Have you ever thought about how in countries like Korea or Japan, where there’s so much context in communication, direct translation doesn’t quite capture the essence?
In our recent engagement with a brand that reached out to us for localizing their marketing materials, I realized that many brands look for something beyond direct or temporary translation nowadays. And I think this shift is really promising.
AI-generated copywriting has been incredibly helpful, but the accuracy still isn’t quite at the level of how the local market resonates with your story.
In this post, I want to share the exact framework we use at HY Marketing when it comes to localizing marketing materials—one that actually works.
1. Start Here: What Your Localization Team Actually Needs
Let’s say you want to localize your brochure to prepare for a meeting with potential clients. Of course, you’d have your main version in English.
The best way to collaborate with a localization agency or team? Share your brand’s tone of voice, vision, and your target audience persona.
Here’s something I’ve learned: Localization isn’t just another task—it’s really a form of creative copywriting.
Even if you meant “What does that mean to you?” as your CTA, if your team or agency just writes it down as is… it might not land the same way in Korean or Japanese cultures.
That’s why it’s worth researching the better way to express it in that type of sentence, especially if you’re hoping to build better client relationships or drive better engagement.
2. AI for Drafting Your Copy vs. Writing from a Human Entirely?
It’s actually helpful to have the first draft from AI, especially if it’s about “fact-related” content.
At our agency, HY Marketing, we also separate our efforts:
- Fact-related materials/copy
- Conversion-driven copy or sections (like CTA, headlines, storytelling, company vision sections)
Of course, GPT and AI tools are helpful, but they’re not quite at the level where they can naturally adjust tone of voice to fit the culture yet—things like honorific tone, polite tone, casual, informal, and all the nuances in between.
And here’s what we’ve noticed: if you only use AI-generated copy and share it directly with clients, it can feel a bit impersonal. There’s something missing—that personal touch. And that’s where the human element becomes crucial.
3. Should You Include SEO Keywords?
If you’ve come to believe that localization is not about translation, and you want to have a final version that lasts for a couple of years (as most brochures or website pages don’t have to be changed often), having SEO keywords—meaning the keywords “consumers actually actively search for”—could be an advanced way to communicate well with your potential clients and buyers.
For example, once you understand the client/customer journey and you have your ideal client persona ready, you can actually map out your keywords journey from awareness to conversion.
How to Do This:
You can prepare your own Google Sheet and add your main keyword first, then add 3 different sub-keywords, and finally search with those keywords for your research.
Tips for Finding the Right Keywords in the Journey:
You could play with adding different keyword types based on where your audience is:
Awareness stage:
- “Main keywords + locations”
- Pain point/desire related keywords
- “Best (product/service) for ____”
Engagement stage:
- Your specific product/service name
Conversion stage:
And many more variations depending on your industry and customer journey.
Our team usually picks 5-10 different SEO keywords and adds them into the marketing materials to optimize and add a final touch—so that it finally speaks to the ideal customer or client.
4. Quality Assurance & Quality Control That Saves You
We’ve found it really helpful to have at least one additional person review this, so that you can finally catch what’s missing, or if there’s awkward wording, missing grammar, or typos.
This step might seem simple, but it’s where we catch those small details that make a big difference in how professional and polished your materials feel.
5. The Final Touch: When Design Meets Culture
Most of the time, you don’t want to change the brand color just to fit the local market. But having slightly different fonts or font sizes would give you a better sense of final optimization, and your clients will feel more comfortable reading it.
And we’ve seen the best results when this is done by a native-level designer in that market to finalize the design. The visual harmony between copy and design is what brings everything together.
Finally, You Have Fully Localized Marketing Material!
And now it’s time to participate in a trade show or meet a buyer to show your expertise with confidence.
When you invest in true localization—not just translation—you’re investing in building genuine connections with your audience. You’re speaking their language, not just literally, but culturally and emotionally.
If you need help with a local-first approach in your marketing materials, feel free to apply to work with us.
Hyein
