If you are running a successful business in one country, you will likely be looking for ways to expand your market and feast on an increasingly greater demand. The next logical step that many take is to go international. Doing business on the global stage is, in the modern-day, far easier than it has ever been due to the connecting powers of the internet – but to ensure that you have the very best chance of success when launching internationally, you must implement global marketing techniques. Global marketing is more than simply selling your product or service abroad. It is about establishing your brand in another land and to another culture, something that you need to do to build a base of loyal international customers.
Create a Strong Brand Identity
Creating a brand identity that is so strong, it slips seamlessly between countries is the primary priority for companies that are seeking to fuel their international growth. It is vital to have developed a sort of brand culture that reflects your company and your customers’ personas. This can present a problem: how do you ensure that your brand’s character, values, and, essentially, power translate effectively across cultures and languages. You could consider amending your brand for a different market but doing so does run the risk of diluting your brand and alienating your customers, especially if they would ever use your brand in a different country when traveling. A good example of how not to do this is what happened when Google launched in China. Google was happy to censor their results in line with Chinese regulations, but this betrayed their core value of making information freely accessible to all. They suffered significant reputational damage and had to pull out of their new market, having lost some brand integrity.
Combat Language Barriers
One of the biggest challenges to marketing your business internationally is the language barrier. How can you effectively communicate your brand values in a language that you do not speak? There is technology available that can help – you can use translation software to translate your written content into an appropriate language and appropriate dialects for the region you are seeking to enter. This needs to be checked and corrected by native speakers, but you will soon find yourself with a mass of translated content. In these situations, you might need to use a translation management system TMS. Here is a translation management system definition, which can help to keep your work organized and effective.
Do Your Market Research
This should be the first thing on your mind when you are thinking of marketing in another market – you need to do your market research. That’s essential – you need to understand how customers in your new market think, feel, and value things, how they want to be contacted, what apps they use – you need as much detail as possible. You will create a marketing strategy, but that needs to be fully informed by your research.
Create a Marketing Strategy
If you launch internationally, your existing marketing plan won’t do – you need to adjust your marketing strategy to the global environment and make a comprehensive marketing plan that details everything. This should include objectives, goals, KPIs, and in-depth techniques to reach your targets.