The rapid introduction of the internet has completely changed the world of business. Not just because it enabled people to quickly reach any type of information but because it opened many doors to marketers and business owners who wish to expand their business.
Spreading to the global market is the next step of every successful and ambitious business, but the question is how to attract the international audience? There are several things you can do to improve your online marketing on a global level and we’re going to mention the most important ones.
Reasons to go global
First of all, you need to be sure that you are ready to take this step. It demands from you to make an investment and not just to invest your money, but your time and energy as well. However, it is a necessity if you want to expand and increase your sales rate.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 96% of the world’s consumers live outside of America. Just think about all the people you could reach if you properly market your business globally.
Some of the benefits of international expansion are:
- Diversified customer base
- Foreign investment opportunities
- Longer sales life of your products
- Reducing dependence on the current market
- Opening doors which are unavailable in your existing market
These are just some of many reasons to go global. Now, let’s get more into how you can make this happen.
1. Define your target audience
In order to create an effective marketing campaign, you need to know who you are going to target.
People’s preferences are largely defined by their culture and surroundings. You are probably aware that you can’t market to consumers in Asia and America in the same way.
Besides countries you want to target, you also need to think about the following:
- Age of your customers
- Location
- Gender
- Income level
- Education level
- Marital or family status
- Occupation
- The ethnic background of your customers
These facts will help you to narrow down the target consumers. Defining your audience will help you to make a precise online campaign which will bring real results.
You can even use social media analytics to compile data. Just focus on which type of consumers like the type of product or service which you offer.
2. Localize your website
If you want to appeal to your international audience, website localization is a must! Take into consideration that 78% of online shoppers are more likely to make a purchase on online stores that are localized.
Localization is more than a simple translation. It also involves adapting to the target culture, adapting local formats, conversion of units and measures, and all other necessary steps which lead to appealing to the target audience.
A word-by-word translation can harm your business because if you, for example, don’t show prices in their currency they might exit your website right away. People like to access important information fast.
Ultimately, localization is the key to great customer service.
3. Apply multilingual SEO
Multilingual SEO should go hand in hand with localization. It is not enough just to translate the content, you also need to pay attention to the backlinks and promotional links.
Just think about if your French potential customer gets caught up in some great piece of information in your content but once he clicks on a link it leads him to an American page and he doesn’t understand a word. It can be an instant deal breaker.
Not to mention that if you want foreign search engines to rank your website, you need to show that it is valuable to their audience.
This is an important element of online marketing to an international audience so pay close attention that you do it right.
4. Always work with native speakers
In order to be great, you need to work with great people. If you use Google Translate or work with a translator who dabbles in the target language, you’ll never be able to market your business in the proper way.
Confusing sentences and mistranslated words can repel the audience.
Only work with native speakers because in addition to knowing the language, they also know the customs, traditions, taboos, and other important aspects of your target audience.
It will be best if you can find a bilingual translator who knows both languages perfectly. For such professionals, it will be no problem to covey your message.
5. Co-operate with local experts
Besides working with native speakers and bilingual translators, it would be great if you could reach out to local experts.
Consulting with local marketers can help you to find out which tactics work on their market and how you should approach their audience.
Ask about anything that interests you from marketing and sales tips to their audience’s preferences.
You can also get some useful advice about the way their market works, which roads should you take and which you need to avoid. It is always helpful to have someone on your side who can introduce you to a foreign market system.
6. Use social media
Every marketer knows that social media is essential when it comes to marketing. Just think about how much power Instagram followers have that know we have influencers who get paid to post on this platform.
Use social media to grow awareness about your business and your global expansion.
You can make different social media profiles for each market you target. For example, you can have a US Facebook profile and French Facebook profile. This will help you to adapt the posts to the corresponding audience.
Another great way to make the most of social media platforms is to team up with local influencers. As a newbie in a foreign market, this will be your way in.
Reach out to some influencers or bloggers who have similar interests and ask them if they are willing to cooperate. Who knows, maybe this will even turn into a powerful friendship which can open many other doors for you.
Why should you aim for the global market?
There is no reason why you should limit yourself to just one market when there are so many opportunities out there. Besides increasing sales, you can take your business to the next level.
Hopefully, these tips will be some guidance and help you to understand what you need to focus on the most.
About the Author:
Elisa Abbot completed a degree in Computer Science. She finished her study last year but is already a true expert when it comes to presenting a text in a creative and understandable manner. Now she’s engaged in assessing translation services for PickWriters. Elisa is thirsty for knowledge and is always on the lookout for tips to share with her readers.
