Any business that wants to grow internationally must have a localization strategy set in place. Simply put, localization is the process of adapting a product or service to meet the language and cultural requirements of a particular target market. There are many things to take into consideration when localizing your business, such as linguistic differences and cultural sensitivities.

This article will help you build a strong localization strategy and make sure your international marketing campaigns are successful.

1. Identify your target market

When localizing your product and content, you need to ensure that it is relevant to your target audience. This will ensure engagement and, ultimately, increased revenue and business success.

Before focusing on a particular country, take some time to examine the market. This entails analyzing the linguistic and demographic traits of your target audience, as well as their cultural norms, beliefs, and customs. What language do they speak? Are there multiple dialects you need to take into consideration? How do they go about purchasing products and services? These are all factors you need to take into account before you begin localizing your business.

2. Identify cultural and linguistic differences

This localization process goes beyond simple translation—you need to localize the audience experience as a whole. It’s important to recognize and take into account linguistic differences but also cultural differences, norms, customs, as well as local laws and regulations.

For a business trying to expand internationally, a poorly executed localization might endanger the entire brand image. Date formats can vary from one nation to another. When translated, a joke can become offensive. Have you considered things like the proper formatting for dates, currencies, and timings to ensure optimum comprehension? Researching and addressing these challenges at the beginning of your localization process is far simpler and more cost-effective.

3. Choose the right localization tools

The next step in your localization strategy is to choose the right tools for the job. Addressing the elephant in the room – the answer to the question of whether Google Translate would simply do the job is a solid no. Selecting a high-quality translation management system, such as Centus, that will help you automate, manage, and translate all of your material into the languages your audiences speak is crucial since, as we mentioned earlier, localization involves more than just translation.

Using the right localization tools will help shorten turnaround times thanks to the advanced automation workflows that teams across your company can easily execute and scale to meet your localization needs. In addition, if your website offers reliable, easy-to-understand content, you will develop a reputation as a reliable source in international marketplaces.

4. Decide what content you will localize

Once you have the proper localization tools in place, think about what content you want to localize. Will you be localizing your social media accounts or your website? What about your user-generated content and social proof?

Keep in mind that it can sometimes be better to produce content that is relevant to your target audience from scratch. It might be a good idea to create different social media profiles for each country rather than using the already-existing ones. This will help you gain engagement and trust, both of which are vital when penetrating new markets.

Don’t forget to localize your visuals as well. The visual elements, including website design, images, videos, GIFs, etc. are also a crucial part of your localization strategy.

5. Test your localized content

Make sure to thoroughly test any new websites or marketing campaigns before launching them in international markets to ensure there are no errors or bugs. This includes mistranslated content, missing links, and improperly functioning videos.

In every industry you’re aiming for, your site should be fully functioning and present a professional image. You can start by launching a short, targeted campaign in your chosen target market to observe how it performs. You can also set up and send a customer satisfaction survey to see how it performs and rates with the customer. If the translation isn’t up to par, go back to the start and make adjustments until it is.

Localization helps you become part of the globalized world

Although developing a localization strategy for your company may initially appear difficult, the tips in this article will help you lay a solid foundation for the process and ensure you’re on the right track.

Always keep in mind that it’s crucial to be culturally aware and relevant to your target audience when enhancing your localization strategy. You must do your research and tailor your efforts properly because consumers in various regions of the world respond to certain marketing tactics differently. If you successfully implement a localization strategy, you will be able to interact with more customers, expand your audience, and become a part of a globalized and interconnected world.