Targeting Germany – A few essential tips
Did you know that the German E-Commerce business grew approximately 11% in 2016? On top of that, it is one of our biggest Teezily markets. Naturally many of you want to target niches in Germany, but what is the best way to do it? We have a few essential tips for you:
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Let’s start with some general information: Germany is the most populous country in Europe with an estimated 80 million people, and an impressive 89% of them are internet users! In 2016, clothing was the most popular product category for online purchases in Germany, and lucky for you, Teezily fits right in! The popularity of t-shirts over other products depends on the season. T-shirts are highly popular in the summer, but if you plan a campaign for the winter, then hoodies are your best chance. When it comes to colors, make sure you include the simple colors like black and blue. For more information on the German shopping habits, check out our infographic: http://university.teezily.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/GERMANY.pdf
NICHES
Let’s begin with niches that you can target. Firstly, Germany is one of the biggest beer consuming countries, so beer is a great niche. If you choose beer, keep the annual Oktoberfest in mind, but be aware that it does not actually start in October but in September. If you launch your campaign in October, you will definitely be too late.
Secondly, Germany is a football nation and the current world champion. When focusing on football, here are a few things to keep in mind: since the world cup 2014 the national team is referred to as “Die Mannschaft” (the team). The fans are considered as the “12th man”. That explains why you hardly ever see the number 12 on the field.
Of course, beer and football are not the only niches for Germany. Other top niches for you to target are animals, especially cats and dogs. A new niche for you to target could be the world of Fitness. Fitness is a booming sector in Germany.
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
After you have decided on a niche, you need to promote your campaign. Facebook is still the most used platform in Germany with 19 million daily users. The average user spends 42 minutes on Facebook and 50% of the users watch videos. So take video advertising into consideration but don’t limit yourself to Facebook, other platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest are on the rise and can be especially useful thanks to their “buyable pins” (Pinterest) and “Shop now”-buttons (Instagram) for a direct purchase connections. Also, the mobile usage is rising (85% of Facebook users use mobile access) so make sure you’re advertisements are also adaptable for mobile phones.
LANGUAGE USE
The German language is quite different from English. First of all, there is the difference between formally addressing people with “Sie” and using the informal “Du”, and you should address people depending on your niche. If you are going to target young customers then it should be safe to informally address them. Furthermore, the informal form makes your campaign more personal and the internet is quite informal in general. If you are not sure if the informal usage is appropriate, you can formally address your target group. You can never go wrong with that.
Second of all, you should be aware of the fact that German grammar is complex and that words change depending on the case, so make sure you take advantage of the Teezily Translation App in order to properly translate your campaigns.
Here are a few basic translations for your campaigns:
PAYMENT METHODS
72% of German buyers cancel the purchase if their preferred payment option is not available, so make sure to list the right payment options to limit this risk. When doing a purchase online, Germans prefer to use the secure method of PayPal (63%) or payment through invoice (49%). Another,but less popular option, is the direct debit payment procedure (26%). Making payments with a credit card is less popular in Germany than it is in other countries; only 24% of internet buyers prefer this method. Although the other two options “Sofortüberweisung” and “giropay” are currently not the most preferred ones by Germans, we suggest you add them to your campaign in order to include the people that do use them.
CONTACT
Last but not least, we suggest you add the address of the customer support to your campaign: support@teezily.com. Make it easy for customers to reach us. German customers often feel the need to contact someone in case of questions, complaints, suggestions or praise. By adding this contact you make your campaign seem professional and trustworthy, and you lay the foundation for a successful marketing campaign!