It’s a fact that relating to international audiences effectively requires a unique method of approach and cultural understanding. If you’re running a UK business and seeking to become more relevant in the global community, there are several things to consider, including how you can adapt your message to suit individuals from international backgrounds.
The current business world has faced evolution in communication and the growth of ecommerce. By taking advantage of this shift in business to mobile you can harness digital and online channels in building relations with international audiences. Many businesses have successfully achieved this same goal, and you can do the same by learning some key secrets.
Research your new market and consider what your audiences need
When targeting a new audience, it’s essential to be as specific as possible, and carry out thorough research before you launch. A common mistake businesses make when going global is rushing into it without first considering their plan.
Before making attempts to reach out to international audiences, you should first plan a suitable strategy and research keywords they can connect to. Researching into what works best for them and how the competition are connecting with their audience can be crucial to the success of UK businesses looking to strike up international partnerships.
In addition to finding out the needs of international audiences, you’ll also need to know what this new venture will mean for your business. This means finding out about the cultural ramifications, in addition to the proper insurance and legal framework.
Form work relationships with local vendors
While carrying out market research and taking the audience’s needs into consideration is valuable, it cannot take the place of having the guidance of an actual native. You can add individuals from the country you’re attempting to reach out to, to your team. The benefit of this is that, your team becomes more diverse and more talented. You can also add a global context and perspective to your business that can immensely help your new venture. However, you should be seeking to work with high quality vendors overseas, instead of sub-contracting work to overseas individuals. If you do so, you might have to pay the price in extremely expensive markups and sub-par talent.
Translate content for your target audience
Your web content should be readable by both your existing UK customers and potential international customers. Your next step would therefore be to translate the content to suit your desired audience.
Tools like Google Translate can help with basic translations, but you’ll also need a native to edit and improve the translation to maintain your credibility. More advanced tools can provide a more comprehensive translation, even accurately converting measurement units and currency. However, no software can sufficiently interpret the different ethnic, cultural and linguistic nuances of all regions. You may need to hire a local translator, one who has lived in your target country and can identify and properly represent your business in the native language.
Finally, to successfully relate to international audiences, ensure that your potential customers can reach you. The reassurance of a physical phone number shows that you are a legitimate business, one that can be easily contacted should the need arise.