Global iPlayer Matilda Douridas expat
Matilda explains how the Global iPlayer service is a constantly expanding service, with new material being uploaded on a daily basis.

The BBC’s popular online catch-up service, BBC iPlayer, has continued to grow. It now encompasses several countries outside the UK. The product is clearly aimed predominantly at the British expat market, but local viewers can benefit too.

Expat Marketing has been speaking to Matilda Douridas, marketing manager at the BBC, to learn more about the expanding service.

Matilda, what criteria were you looking at when choosing the countries in which to launch the iPlayer service? Continue reading

Expat demographics are at a turning point
Expat populations must hit a critical mass before local media appears, says Stuart Smith, Managing Director of Max Media International.

In recent years expats have been moving abroad for different reasons (and under different financial circumstances) than they have traditionally. Many are migrating to escape economic hardship rather than retire in the sun, for example.

Stuart Smith, Managing Director of Max Media International, talks about how this demographic shift impacts media planners, and offers some media planning tips.

Expat media
Expats are eager to “hear” stories of life abroad firsthand, says David Gregerson, President of newly-launched Overseas Radio Network.

Expat media is ringing in 2012 by boldly going where it’s never been before: the radio.

David Gregerson, CEO of Overseas Radio, says expats are tired of reading information all the time, and would actually prefer hearing it firsthand. So far he’s seen plenty of interest–more than 400 professionals have applied to host programs.

The Just Landed website has a whole new look...

Just Landed has launched a redesigned website. Key changes include a fresh look, easier navigation and a brand aimed at today’s expatriates. The site is also now optimized for viewing on tablet devices such as the iPad.

The new features complement existing content: more than 50 country guides, an international job board, a marketplace for property and a social community where expats the world over can connect with one another. Continue reading

Choosing the right websites for your expat marketing budget is crucial. Instead of contacting hundreds of small local sites, you might want to start with the heavyweights in the market. We have listed the top 10 expat websites according to their Alexa rankings.

Alexa is a subsidiary of Amazon, and ranks sites based mostly on tracking information of users of its Alexa Toolbar. Since the Toolbar is used  by a limited tech-savvy audience, Alexa is not representative of the overall population. However, it does provide generally accepted global rankings for websites and certainly helps to identify the leading sites in a given market. Continue reading

When it comes to research about moving abroad, the Internet is king. However, future expats are still looking for books about their new countries that they can take along on their move and have within easy reach.

This gives brands a unique opportunity to reach expats both online and offline in specialist, highly targeted publications. The major benefit of advertising within books is the fact that brands achieve multiple exposure, as expat books are a constant source of information for readers. In fact, most are read more than once and by more than one person. Continue reading

Julien Faliu, founder and CEO of Expat-Blog.

What does it mean to live on a small island and run one of the world’s leading expat sites?

Julien Faliu, founder and CEO of Expat-Blog, explains how his site targets expats in multiple languages and how big brands can optimize their international expat campaigns.

Julien, how did you start with Expat-Blog?

I started Expat-Blog in 2005, when I was living between Madrid and London. I ran two blogs at the time, and noticed there were hundreds of bloggers like me. So I decided to create a space to share these experiences. Bit by bit, we added new features, like a Wiki that never worked – it was simply too complicated. (laughs) Continue reading

90% of people prefer to browse the web in their native language

Any business targeting expats–whether it’s a huge multinational or a web start-up–faces the hurdle of multiple languages. Chances are your customer base reads at least a little English, but it probably isn’t their language of choice.

Consider the findings of the 2006 book Can’t Read, Won’t Buy, which showed 90% of shoppers wanted access to online information in their native languages. A 2011 EU survey found the same holds true today: 90% of Europeans prefer to browse the web in their mother tongue. Continue reading

David Mercer tackled the question of whether it’s better to blog or run a forum on Business Insider. Blogs and forums are like bread and butter to the expat business, allowing companies to target expat communities with highly specific information and build business by word-of-mouth. They also help boost visibility in the SEO rankings:

conventional wisdom dictates that a blog is the best way to build up a decent body of highly engaging, relevant and SEO enhanced content, over time. This is certainly true and blogs have proven their worth time and time again. Continue reading