Conducting business on a global level is the goal for most enterprises. But doing so requires infrastructure and the right tools. Indeed, any business can do business globally, but if not equipped well, said business will fall flat in little to no time. But which tools should businesses reach for, especially as global business continues to change rapidly? Here are the five areas any business needs to cover to succeed at global marketing.
To start, a business’s web presence needs to be established. Having a large following isn’t as important as having accounts on the necessary social networks that are used abroad, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. While there are differences in cultures around the globe, many consumers obtain information from social media networks. This is backed up by the fact that most platforms have their own news feed that updates users on current events happening in their area, as well as internationally. While posting to social networks is helpful, monitoring the activity in response to such posts is where businesses gain the most value from having social media pages: it allows them to learn about their users. To dive into the data analysis piece of social media, businesses should streamline their social media presence with automation tools for batch creation and scheduling. Buffer, Loomly, and Sprout are excellent tools for scheduling, posting, and managing social media content.
Targeted marketing is best executed when a company can leverage all available data for making the best marketing choices. While a modern website does great for creating visibility and reputability, it’s the metrics a website can provide that come in most handy for global marketing campaigns. Website traffic, search engines, and email campaigns can supply significant clues about where to look for potential markets when creating global marketing campaigns. Great tools for search engine tracking include Google Analytics and Crazy Egg. For email campaigns, Constant Contact and MailChimp offer easy-to-use, modern platforms. And, when it comes to analyzing the data from website traffic and engagement, tools like Simply Measured and KISSmetrics deliver great results. Many options for metrics software management can also integrate into a business’s social media.
With a secure Internet and social media presence, how does a business figure out the best way to execute its campaigns? It’d be ideal to be able to test a concept before rolling it out to a region located on the other side of the world. Thankfully, tools like Optimizely and Visual Website Optimizer make that possible. Both tools allow businesses to test marketing campaigns in controlled environments, so they may make changes and adjustments to usability, design, and content before the campaign gets rolled out in its entirety. The market insights provided by these split testing tools can help a business save money and target their marketing budget in the most logical and efficient ways.
Appropriately reaching customers in other regions goes a long way with breaking into new global markets. For the best results, businesses should invest in translation tools and an international call forwarding service so that new and potential customers can interact with them in ways that are more personal than email or text. Potential customers are also more likely to reach out if your marketing materials include local or toll-free numbers. These numbers can be forwarded to anywhere else in the world so that a live person can be reached no matter what.
Lastly, having dedicated and reliable Internet service is the backbone to making any international marketing successful; a business should not only invest in premium Internet service but have backup options in place just in case an infrastructure failure takes down their primary provider. While Internet Service Providers vary across the globe, having connectivity options such as mobile hotspots can help make backup options more feasible. In addition to having reliable Internet service, a VPN is also a must for keeping a business’s data secure. Leading brands include NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN. Computing on the go makes business continuous, but the cybersecurity risks of being unprotected can eliminate the positive reputation a marketing campaign can build. Be sure to keep your business and its networks secure, always.
While utilizing the best tools will undoubtedly lead to a successful global marketing campaign for any business, staying culturally aware and sensitive will help, too. In the United States, television and radio marketing yields similar results; but in a Latin American country, radio might be the superior choice as most residents do not have access to television or cable. Similarly, some countries restrict social media access on smartphones, making apps like Tik Tok, Facebook, or SnapChat completely irrelevant. Being mindful of these cultural and regional nuances can help your business avoid wasting money on marketing efforts that will not yield a return.
When planning global marketing efforts, be sure to reach for the best tools to help your business reach success in next-level implementation. Be mindful of the target region, its culture, and any unique methods necessary for reaching potential customers there through a great web presence and timely response to website and social media engagement. As the world continues to reimagine life after the pandemic, get a solid start to global marketing with these useful examples.
Comments