Globalization has significantly changed the structure of business operations in recent times. Businesses are no more location or time-bound as before – the whole world became a small village through technology. Companies can now increase interactions between different sectors, countries, and regions to facilitate transactions and trades. This brings the importance of marketing your business overseas into play.
One of the most significant limitations to a growing business is the restriction by location. No matter the kind of services or operations you are involved in, there is always a way to give your business an international presence, expanding beyond your geographical restriction. It is one indicator of growth that may differentiate a small-sized business from a medium-sized or large-scale business.
Why You Should Market Your Business Internationally
We will not ignore how much work it takes to build an international brand, and in today’s digital marketing age, many factors need to be considered such as SEO for big brands. There are a lot of challenges capable of discouraging any business from taking that bold step. However, global marketing will remain one of the best decisions anyone can make for their business despite all the limitations.
If, as a business owner, you find yourself stuck in between deciding to take the enormous leap, here are some great reasons why you should look beyond the challenges to do what is best for your business.
To Increase Customer Base
The first privilege you enjoy with globalization is a tremendous increase in customer base. No matter how popular you are in your locality, the reach you will get by marketing your business on an international scale will always outweigh that of your local environment.
Increase in Profit and Revenue
An increase in customer base and patronage will translate into more money for the business. With a significant increase in revenue and profit, the company can take up even much greater projects that will further expand its operations.
When there is adequate utilization of continual increase in profit made, the business sets on continuous growth and development, making it one of the greatest in its sector in no time.
International Recognition Attracts Investors
Marketing your business overseas puts your business in the limelight. No matter how brilliant your business idea is, you will be limited when you do not have access to a larger population.
With international visibility and recognition, you can attract worthy and quality foreign investors for your business, significantly increasing your capital base and leading your business on a massive expansion journey.
Foreign investors also help to establish your business operations in other countries. Your business may be on its way to being a multinational company by the singular act of marketing overseas.
Risks Minimization
Risk minimization ensures that the greater your publicity and visibility, the lesser your risks of running out of business due to reduced patronage. While launching a new initiative or product, proper international marketing increases success for such new projects.
5 Tips for Marketing Your Business Overseas
Promoting your business on a global scale entails several processes, including a strong marketing strategy. Considering that this is a step away from local marketing, you need to get equipped to successfully build your brand name all over the place, across various nations.
We will be discussing five tips that can make your business globalization a walk in the park.
1. Do Your Background Study
Building and marketing one’s business online is not what you can dabble into without adequate preparation. It requires careful planning and strategy. It would be best if you took your time to run an appropriate background study that is sufficient to give you an insight into what you are about to embark on. Hence you can adequately prepare all the resources that will be needed.
Your background study will entail several processes: risk evaluation, budget estimation, and particularly, your market survey. The market survey should include market selection and research. You can structure this research along several frameworks like the DEPEST method or Porter’s five forces.
Market Selection
While there might be a vast market for your business worldwide, you may have to select what market you want to explore and why. There is always a market for you, one where you will thrive well. Ability to identify this market will make a huge mark in your business marketing.
The market choice to aim should depend on the market size, your business plans and goals, and the demand for your product and services in the market. Your market selection can also get influenced by a target country with a track record of success in your business line.
Market Research
This process should go alongside your market selection. To make final decisions on market and marketing plans, you need to have as much information as you can on your target market. With this, you can design how to introduce your business, branding, and packaging that will suit the existing market and other forms of cultural adaptability.
It would help if you took note that different markets have their uniqueness. To function maximally on an international level, you must make your business flexible enough to accommodate various market changes and peculiarities.
2. Choose a Marketing and Distribution Strategy
When marketing your business overseas you definitely need a sound marketing plan. Depending on the market you have chosen to function in, you should decide what strategy to penetrate and distribute your products and services. Your background study on the market type will help to inform what ways to employ for marketing.
It is okay for you to use agents or professionals outside your business to actualize your marketing goals. Outsourcing your marketing department is a welcome idea, in as much as you are sure that you have the best hands working on selling your business.
The success of your marketing and distribution strategy greatly determines your overall win in the international market.
3. Build a Strong Online Presence
Building an online presence is one of the primary ways to market overseas. People want to be able to use and try out different products and services from their homes’ comfort. The only way you can take your business to every home from any location is to leverage the internet.
There are various platforms where you can list your business to improve your visibility and marketing throughout multiple nations. You should start by creating a website for your business if you do not already have one.
While creating the content of your website, be mindful of the structure and look of your website. It would help if you considered the diversity of population you tend to reach when choosing your website’s elements and features.
Content optimization is also essential to improve the reach and visibility of your brand overseas. You may want to study your target country’s content marketing trends or market and use this in search engine optimization for your business.
Social media is also a useful platform for you, not just to list your business but build a strong bond with your customers and potential customers. With social media, you can have a direct and firsthand relationship with your customers, which will help build their loyalty to your business. While the international space might be an unfamiliar terrain, social media is a common ground you can leverage.
4. International Trade Shows
You should make use of every available opportunity to put your business out there, and this includes international trade shows. These shows are great platforms for networking and connecting with other companies that may help your expansion.
Asides from the opportunity to exhibit and sell your products to a large population of people, International trade shows bring your business into public view. These shows are attended by people and brands from various parts of the globe, and this is just the kind of audience you need to market your business overseas successfully.
You can also use these shows as an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the international market, staying abreast of changes and development in your target market, your competitions, and how to beat them. You will realize that international trade shows will help you overhaul your business to fit better in the foreign market beyond sales and exhibitions.
5. Build Relationships
Relationships are essential when penetrating a foreign market. It would help if you worked closely with those already successful in the market, and at times, you have to position yourself in a win-win situation with the forces that control your current market.
You can employ influencers to help you improve your visibility and acceptability in your newly found environment. Their involvement can project you steps ahead in your marketing process.
Considering that you are in a new environment, you could leverage professionals’ experience in the field. You do not have to be a lone wolf in the race. Proper branding and marketing may require skilled hands who have been in the business and can help you promote yours.
A typical example of such partnerships will be working with a Professional Employer Organization, known typically for their relationships with growing businesses expanding internationally. A PEO like Global PEO, or other providers, will help your business achieve that international status by taking care of vital processes and operations in your place, giving you a better position in the international market.
Launching and penetrating a foreign market might not be the most straightforward task for a growing business, mostly when limited by capital and other resources. However, marketing your business overseas is your best shot at breaking your limitations and expanding your brand.