Software localization services facilitate global communication regardless of physical borders. They offer an advantage for the user and, mostly, for...
4 min read
14/02/2023
A localization strategy allows companies to present themselves in a unique and marketable way to new audiences. This is a necessary strategy for the international expansion of any business, since the brand's global success will depend on its proper development and application.
Consequently, knowing what a localization strategy is and how to build one is essential for getting your products/services into foreign markets.
What is a localization strategy?
A localization strategy is the set of actions or the completely planned procedure that a company carries out in order to adapt its offering, its messages and all its content to a new region or country or to a new social, cultural and language level, but without losing the brand's style.
By understanding what a localization strategy is and applying it, companies make their marketing content more appealing to the target audience in the new market, just as if it had been originally created for that local culture and language.
This strategy is created by considering key factors of that new region, such as the language(s) spoken, social attitudes, cultural habits, purchasing behavior and international SEO.
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When do you need to implement a localization strategy?
Strategic localization is an essential and unavoidable step for global companies or for those preparing to become one. But when exactly in this process should this type of strategy be implemented?
When the company decides to plan for global reach, it will need marketing campaigns, social media accounts and websites, among other resources, that focus on local areas. And the way to succeed is by planning the localization strategy from the very beginning of your internationalization process.
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Therefore, a company needs to implement a localization strategy when:
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It is seeking international expansion.
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It needs to effectively connect with customers worldwide.
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It wants to introduce its product/service to new markets.
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It has to adapt its brand message to each local custom or culture.
How to build a successful localization strategy?
To build a strategic and successful localization plan, each of the following points must be considered:
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Identify suitable markets to expand the company. In order to target new international regions, it is necessary to research the market, the country, the new consumers, every cultural nuance, etc.
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This makes it easier to determine which market is more viable or suitable for introducing a service/product and more favorable for the brand.
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Understand the target market and each of its opportunities. For this reason, it is important to work with local partners or hire local experts. Through their experience and knowledge of the values and real needs of the public, they help to understand:
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Consumer behavior.
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The levels of demand for the product/service.
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Cultural differences that must be taken into account to access the market.
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Use localization solutions that guarantee high quality results. To target a new international audience, the first thing to implement is the translation of marketing content.
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But it is undoubtedly strategic localization that will add the cultural idioms and nuances necessary to make content, messages and systems or web design completely familiar to foreign consumers. For example, software localization.
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Translate and adapt each of the audiovisual resources, such as content, images, videos, website layout, etc. Are you a creator of great games? We can help you reach a global audience!
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Optimize online pages and web content so that they can be found by the target audience. For this, it is essential to use international SEO tactics, such as backlinking or adding local search terms.
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Taking the small details into account. It is not just a matter of adapting content, advertising or language. Subtle but high-impact details, such as colors, date formats, units of measurement, currency, etc., should also be considered.
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Study the competition to determine what weaknesses they have or what areas they are neglecting in the market.
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Maintain brand authenticity during the strategic localization process. This is what will make the company stand out from its competitors.
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But this authentic and targeted identity must be suited to the new market; it is the only way to make the target audience connect with the essence and values of the company.
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Adapt marketing content to each international market. Each market has different characteristics, so different approaches and localization strategies are needed to access each one.
Finally, everything to do with the localization strategy must become a continuous process, a process in which you constantly learn about the target market audience, to improve the user experience more and more.
The benefits of a good localization strategy
A good localization strategy allows companies to develop their activity in a tactical and smart way in new international markets, bringing with it great exposure and brand recognition as well as access to new business opportunities.
A company that knows how to use localization strategy is getting closer to its audience, understanding these new prospects to deliver what they really need, but in their language and cultural terms.
Consequently, localization not only allows you to connect with potential customers, but also helps to avoid errors and the use of inappropriate resources or terms for the new culture you want to access.
Key tips to quickly improve your localization strategy
There are four key tips that make it possible to quickly improve a localization strategy and ensure the company's successful expansion:
- Develop a translation style guide to identify the brand identity, define the company's voice in the various languages and cultures of the target markets and maintain content consistency.
- Start the internationalization of the company at the right time, taking into account the state of the market you want to access, the company's operating capacity and whether or not products need to be redesigned to make them viable in the target country or region.
- Hire a language service provider with extensive experience and technological deployment to ensure timely response and create appropriate tactics and plans for each expansion project.
- Centralize translation and localization work to a single multilingual vendor. It undoubtedly helps to optimize the flow of communication, prevent inconsistencies from arising and streamline tasks throughout the process.
Localization strategy with Pangeanic
At Pangeanic, we offer customized technological and linguistic solutions to help your company grow internationally.
We have a team of native translators comprising more than 25,000 experts and offer services including multilingual DTP, audio and video transcription, strategic translation and localization of online stores and professional websites, neural machine translation and post-editing, etc.
Do you want to grow your business? Let's talk. At Pangeanic, we combine artificial intelligence with human ingenuity to offer you the best solution.