In this age of the internet, the entire world is pretty much at our fingertips. From a commerce standpoint, this has to make a business owner wonder if it’s appropriate to market to a worldwide audience. After all, if all anyone has to do to see your product or service is visit a website, why not market to as many people as possible?
Of course, it’s not that simple. There are plenty of issues that have to be addressed before international marketing would be worth your time and money. Add in the factors of an international SEO and social media strategy, and you can see how things could easily get complicated beyond what you’re able to handle.
In terms of SEO, it’s not safe to assume that the keywords you use in your domestic strategy will work abroad.
Language barriers aside, not everyone in every market uses a particular product for the same purpose, and of course even amongst English-speaking countries there are differences in vernacular. For example, if you sell a special kind of kitchen trash bag on your website and you’re focusing your domestic strategy around that keyword, when marketing abroad you would need to realize that most English-speaking countries outside the United States refer to a trash bag as a “bin liner,” and would search for that term rather than “trash bag” on Google.
There’s also the issue of shipping products. All the successful marketing in the world won’t make a difference if the hassle and cost of international shipping is more than you’re willing to deal with on a regular basis. It’s also important to assess the legalities of shipping certain types of products overseas, as you don’t want legal troubles on top of everything.
Social media might be the easiest and most telling aspect of an international marketing strategy, as it will help you connect with your potential audience in various countries, and give you an idea of what sorts of changes you need to be making. You can also get an idea of what your international fans are interested in versus what interests your domestic customers.
International marketing is not for everyone, but it’s certainly something to look into if you think your business is suitable for a wider audience. As long as you can put the research in to learn about your target market, and take things one market at a time, it can be a rewarding experience in more ways than one.
