Digital Marketing
Tips For Taking Your Brand Global
It is very exciting to take your business onto the international stage. However, there are many things to consider before this big step to make sure that you are launching globally the right way. There are many mistakes that can be easily overlooked during this process; here are some tips to keep in mind while preparing to take your brand global.
Adaptability of your product line
Adapting your product or company to the local market is your first priority. Be sure to avoid marketing angles and strategies that might offend values and religious beliefs. If your company’s specialty is food, it is wise to have vegetarian sections in certain regions such as India, and incorporate local favorites and ethnically appealing selections in other areas.
Lost in translation
Making sure your brand name translates globally is very important, some common words in the English language can be translated in other languages to mean something negative or contradictory to what your brand represents. This is a costly mistake that is made far too often because the mistake is usually not obvious to non-native speakers of the language. Although these situations can account for some hilarious results, such as the classic slogan for KFC, “finger licking good,” translates in Chinese to “eat your fingers off!” most companies catch these crucial mistakes before they launch globally. Luckily the American Dairy Association caught their vernacular oversight before they launched the “got milk?” campaign in Mexico, since the Spanish translation asks the question, “are you lactating?” While comic relief is globally appreciated, you don’t want it to be at your brand’s expense.
Online optimization
It’s not only important for your brand name to translate correctly, but don’t forget about the keywords used in your website’s SEO strategies. Changing your keyword research tools to have country and language filters is essential to the global success of your brand; but knowing what words to use in the first place is a little more difficult. Dictionaries and web translations won’t always produce the best terminology for specific products. Your best bet is to check with native speakers from your targeted global markets.
Making sure your website is mobile friendly is also essential. Without a mobile friendly site, you are inadvertently sending half of your potential clients to your competitors. Seventy-five percent of internet users worldwide say they use mobile devices as their primary internet connection. Keep in mind all responsive design elements and test your site on a broad range of mobile devices such as android, iOS and windows to be certain your company is current and on trend.
Social media
Tailoring your social media accounts to meet each specific target country or region will help you be successful. This is not as simple as publishing a Facebook or Twitter page in the corresponding language of the audience. You’ll need to make sure the content is relevant to their interests, and incorporate each specific region’s preferred social media platform. It’s also a good idea to research what people in each specific target market use each network for, and familiarize yourself with any cultural trends.
