International expansion seems like an obvious step for most ecommerce businesses. Penetrating new markets can be lucrative, as it both expands and diversifies the customer base, which increases revenue and reduces risk. However, the difficulty of securing overseas customers cannot be underestimated.

Marketing your products to global audiences is not as simple as running display ads in foreign locales and paying your way to the top of search engines. Businesses must connect with their customers using a localised approach, ensuring their brand is sensitive to cultural nuances so that it resonates authentically.

We explain the tactics that you must deploy in order to acquire and retain overseas customers.

What to Consider When Developing an International Marketing Strategy

Before doing anything,  take a step back and evaluate the opportunity of selling globally. Are you ready for international expansion – for example, do you have the sufficient resources and infrastructure required to succeed overseas?

Consider your product too. Is there demand for it in the country you’re targeting, and if so, what does the competitor landscape look like? Does your product excel in terms of innovation or affordability? Is the product legal in the country you’re targeting, or does it contain ingredients that are condemned by the local culture?

And finally, is the opportunity realistic? Looking too far afield not only makes logistics harder, but it will likely require a significant investment in infrastructure. 

Only when you’ve carefully considered these questions should you pursue international expansion plans.

Tactic One: Localization

A localisation strategy is essential for overseas success. But what does localisation in the context of global growth mean?

Localisation is all about tailoring your product, content, or service to fit different cultures and audiences. This allows you to create a more personalised brand experience, helping to increase engagement with overseas customers and ultimately overcome the hurdles of entering a new market.

Your website is one of the most important places to start. It’s often the first impression a potential customer will have of your brand, so it needs to grab their attention immediately.

This is where some brands fall short. They choose to rely on automatic translation tools which often miss the nuances and context of the local language. Idioms and phrases used domestically do not always resonate with other cultures. For example, ‘BOGOF’ might not make sense or could even mean something completely different in another country.

Instead, your online content needs to be  ‘transcreated’ – not just translated but creatively adapted to resonate with different audiences and cultures.

Of course, there is much more to ecommerce than a website. Your adverts, marketing materials, and even product packaging need to be transcreated and optimised for each region. This includes making sure all information, instructions, and ingredients are clear and easy to understand. Lastly, consider investing in multilingual customer service to improve the overall shopping experience.

Tactic Two: Personalised Marketing

Every retailer dreams of delivering a product that perfectly meets every customer’s needs.

In reality, creating a one-size-fits-all product is nearly impossible.

This is where product customisation comes in.  Giving customers the power to tailor an item to suit their particular needs or desires can be a game-changer.

It creates a more engaging and unique experience than an off-the-shelf product. This level of choice and customisation can support customer loyalty and satisfaction.

THG Ingenuity partnered with a beloved British chocolate maker to launch their new direct-to-customer online store, with a focus on a completely personalised experience.

Previously, the product was only available in physical retailers, but the brand wanted to make sure they were not left behind ahead of the Christmas retail rush.

This was the brand’s first venture into online retail, and by using THG Ingenuity’s ecommerce solution, they were able to offer customers a unique, tailored experience.

Shoppers could choose everything from the type of sweets in the tin to the name printed on the label and the message in the gift card.

The results were impressive. The personalised option led to a 90% increase in the average order value compared to the standard tin and a 230% increase in orders above the initial sales target.

This shows that when customers have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves into a brand and even help create the product, it delivers immediate results and builds lasting relationships.

Tactic Three: Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has been around in one form or another for a long time. Brands have always used ambassadors to boost their appeal in new markets. The difference now is that you don’t need a Hollywood superstar or athlete to make an impact.

While a well-known celebrity can certainly help to elevate your brand’s global image, it comes with a hefty price tag and can make it difficult to measure your return on investment. The rise of social media has brought a new generation of micro and nano-influencers, giving brands a more targeted and cost-effective way to reach their audiences.

For example, collaborating with a Spanish influencer gives a brand instant access to potential customers in that region, helping to overcome market entry barriers. T

Another major benefit of influencer marketing is that it’s easy to track your return on investment. You are able to see engagement rates directly on the social media platform, and using promotional codes, you can see exactly how many sales were generated from a specific campaign.

Go Global With THG Ingenuity

THG Ingenuity provides localisation, personalisation, and marketing services to help businesses connect with global audiences effortlessly. 

Our in-house translation and localisation solution, THG Fluently, allows our clients to speak to their international customers in the right language, wherever they are. Our team of 6,000  translation and localisation experts can create SEO and PPC optimised content in over 160 languages.

A great example of this is LOOKFANTASTIC, a THG-owned brand. Since using THG Fluently’s localisation techniques, they’ve seen a 92% growth in Italian sessions, a 49% growth in German sessions, and a 37% growth in Korean sessions. This demonstrates the powerful impact localisation can have on business performance.

With our unrivalled catalogue of influencers, of all audience sizes, we can handpick the right people to give you access to new and unexplored audiences. Our global marketing services cover all channels, including search, direct marketing, content, social media, and display advertising – all transcreated and optimised by THG Fluently.

Ready to tap into global markets? Get in touch with us today.