Post memes when your audience is most active (for example, during peak social media usage times).
• Experiment with formats: A/B test different meme styles, themes, and formats to see which resonates most. This could involve testing:

Humor vs. Sarcasm: Some digital marketers prefer dry, sarcastic humor, while others enjoy lighter jokes.

Simple vs. detailed: Some memes do well with minimal text, while others need a bit more context.

• Gather feedback: Pay attention to likes, shares, and comments. Memes that perform well can inform the tone and style of future content.

What is B2B influencer marketing? 

I get asked this question quite often. Especially by non-marketers, who have the assumption I work with a Kardashian selling makeup. 

Let’s begin with the distinction between B2B and B2C influencer marketing. A slightly more B2C-centric definition comes from McKinsey: “Influencer marketing is a collaboration between popular social-media users and brands to promote brands’ products or services.” Although sometimes true for B2B, there are more nuances we can explore.

As we defined it in our 2023 Influencer Marketing Report, “B2B influencer marketing is the strategic practice of brands working with knowledgeable and influential figures in a given industry to create, co-create and amplify content.”

At a high level, these definitions accurately summarize what B2B influencer marketing is and how it works. But we wanted to offer a deeper perspective on the practice, straight from the voices who bring it to life.

I asked some amazing marketers via LinkedIn, emails and messages for their thoughts. This group of marketing thought leaders called out the need for collaboration, authenticity, relationships, data, education, and trust, along with leveraging employees and executives. 

Come take a closer look at their definitions of B2B influencer marketing.

How experts define B2B influencer marketing

Simply put, B2B influencer marketing is, “Trusted voices influencing buyer decisions,” says Ursula Ringham, Head of Global Influencer Marketing, SAP, Inc. 

Collaboration is key, says Jonathan Steiert, Sr. Content Marketing Manager, NetLine. “B2B influencer marketing is a collaboration where one business leverages the trust and reach of an industry expert or entity to amplify its message to a targeted professional audience.”

The content queen, Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs, breaks down influencer marketing like you would a good marketing strategy: 

“It’s a collab between an organization and an individual marked by 4 key essentials:

• Clear goals, KPIs: Why are we doing this? How will we measure success? 
• Alignment of audience and values: Does our expertise align? Does the influencer use, believe in the product or service? 
• Relationship: Is this a relationship or does it feel like a one-off? Do we like each other?
• Trust: Is there transparency and authenticity? Do we trust each other and honor the other’s strengths? Do we give each other creative freedom? Is there content collaboration or content control?”

A strategic partnership

“B2B influencer marketing,” according to Sprout Social, “is a strategic approach where businesses promote their product or services through collaborative partnerships with subject matter experts within a specific industry. Through these relationships, businesses are able to harness an influencer’s credibility to reach new audiences.” 

It is that mutually strategic focus and tight-knit partnership that really distinguish B2B influence as a marketing approach, in the eyes of many practitioners. You’ll notice some recurring language in the way they describe the discipline.

“I define B2B influencer marketing as a strategic collaboration that aligns brands with industry experts to enhance credibility, extend reach, and build authority collectively,” says Sarah Evans, CEO at Sevans PR. “This approach not only highlights the expertise of thought leaders but also intertwines their insights with a brand’s narrative, elevating all. It’s about creating a symbiotic relationship where expert opinions are brought to the forefront, providing a dual benefit—boosting the brand’s reputation and amplifying the influencer’s authority. This method is a powerful way to leverage shared knowledge and influence, crafting a narrative that resonates deeply within professional communities.” 

A strategic partnership begins with collaboration, says Justin Levy, Head of Social Media, Influencer Marketing & Community, ZoomInfo. “B2B influencer marketing is the collaboration with industry thought leaders to, typically, drive brand awareness and engagement. The most successful B2B influencer marketing campaigns are those that are mutually beneficial for both the brand and the influencers that the brand works with.”

To Sydney Dusselier, Senior Writer, Prophix, “B2B influencer marketing is all about partnering with thought leaders and innovators in your space to build mutually beneficial relationships that help educate and engage your target market. Co-creating campaigns, assets, and social media content with B2B influencers is one of the best ways to convey your commitment to amplifying the voices of your audience and addressing their concerns in an approachable way, rather than resorting to a sales pitch right away.”

Commenting on the mutual benefits between brand and influencer, Amy Higgins, Director, Content Marketing, Cloudflare, shares: “Personally, I define B2B influencer marketing as a mutually beneficial relationship where brands co-create together. The trick is finding what is ‘beneficial’ for both parties. Sometimes the influencers receive a monetary benefit. However, more often than not, B2B influencers work with brands to expand their community and influence in the industry.”

B2B influencers add credibility and authenticity

Brands want to find a way to relate and show credibility with their audience. Influencers provide that authenticity. The experts agree. 

“First of all, B2B influencer marketing is suuuch a fantastic way to humanize a brand and create a lot of buzz with the right audience,” says Ruth Schuster, Social Media Lead, HRS. “Second of all, with experts and brand ambassadors, a B2B brand can share its messages more authentically, build better trust, and make complex content more accessible for its audience. As a result, it drives higher engagement and conversions because influencers bring credibility and attention, making clients more likely to trust and choose the brand.”

Ruth adds, “To sum it up: it just helps brands in such a meaningful way to educate and position themselves as industry leaders, driving growth and strengthening their market presence.”

The theme of credibility and authenticity continues with Morgan J. Ingram, Founder and Chief Edutainment Officer, AMP Creative. “My definition of B2B influencer marketing is amplifying your company’s mission and narrative in the market by partnering with credible voices in your industry,” he says. “These influencers have built an audience around a specific topic due to their expertise and accomplishments. By collaborating with them, you tap into their credibility to expand your market share.”

“The future of B2B influencer marketing is integration, not transaction,” Morgan continues. “Influencers will deeply align with an organization’s revenue goals and brand narrative, creating content that authentically reflects the company’s mission. This approach moves beyond simple endorsements to value-driven pieces of content.”

“You need to humanize your brand if you want people to buy into it and influencer marketing is one of the best ways to do that. B2B influencer marketing allows companies to expose their offerings to more tailored, professional communities and build brand authority by working with respected experts. Through those experts, or influencers, brands can get the word out about an offering while cultivating deep, authentic relationships with potential customers,” points out Tim Alexander, Social Media and Influencer Strategist.

Specialized expertise is a must

You don’t pick a B2B influencer because they look cute. You look for someone who can inform your audience. 

The B2B Influencer Marketing Guide reminds us that it comes down to the three R’s:

• Relevance – Who is reaching your brand’s most valuable audience?
• Resonance – Who is inspiring your audience to meaningful action?
• Reach – Given the first two, who has the biggest audience?

Mandy McEwen, Founder & CEO, Mod Girl Marketing makes this point. She says, “B2B influencer marketing is the strategy of engaging well-connected, expert thought leaders to elevate your brand’s presence and trustworthiness. Unlike B2C, where it’s all about reach and consumer influence, B2B influencer marketing focuses more on the depth of connections and the specific subject matter expertise these influencers bring.”

Want to learn more about B2B influencer marketing and how it works? We’ve got plenty for you to explore:

How do you define B2B influencer marketing? Let us help define it for your brand. Discover our influencer marketing services.

About the author

Debbie Friez is the agency’s Associate Director of Social and Influencer Marketing. Her 9+ years at TopRank Marketing, plus her diverse background in public relations and business development helps her lead our social media and influencer marketing teams. Debbie works closely with our robust network of B2B influencers across a variety of industries, providing influencer marketing program management and consulting for our top B2B tech and enterprise brands. She also is one of the best friends you can find, who is always in the know on the best restaurants, and happenings around Minneapolis.