How should you manage your localization for global business
Businesses that have created a presence abroad and seem to be connected with the customers in every right way did not get there overnight. To manage localization for global business you have to endure a lot of steps, follow the system and craft processes that made them appeal to every local market they find themselves in.
That is the goal of market localization at the end of the day, isn’t it?
If you have been working towards expanding abroad – or you have already moved your business – here are some localization tips for you:
1 Use Local Translators
This is the first step because the initial thing you want to do is get your message heard. That won’t happen if the people don’t even understand what you are saying in the first place.
Thus, you are better off hiring a local to handle your content strategy. That way your slogans, vision and mission statement, among other pieces of content, do not get lost in the crowd. Or worse, misconstrued.
2 Understand the local market
You might be offering the same products for different markets, but those different markets might not need the product for the same reasons. That is why you should tap into the unique pain points of the new local market you are in so that you know how to best put forward your offering to them.
Following the quotes of Travis Kalanick (Uber’s founder), ‘every city is unique in its transportation pain points.’ That should mean something to you.
3 Scale! Scale!! Scale!!!
A common problem with many businesses who have just started expanding is that they feel they have to reinvent the wheel for things to work in the new market. To that end, it is not uncommon to see these companies pushing out teams to form entirely new strategies and all that.
One thing you should understand is that the global brand once started as a local brand before growing to where it is today. You should, therefore, take note of successful strategies in the local model and look at how you can scale it to the international model – and vice versa. This ensures the business keeps grown on all fronts.
4 Join the Community
By default, humans don’t like takers but would associate with givers. It doesn’t matter if you are giving some of your products for free. Or even sponsoring the community in one way or another. You will be appreciated for it.
The logic behind this is that the community stops seeing you as just any other business. It now sees you as an integral part of their growth and development. Such thinking will subconsciously wire them to support you – which means patronizing your business and spreading the word about you.
Yes – don’t forget that word of mouth referrals holds a strong position in business marketing.
Conclusion
Getting into a new market brings all the work and stress of starting a new business altogether. Done right, though, you only have to go through this phase once again before the profits start rolling in.
Following the steps above, we believe you are on a smoother path to achieving better business localization.
