The Secret To Finding The Right International Marketing Tactics For Your Business

23 September, 2008

International Web Marketing

What marketing tactics can you use to begin international marketing?  How do you find the right ones for your business?

Variety In Marketing Tactics

In theory, you can begin with the list of marketing tactics available to you for your domestic marketing.  This is what I hear people talk about today:

  • Article Marketing
  • Association Marketing
  • Content Marketing
  • Educational Marketing
  • Email Marketing
  • Event Marketing
  • Joint Venture Marketing
  • Post Card Marketing
  • Referral Marketing
  • Video Marketing

…And this is by no means a complete list.  There seems to be new phrases coined every year for different marketing tactics.  You may find all of these choices confusing.

There are many different ways to market to your foreign prospects. The choice is more complicated when you think of the different cultural aspects.

  • There may be other marketing tactics popular in different countries.
  • Some marketing tactics may work more than others in different countries.

What marketing tactic is best suited for international marketing?  First of all, let’s not cloud the issue with these cultural differences.  Let’s stay focused on a couple of business basics.

What is the one marketing platform you should not ignore for international audiences?

How To Use International Web Marketing

It is true that today no business can afford to overlook  web marketing to reach international markets.  The trouble is that as the web is global, most people consider that international web marketing is:

  • Not difficult
  • Cheap
  • Easy
  • “Global”

And this is usually where confusion really sets in.

You see, if you consider all of your web marketing to be “international”, and you make no difference between your domestic marketing and your international marketing, what results can you really expect?

  • Are you just trying to catch the stray customer?
  • Or do you want to develop your business abroad?

Althoug you may make an occasional international sales, are you really marketing to people in different countries and from different cultures?

To get the most out of any market, you always need to adapt your marketing to each particular market.  The narrower your focus and the more targeted your marketing and communication, the better results you will get and the more sales you make.

To make your international web marketing work for your business you need to:

  • Focus on one country or culture at a time
  • Target and adjust your communication to try to connect with this one culture

Once you decide what you want to sell and where you want to sell it, how do you choose the marketing tactic you need?

Your Choice Of Marketing Tactics Depends On Your Business

The truth is, no one really knows the best marketing tactic you need to use, and how to use it, to reach your international markets.  This is something you need to find out for yourself.  You will need to try and test many different tactics before you find what works for your business.

The best marketing tactics will depend on your foreign markets. There are several factors that come into play.

  • You can begin with the marketing methods that work well in your domestic markets.
  • You can also try the marketing methods easiest for you to reach your international markets.
  • Remember to think out of the box and look for different ways of connecting with people.

Good businesses regularly test different marketing methods on a small scale first.  International marketing is the same.

How do you find out which marketing tactics work best for your business and your markets?

Market Research Integrated Into All Of Your Marketing Actions

There is one important difference between starting a domestic marketing strategy and an international marketing strategy.

International marketing requires more research… and this research is ongoing.   You need to spend more time on your international market research to:

  • Dig deeper, question your results and keep this research open in a cross-cultural business environment
  • Investigate avenues that come up as your understanding deepens and be able to adapt your marketing tactics

In fact, ongoing market research is the secret to international marketing.  International market research needs to be an integral part of your international marketing and sales tactics.

In your domestic market, market research is fairly straight forward.  You do not need to question your findings systematically, you can be reasonably sure your understanding is accurate.

But things are different in your international markets where cultural differences impact your understanding throughout the whole marketing process.

  • Different countries have different cultures
  • Different cultures have different ways they like to be sold

If you are just starting to market your products and services internationally, internatinal market research is critical.

Test Different Marketing Tactics And Add Market Research

Try different marketing tactics until you find what works for your business, but…

Don’t forget to add in ways to stimulate and to get feedback back from every communication with your international market.  Include market research across as many of the marketing tactics you use as possible.  This will help you to connect with your each of your international markets.

  • What is your secret to finding the right international marketing tactic for your business?
  • Which international marketing tactics does your business use?
  • How do you connect with your international markets?

More On International Web Marketing


Tagged as: , ,

Cindy KingWant to learn how to avoid cultural blunders? Subscribe to this blog feed.
Need to turbo charge your cultural skills? Get my short cross-cultural communication tips.
Ready for serious international marketing? Skype me or email me & let's grow your business.

Leave a Comment

CommentLuv Enabled

Previous post:

Next post: