unlocking global success: marketing your small business internationally
Expanding your small business into international markets can be a game-changer when it comes to growing your business.
Tapping into the global marketplace offers loads of opportunities from increased revenue sources, new markets for your products or services, and improved brand visibility. In this blog post, we'll explore key strategies and tips for small business owners looking to market their products or services on a global scale.
Research the new territory
Before venturing into international waters, conduct thorough market research. There are three areas you are going to want to focus your efforts.
Market size and growth. This will help you to determine the market's current size, the potential for growth, and pinpoint any emerging trends that you may be able to leverage either for your launch campaign or your ongoing activity.
Regulatory Environment. It’s really important to understand all the legal and regulatory requirements of the market you are hoping to enter as it could impact how you market your business as well as how you operate overall. So look at local laws, regulations, trade polices and any permits you need to trade, as this can impact how you trade and also your customers experience.
Cultural factors. It’s important to understand the culture of the country you are looking to market in. Research local customs and preferences as this will help with planning your marketing activity as well as highlighting any areas you may need to tweak in terms of product / services or highlight the ones that need to be your key sellers over others.
Localise your brand
Adapting your brand to resonate with the local audience is crucial. This includes translating your website, marketing materials, and product descriptions into the native language. Whilst there are loads of online tools out there that can translate for you, it’s worth working with a local translator as sometimes key messages can get lost in a straight language to language.
As well as the messages you share, look at the imagery you are using to ensure what you are using truly represents the audience you are looking to engage with.
Finally, consider cultural sensitivities and preferences to ensure your brand aligns with the local market.
Let’s get digital
Utilise social media platforms, search engine optimization (SEO), and online advertising to reach your international audience. Tailor your content to suit the preferences of each market and consider working with local influencers to enhance your brand visibility.
When it comes to social media, look at what channels are used in the territories you are looking to enter as some channels are banned in certain countries so you may need to open new accounts on different platforms.
If there are vast differences in culture it may be beneficial to create additional accounts for that specific territory that will be used alongside your current profiles but with content that is tailored specifically for the target audiences in terms of language, images, culture.
Think about the customer experience
You want to maintain the high-level customer experience that you are known for so think about payment options, timescales that kind of thing and be really clear around them as we really want our customers to be clear on what we are offering, when they will receive it and also feel like they have been supported through the whole process.
When it comes to customer support offering multilingual support, understanding time zone differences, and being responsive to customer inquiries will help you build trust and loyalty. If you are a one human band, this can be tricky so you may want to think about setting up automated messages that answer a selection of FAQ’s.
Find your local collaborators
Collaborate with local businesses, distributors, or influencers in your target market. Partnerships can help you navigate the local landscape, build credibility, and establish a stronger presence. The key is to look for businesses that share similar values and goals.
Adapt your strategy to fit
Different regions may require different marketing approaches. Analyse the performance of your campaigns regularly and be ready to adapt. Consider seasonal trends, cultural events, and local holidays that may impact consumer behaviour.
Listen to your customers
When entering a new marketing, especially and international one it’s even more important as that feedback can then be used to adapt your strategies and also gain important information on trends.
It can also help you to identify new products and services that the customer in your new territory are looking for. As well as providing you with UGC (User Generated Content), testimonials and case studies.
Measure your successes
When launching into a new marketplace, especially in a new country you aren’t going to get everything right first time so it’s important to measure your successes and look at areas for improvement.
Creating a dashboard will help you to measure you activity against your SMART goals and track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, conversion rates, and social media engagement.
You may find you need to test a few different tactics / strategies before you find the mix that works best for your business overseas.
Conclusion
The key to expanding your small business internationally is to keep your ideal overseas customer in mind and carefully adapting your comms and approach to match the need within the local markets.
Feedback and measurement of your activity will help you to evaluate whats working and will help you to continuously refine your strategy to capitalise on the vast opportunities the international market has to offer.
Need some more support?
This month I’ll be joining forces with Growth Ignition and the Department of Business & Trade’s Export Academy to deliver a free business growth challenge programme to help small business folks and SME’s grow their business overseas.
The FREE challenge is made up of five sessions that take you through the life-cycle of planning for, and executing on, a successful growth strategy
