If you manage a retail chain that is either currently operating internationally or is looking to do so, then you will need to look at your marketing campaign.
This article will explore marketing tips to get you thinking.
Utilise Social Media
It will be key to the success of your retail international marketing campaign to get your social media strategy right. Social media marketing can help break into new markets and introduce individuals to your business for the first time. Implementing a successful social media campaign will not just require creativity but multiple well-curated strategies.
It’s mainly about brand awareness and how you can organically grow it. Spreading the word about your product internationally to the right people. Social media can help build brand traffic and many social media tools allow you to view the analytical raw data to view how much a campaign is progressing and if it needs tweaking.
Incorporate SEO Tools
To help promote your business in the right places across the international stage, you will need to work hard to create a buzz and build awareness of your products. When looking abroad you should incorporate major search engine techniques into your marketing campaign.
One way you can do this is by setting up your business listings on search engines, social media pages and local listing platforms. The main purpose of this should be to build up your international marketing copy to show up on more search engine results. This could be done organically through a campaign or paid posts.
Marketing Translation
It’s worth noting that your marketing may have to change its methods when looking into international markets. A small part of this may have to be to translate the language into the local marketing campaign so that it can be understood. However, with international marketing, you will need to take this a step further.
Consider how different the local culture is compared to where you are now. What works for your marketing campaign here could be confusing in another country, or even insult people in some rare cases. Information is key for marketing, but having it stand out in the right way could be the selling point you need.
That’s why it may be beneficial for you and your marketing department to team up with a business that can assist in this task. Brightlines Translation specialises in creative translation for international brands which can help your advertising and marketing copy get its desired emotional impact across multiple cultures.
Some of the elements that should be looked at include your website, social media, emails or even hard-copy advertising materials. Translating your current marketing copy may work in some cases, but you will need to look at transcreation and localisation to boot.
Research International Markets
With that said, you will also need to understand the state of the international markets. Specifically, you will benefit from looking at your industry and how it’s doing. What is working in one country may not work in another.
This means looking at the current state and the upcoming trends. It’s worth considering the local economies too, and the currencies you may have to deal with. There may be hidden fees upon exporting and importing that could rule out some markets to you.
Depending on what product or service you offer, you may be able to launch everything into all international markets, at least the major ones. This may mean you have to look into only operating in one market, almost as a soft international launch.
Avoid markets that seem volatile or unpredictable. These could be costly to get involved with and damage your brand if mismanaged. Have a look at marketing campaigns in other countries so that you can understand the voice and tones that they use. Of course, you may not be able to copy it exactly, but it will point you in the right direction.
Compare To Competitors
Whilst it’s beneficial to analyse the international markets, you may be able to gain more information by looking at international competitors. You should look at them both domestically and internationally to gain as much data as possible.
If your competitors have moved into international markets before you, then you will be in the unique position to be able to research what has worked for them. A part of this means you can look into what has failed for them, and learn from their experience. This means that by the time you are ready to delve into the new market, you may have the advantage to make a better first impression than your rivals.
Take Your Time
Moving into a competitive market will be a risk of some kind. No matter how else you put it, you will benefit from not rushing into things. Marketing internationally can go very wrong if you rush, so instead take your time to get your strategy right, and partner up with international marketing specialists to give yourself the best chance of success.
