Forex Marketing Around The World

What Works In Asia vs. Europe vs. LATAM? Let’s cut straight to the chase, unless you have a spare €70 mil to spend on a major Football League sponsorship, trying to market to a global audience is going to take a bit more work. In this article, we are breaking down what works in forex marketing across three major world regions; Europe, Asia and Latin America (Latam). We’ll be looking at marketing dos and don’ts and giving some practical takeaways for brokers who want to launch or expand internationally.

The Challenges

While internet and mobile access are no longer the challenge they once presented, cross-border forex marketing has to contend with different

• Platforms and asset availability and preferences
• Payment methods
• Regulatory compliance
• Culture cues and language
• Media nuances

Quick Tip: Looking to expand but unsure which regions offer the best opportunities? The BIS Triennial Survey is a great resource for brokers.

Download our free eBook on emerging regions for forex brokers. 

ASIA: mobile-first, payments-led, platform-savvy

With the highest number of FX traders globally (around 3.2 million), Asia’s top financial hubs in terms of trading volume include Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore. India is a rising powerhouse that should be on all broker’s radar (though it does present some unique challenges).

What works

1. Local payments are conversion gold. India’s UPI, the Philippines’ GCash and other regional wallets make onboarding frictionless. In markets where instant bank-backed rails are ubiquitous, offering local payment channels reduces deposit friction and increases lifetime value. NPCI/UPI usage and GCash adoption figures don’t lie!
2. Mobile and social commerce: short-form video, messaging and livestreams. Asia, particularly Southeast Asia and South Asia, is mobile-first. Users discover services through apps, short video and messaging channels (TikTok, LINE, WeChat, and country-specific super apps). Data shows social media penetration and heavy mobile usage across APAC, making in-app content and livestream demos your marketing ‘little black dress’ – essentially, your go-to activity.
3. Local language and culturally-relevant education. Traders in Asia respond well to education that respects local conventions. This means market briefs timed to local trading hours, local-currency examples and local-market webinars. Brokers that translate content and run regional-market webinars outperform those that rely on generic English emails. And if you think Google translate is sufficient, then you are not treating the intelligence of your audience with any respect.
4. Influencer and community channels. Micro-influencers, trading educators and Telegram/Line groups are places where traders look for strategies and social proof. Because trust is often social, partnering with respected local traders (disclosure-compliant) can be a trust-signal.

What doesn’t

• Copy-pasting global creatives. Creative with Western idioms or humour will underperform.
• AI translations. These can be a good start, but you need a language expert to verify and edit.
• Ignoring local payment methods. If traders can’t deposit with their preferred wallet or bank transfer, they drop out, its as simple as that.

EUROPE: regulated, trust-focused, performance over hype

Even with tight regulatory controls, Europe remains a top market for brokers. FX trading in the region saw a 38% increase in daily volume in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year. Reaching an average of $63 bn a day in volumes, 35% of retail traders globally are from the EU, and in the 25-44 age range. Germany is the leading player while the UK is still a top trading centre accounting for 37.8% of volumes in April 2025.

Here are some quick insights to digest:

• Trading behaviour: The average holding period for retail traders is about two days, suggesting a preference for short-term strategies.
• Platform usage: Around 65% of retail traders use platforms like MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5.
• Information sources: 40% of retail traders rely on social media and online forums for trading signals and analysis.

What works

1. Regulatory clarity and transparent messaging. In Europe, ESMA (and national regulators) set explicit rules on leverage, risk warnings and marketing of CFDs and traders have come to expect a high level of transparnecy. Campaigns that highlight protections (negative balance protection, leverage limits) and clear, localised T&Cs are key.
2. Content marketing and thought leadership. Europeans respond well to long-form education, webinar series with market analysts and research-driven content (macro briefs tied to ECB/FOMC events). Lead quality from research and email nurturing is higher than from relying on influencers.
3. Sponsorships and offline brand-building. Sports and event sponsorships still deliver uplift in brand recall with many global brokers investing in local sports partnerships or finance events in Europe to establish credibility.
4. Multiple language sites and localised UX. Not just translation: pricing examples in local currencies, local bank transfer options, and EU-compliant onboarding flows.

What doesn’t

• Over-promising in ads. European ad rules and consumer sentiment penalise exaggerated claims about returns. Ads promising “guaranteed profits” not only break rules, they kill trust.
• Single global domain with only English content. Users prefer region-specific regulation info and local-language support.
• Generic content. It’s a highly competitive region and content needs to be branded to your tone of voice, provide real trader value, have the human touch – no short cuts here!

Need support with your go-to marketing strategy into Europe? Speak to our team of financial marketing experts.

LATAM: high-engagement, community-driven, payments-first

Latin America is a highly untapped market for forex brokers. It has a growing trader population, especially among the youth in countries like Mexico and Brazil, with an increasing interest in cryptocurrencies. Mobile trading is widespread and internet connectivity is spreading rapidly across the region. The culture in these countries varies, but the languages are generally Spanish, Portuguese and English.

What works

1. Local payments and pay-in options matter more than discounts. Brazil’s PIX instant-pay rail and Mexico’s SPEI (and boleto in older e-commerce contexts) massively reduce deposit friction. Brokers that add local payment partners in LATAM see improved conversion and lower churn. PagBrasil and PayRetailers are commonly used local partners.
2. WhatsApp, Instagram & TikTok are the core social networks. LATAM shows extremely high WhatsApp and Instagram usage; consumers use social to research and ask brands questions. WhatsApp Business is often used as a lead qualification and onboarding tool.
3. Sponsorships and on-the-ground events. Latin America rewards local presence like branded events, in-market partnerships and local-language sponsorships (regional expos, football partnerships.
4. Trust signals and easy KYC. Clear local customer support (Spanish/Portuguese), local payment refunds and simple KYC – Latin American customers prefer quick, local support and visible trust signals (local phone numbers, regional payment rails).

What doesn’t

• Using only global PSPs and USD-only flows. If deposits are hard or expensive, traders don’t convert.
• Relying solely on paid search in English. Local keywords, Spanish/Portuguese creatives, and messaging via social & WhatsApp outperform.
• Localised content. The EU Spanish on your site is not going to cut it. You need localised Spanish that goes beyond basic translation.

Discover the unique research Contentworks prepared for PayRetailers when they entered LATAM including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru.

Entering New Markets Checklist

Expanding into a new market can be tricky for marketers. Budgets are tight as boards want to see results before committing more funds. Entering the market tentatively can be prudent, it allows low-cost mistakes to be made. However, unless real commitment is made on key marketing activity, then any money spent will be wasted. Here are some of the core areas to get right to give you a fighting chance:

• Availability of local payment methods
• High-quality content and UX with local languages adapted to the culture and compliance
• Understanding local media habits. Where are your clients and what types of content do they engage with?
• Compliance is crucial for EU and in parts of Asia
• Localise onboarding (KYC, quick withdrawals, local phone number and hours for support)
• Measurement & attribution tailored to region

What Often Fails (and how to avoid it)

• Global creative and global payments. Avoid the temptation to run one-size-fits-all campaigns
• Generic, untargeted content. Good content understands your audience, knows how to engage with them, offers real value and drives activations
• Underinvesting in trust-building. Small local sponsorships, localised education and fast local withdrawals earn word-of-mouth. Trust beats discounting as a sustainable acquisition lever.

Ready To Take Your Forex Marketing Global?

Forex is global but conversion is local. That’s what the best-performing brokers understand well. Integrated payments, native language UX, targeted and branded content marketing and compliance-first messaging. That mix looks different in Tokyo, Lisbon and São Paulo but the ingredients are the same. Trust, convenience and culturally-relevant communication.

We’ve helped forex brokers launch and expand across Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe. Book a free Zoom with our team to get a tailored regional go-to-market plan.