Do you dream of connecting your small business with global audiences? Make it a reality with a scaling plan and determination. Consistent and practical branding should be the foundation. Then, consumers everywhere can identify you among thousands of competitors. Follow these recommendations to overcome the challenges designers, marketers and owners face during expansion.

Keeping Local Appeal When Scaling

Some companies lose their local charm when tempting international buyers. Instead of fearing your brand’s imagery and style will fail to attract global interest, focus on fine-tuning your graphics and tagline. Striking logos, fonts and colors inevitably catch potential customers’ eyes.

For example, a Tennessee-based clothing shop may proudly display a tomato on its website banner, shirts and other merchandise, as it is the state fruit. On one hand, they risk confusing people who expect them to sell tomatoes. Alternatively, the iconography is singular in the fashion industry, so it could instill more curiosity and brand awareness. It stands out. Should the store water down its local relevance when these images represent the brand’s origins? 

Changing your logo could alienate the customers who contributed to your growth. Disparities are jarring and may lead people astray. Consistency also prevents unintentional glocalizing, which is when companies switch cultural identities depending on what market they want to appeal to.

Instead of rebranding, keep your original flair. Refine design elements to make them timeless. Consider improving font readability or thickening image outlines for visibility. Simplicity will make your branding a universally understood language. 

Working With Localization Teams

While online translation resources are affordable and easily accessible, they lack the capacity for human nuance and empathy. Hiring translators and localizers is a worthwhile investment, ultimately leading to successful international branding that resonates with your target audiences. 

Whether you offer an app or sculpt handmade pottery, everything in your catalog should have product names, images and descriptions that align with your globalization goals. While English is a widely spoken language, using it exclusively may make shoppers lose interest. According to a global survey by CSA Research, 76% of consumers give products more consideration when information is available in their native language, highlighting a desire for accessibility. 

You must outsource localization for branding maintenance and quality control. It ensures every contract, Facebook event and website blog post is equally authoritative. Researchers have proven that dedication to consistency yields 33% more revenue. Familiarity helps consumers recognize the brand, regardless of language or cultural imagery. Buyers still see the brand’s foundations clearly amid your localization efforts.

Using Curated Social Media 

Global brand relevance requires an intentionally crafted social media marketing strategy. You are more likely to see results if you target nations with digital progressiveness, or geographies with high individual social media and phone usage. This research shows a single marketing plan is insufficient. Every country uses these applications and responds to content differently. 

Branding voice and imaging maintain universal appeal by following strict style guides. For example, your organization’s personality could be quirky or comedic. However, an Instagram caption that makes U.S. readers laugh may inadvertently offend people in East Asia. 

You can still keep the tone consistent when translating written copy for online consumption, but it needs niche cultural appeal. Extra care also prevents cultural faux pas and accidental insults that could lead to disloyalty.

Then, cooperation with localization teams captures these qualities into a form that makes sense for the region and how its people enjoy social content.

Spotify is a perfect case study for attentive SMM. In 2020, it wanted to change playlist thumbnails to appeal to global listeners. The company designed icons with various backgrounds and models to highlight diversity and musical influence. It was more than translating words correctly. The images were culturally sensitive, even going so far as to demonstrate love in regionally appropriate ways.

Investing in International Market Research

Some companies may dismiss market research before expanding into other countries. It is a hefty time investment, and tight budgets leave little room to justify the price. Still, you could lose profits by ignoring its relevance, leading to a lack of awareness. Investing now will be the key to revenue growth when establishing your international business’ goals.

Your globalization efforts must be evidence-based. Otherwise, you will be unsure if your product or service has universal appeal. It could be a fleeting trend in one place and penetrate for years in another. Therefore, these locations need different financial and time investments in your marketing and branding techniques. Facts only come from market research, which can include:

• Multicultural focus groups
• Ethnographic research
• Worldwide surveys
• Customer segmentation
• Field trials
• Interviews

In this stage, you must also include a competitive analysis of similarly sized companies with recent globalization efforts. Which regions did they target, and how well did it work? Could their branding campaigns have been more effective with a different strategy, or was it in the wrong place at the wrong time? These answers will inform your future scaling objectives. 

Additionally, customer feedback and hearing if locals are interested are the only ways to know if there is a chance your shop will flourish in a new location. Experts suggest cultural divergence is prevalent in global markets, making research and communication even more crucial. 

Local Aspirations With a Cross-Cultural Mindset

Every business, including yours, should try reaching a broader customer base if feasible. It forces you to optimize strategies because you must think ahead. You forge positive brand iconography and voice that will last generations while spreading worldwide. Consider globalization today to connect with more customers and make an impact.