Expanding your business internationally will lead to many opportunities, but other aspects of it will seem intimidating. For example, how do you expand your excellent brand and keep it intact while reaching out to new audiences? We have six pieces of advice to help you with your international expansion while maintaining your brand.
Research Different Cultures
As you get involved with different countries, you will need to research their cultures. Remember that people from various places will have different expectations for companies. As a business, you need to do your research and figure out what these people will expect from you.
For example, if your business plans to establish itself in Asia, you should look into the cities and countries you plan to expand to. From here, you can figure out what aspects of your brand will appeal to them. You can then focus on those parts of your brand, make them stand out and leave a positive impression on those people.
Create Brand Guidelines
If you want to keep your brand intact, you will need to create brand guidelines for your business. These guidelines will help you identify the tone, style and content you want to create for your business. If you stay true to those general guidelines, you will keep your business’ brand intact.
From here, you can make minor adjustments within the guidelines to help your customers in different countries. This will help you to maintain your brand throughout different countries while making changes that will appeal to customers in different regions. However, you should only make changes that will stay within your guidelines.
Use the Right Channels
You will have different communication channels to interact with your customers. However, you need to realize that your customers will prefer different communication channels. On top of that, this can vary a considerable amount between different countries, depending on your customers’ preferences.
For example, your customers in one country may prefer social media, another group might want to use email and the last could ask for text message support. This means that if you want to reach out and provide support through the right channels, you need to identify the best ones. From here, you can provide those communication channels based on their needs.
Monitor Brand Awareness
As you introduce your brand to different regions, you will need to monitor brand awareness. This involves checking social media, reviews and any other information you can find to understand what your customers think of your business. If you monitor all of this, you can figure out what customers think of your business.
This will involve checking various channels to find out what they say about your business. For example, if you get a lot of negative reviews from your international audience, you should address the concerns in that region. Doing so will help you to make changes that will spread your brand awareness to more people.
Work With Translators
You should also work with translators if you plan to maintain your brand internationally. Translators can let you know how you can get your message across in the way you intend. For example, certain phrasing may work in your native language, but it might come across as offensive or rude in another.
If you work with translators, you can make sure that you present your brand messages correctly. On top of this, a translator can help you talk with clients in-person despite any language barriers you may have. You can also hire people that can respond to questions or concerns from customers that don’t speak the same language as you.
Examine Product Names and Your Logo
Going off of the previous point, you may need to change your product names and logo depending on the area. After all, some product names may work well in your home country, but they might not work as well on an international level. This can include specific terminology, language-related puns and other naming conventions.
On top of this, you want to make sure you pick a logo that will appeal to your audiences in other countries. See if you can identify an image that will work well for your customers in that area. For example, if your logo includes something that other audiences won’t recognize, then you need to update it or make adjustments.
When your business plans to expand to other countries, you need to figure out how to reach those customers. Your brand may need a few adjustments, but you can keep the overall vision intact as you apply these pieces of advice. As you do so, you will reach out to more customers, expand your business and maintain your brand.