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You’ve carefully and methodically built your brand. It is a success and continues to grow. What a wonderful sensation!

You are now ready to compete in international markets – to share your brand with people in foreign countries. There are several vital points to consider here. While much of what you did to build your brand in your home country will transfer to your international efforts, you will spend a significant amount of time translating and localizing your website, content, and social media for another culture.

Essentially, your brand is your reputation. And establishing a reputation in a foreign country will be entirely dependent on the impressions you make, particularly during your interactions with your new target market. Lets take a look at some step below:

• Demand estimation
• Translation vs. Localization
• Logistics

1. Demand estimation

Local success does not imply international success. How will you ascertain whether the product or service you wish to offer to a foreign audience is in demand? Naturally, this will require some research. You are aware that demand is determined by very specific factors – consumer preferences, target market incomes, the number of potential consumers in a market, and even income distribution.

You conducted research to ascertain this on a local level. You’re now required to conduct the same research in a foreign country.

If they have the budget, many businesses will hire marketing professionals in the target country to conduct market viability research. Obviously, this is the most effective strategy. If you lack such a budget, you will need to conduct competitor research; you will need to conduct consumer research on what consumers in your target market are purchasing online; you will need to develop a customer persona and conduct income research, among other things. Any information you can gather will assist you in determining whether there is a market in the area where you wish to operate.

2. Translation vs. Localization

You know you must translate all content into the target language. You know that simply translating the content isn’t enough. Of course, translations make your content accessible to a foreign audience, but that audience may not value or appreciate it.

You need a translator who is a native of the target country, who understands your target demographic and their cultural preferences. For example, Japan has many sub-demographics. If your audience is older, your content must be formal, respectful, and free of slang. If your target audience is younger, the language will be more informal. A translator who understands this will ensure that your content is culturally appropriate.

If you need a translation service, Pick Writers has a list of reputable companies with a track record of successful translation and localization.

3. Logistics

The logistics must be in place before considering a marketing strategy or entering a foreign market. How will orders be acknowledged? How will customers be issued receipts and items shipped? We ship from our local facility, or we manufacture and/or distribute within the country. Manufacturing and import laws vary by country, so you’ll need legal counsel in the target country to ensure compliance.

That is, you must ensure that your products reach your target customers reliably and consistently.