Localization Strategies: Increase Global Revenue with Local Thinking

Growing businesses are often encouraged to think big, think national, and, ultimately, think global. But to increase your reach and revenue in international markets, you need an international expansion strategy that must also include localization strategies.

Yes, we can hear you asking: Why think local when I’m trying to go global? The answer is simple: to be successful, you need to create a frictionless experience for every shopper who interacts with your brand and product throughout the customer journey, wherever in the world they may be.

That’s why we put together this comprehensive guide on localization strategies which covers everything you need to know to grow globally. If you have more questions, you know where to find us, and we are always here for you!

Brush Up on the Terminology

Before we go into the nitty-gritty of localization, let’s first take a look at the terms you’ll be seeing in this article:

What is Localization?

Localization is the process of adapting your product, information, content, or marketing campaigns to suit the needs, preferences, interests, and context of customers in a specific country, region, or foreign market. The most critical localization factors to consider are language, culture, religion, politics, and regulations.

What are Localization Services?

Localization services are the tools used to modify a product to adapt to the needs and preferences of users in different regions. Businesses looking to expand beyond their own regions should use these services to build trust and confidence in new markets.

Some good examples of localization services include:

👉 Translating a product into a local language.

👉 Changing units of measurement to suit the intended new market.

👉 Checking whether font and character sizes work in other alphabets.

👉 Re-working visual elements in games to make them resonate with the cultures you’re targeting.

Marketing Strategies

➡️ Localization Marketing

Like search engines or video marketing, the localization process is a subsection of the bigger marketing strategy, which is promoting and selling your products or services. It requires purposeful planning and a commitment to scale your business’ marketing efforts by paying close attention to local factors, customs, and needs.

➡️ Global Marketing

Global marketing, quite predictably, refers to the marketing strategy, practices, and activities that lead to identifying and successfully attracting customers on a worldwide scale.

A global marketing plan should include specific strategies for selling your product in different countries and regions and an overarching set of goals to achieve sustainable growth on an international level. Therefore, your localization process and strategies form part of your bigger global marketing plan.

A global marketing plan should include your:

👉 Value proposition

👉 Target audiences

👉 Business models

👉 Success factors

👉 Marketing mix

👉 Resources

It’s essential that your plan includes the “local factor.” What cultural, economic, religious, and political factors will affect your brand identity and success in the markets you’re targeting? It’s critical information you should be considering and monitoring regularly.

➡️ What is Global Marketing Localization?

Global marketing localization means taking your international marketing plan and localizing each element based on your different regional target markets. In short, you are making it familiar and relevant to each segment of the population you plan to market.

For example, components of your overall marketing plan should include:

👉 Your website

👉 Social media campaigns

👉 Press releases

Global marketing localization requires an in-depth understanding of customers in many different contexts, such as:

👉 Economy

👉 Social trends

👉 Values

👉 Technology

👉 Legal compliance regulations

Why Do Businesses Need Localization Strategies?

It’s pretty evident that you need customers for your business to survive, and what business doesn’t want more customers? The truth is that, with a little bit of effort, you can open up a world of exciting new opportunities. If you can scale up your marketing efforts and reach out to customers in different regions, you will, without a doubt, increase your customer base and grow your business.

A good localization strategy will make customers feel like they’re getting the best possible customer experience. To achieve this goal, you must understand their needs and always consider them in all customer service areas. This is why businesses should prioritize their localization strategy. It is a critical, tried-and-tested tool for improving global revenue and customer loyalty across the board.

The Top 3 Advantages of Localization for Global Marketing

01. Growth

Localization provides a competitive advantage by expanding your reach and improving global brand awareness. For example, customized, localized content is likely to rank higher in search engines because it enhances the quality of results for users.

Seamlessly integrate localization to help your business overcome common scalability problems, such as struggling to retain clients or meeting your growth targets. Good localized content and information are more likely to lead to loyal customers, as the global target audience will feel like your brand speaks to their specific needs. Also, as you sell more products in new regions, you’ll have the opportunity to sell your excellent business reputation by word of mouth with new users.

02. Making Connections

Localization can help to humanize your brand.

If done well, customers in every corner of the world will look at your products and feel as if your brand speaks to them and addresses their needs. Customers are more likely to engage with your brand through social media, your website, and other channels if they see themselves reflected in your marketing campaigns and content. They’re more likely to engage in social media posts that understand cultural differences and reflect their cultural norms.

Localization shows that your brand respects other cultures and values and that you’re making an effort to meet your customers in their world. Most importantly, it shows that you understand them and their needs.

03. Profits

Localization will increase profits, which are, of course, necessary for businesses looking to scale globally. Your investment in marketing is likely to be more effective, as a solid localization strategy will increase the potential for sales across a broader target market. If customers engage with content and information they understand and enjoy, they’re less likely to need customer support. Because of this, localization can also lead to significant savings in the long run, which is a win-win situation.

Ready to get started with localization? Explore the 10 simple steps to help you implement your localization strategy and ensure your localization efforts have a positive impact on your global revenue on PayPro Global’s blog.