Launching your product brand overseas?

Are you getting ready to launch (or relaunch) a product or technology internationally? If so, here are some great tips to turn your marketing strategy into a resounding success.

1. Start with the audience.
   Just because a marketing strategy works in the US doesn’t mean it’s going to be successful overseas. Before taking your technology abroad, make sure you understand the habits, behaviors, needs, and motivation of the customers you’re targeting and the consumers they serve. How will your ingredient product solve their challenges, why should they care, and how do they perceive your organization are just a few initial questions to consider in your strategy for success.  
2. Frame the message.
   A messaging framework will give you a guiding platform for how your marketing and sales teams should communicate the end-user benefits of what your component technology makes possible. It will also identify the target audience expectations, build out a thematic approach that includes any corporate brand alignment, and show examples of how it can be applied through various key messaging pillars. A messaging framework can give you the flexibility to translate the corporate message down to the needs of your new international market.
3. Consider the translation.
   Don’t assume that translating your materials will automatically make them understandable. Always consider translation during the messaging phase, including all affected regions and languages—making the effort up front will simplify your life in the long term. If you don’t have fluent overseas colleagues involved with the messaging phase, then consider hiring a translation service and making that investment now instead of finding embarrassing mistakes later. (Never rely on Google Translate–trust us on this one.)
4. Visualize your new messaging.
   Once the messaging framework is built and approved by your overseas colleagues on the front lines, it’s time to visualize how the message would/could look. As a marketer, you already have a plan (a strategy for launch), so start with the immediate needs. A tradeshow, a display ad, a social campaign–whatever the need is, just start there. Our experience with messaging for product launches is that once you’ve visualized the messaging framework as real world examples, it’s much easier to get buy in from your collaborators.
5. Keep it relevant.
   Search phrases that might work in the US aren’t necessarily going to do the job in other countries. Use SEO tools like Google Keyword Planner and Keywordtool.io to find keywords that hit the right notes wherever you’re broadcasting your new messaging. (Checking out some localized competitor sites can also help you discover which SEO methods work best in a particular target area.) 
6. Keep it consistent.
   Consistency is crucial to any campaign, and it’s no different when you’re seeking overseas success. Your message needs to be suitable to the local market across all platforms, including your website sections, social media accounts, thought leadership content, and email campaigns. Don’t forget to adapt easily overlooked items like images, buttons, and form fields to meet the needs of your new audience. Use the visual examples created in your messaging framework as a guide for consistency and ultimate success.  
7. Think about the long haul.
   Rather than viewing your marketing efforts as a one-time shot, make a plan with staying power. You don’t let your domestic marketing efforts sit around and collect dust, so be careful not to do that in your foreign markets. Keeping your content fresh and your campaign interesting will help you maintain a wide net for lead generation, no matter where you are. Use a content calendar to keep yourself on track and on course for marketing success.