Increase your sales with international marketing

1. What is International Marketing?

Today we will talk about the best way to increase sales with international marketing. This type of marketing is about taking promotional thinking beyond national borders.

Regardless of whether a customised or standardised product is being promoted, the international marketing project must propose these different benefits or value propositions based on the target country and the uses of each market.

An international strategy with marketing campaigns designed to emphasise the value of the product or service in each market generates greater loyalty among the target market audience.

On the other hand, we speak of global promotion when we use unique value proposition (UVP). The aim is to create a universal message whose benefits are applied to different areas and markets. This creates a single message easily recognisable throughout the world.

When asked, which option is best for my business? The answer is clear: it depends on the objective, the type of product and the international markets you want to access. By choosing the one that best suits your needs we ensure that the only challenge remains to improve the consolidation of your product in the foreign market. You have to study the case, you have to evaluate the investment and the ROI and you have to learn from the actions taken, because there is no investment of funds that guarantees you 100% success. However, starting with an international strategy, the probability of success is greater depending on the objectives set.

What do I need in my organisation? I’m sure that’s a question you ask yourself constantly. Talk to us and let’s find out together.

Here is the case of one of our many clients who did this and look what happened: ?

You can contact us by clicking here.

2. Basic concepts of international marketing

We will now look at the concepts related to the strategy for increasing sales with international marketing to further contextualise their meaning and benefits.

For example, international sales promotion is international marketing activities and actions that stimulate consumer purchase. They also improve the effectiveness of intermediaries, distributors or retailers.

International sales promotion actions can be geolocated campaigns to send traffic to POS, raffles, discount coupons, gifts, participation in fairs and congresses, concerts, etc. .

These types of promotional activities are short term, aimed at consumers or retailers. The objective is to make the client try the product, create an introduction to the retailers so that the shops shop the product or achieve the direct sales objectives if the market has already been working for some time.

From Atlas, we always advise to complement these actions (if they can be through digital channels, even better) with international branding actions, focused on positioning and brand recognition.

What is an international marketing strategy based on?

2.1 Language

The language barrier must be overcome. To have local translators or professionals in this sector. Avoid literal translations. The use of graphic resources helps to overcome this barrier.

2.2 Culture

Another major factor to be taken into account when developing international promotion activities is that the message must not only be respectful of the culture of the country or geographical area, if possible, it must also be part of it. It is necessary to be aware of both the message and the use of the product or service.

2.3 Single or divided message

As discussed above, it has to be decided whether the communication varies greatly in terms of the different countries reached. Or on the contrary, certain lines in the message are standarised to create a single image.

2.4 Media strategy

Depending on the country, some means are used more than others. Therefore, the effectiveness will not be the same if all the effort takes place in one. In China they work with WeChat and in Arabia, at the level of social networks Snapchat works very well. In the end you have to adapt the message to what works best in each country.

2.5 Brand value, product or service

Clearly define the main message you want to convey, and the one that will therefore be modified more or less for each country based on its culture and language. This is the basis of everything, the reason why consumers will want the product.

So, has it been clear what international marketing is all about? If not, here is a summary from the American Marketing Association (AMA):

“International marketing is the multinational process of planning and executing the design, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that meet individual and organizational objectives.”

Source: AMA

3. To take into account

Once the concept is known, there are certain aspects to take into account to increase sales with international marketing. There are circumstances that vary with respect to time and the situation in general.

That is to say, in the end it is an adjustment of marketing strategies to adapt to other countries. All this involves a complex and complete process of planning, creation, promotion and positioning in an international market.

What happens? That today there is a change of paradigm that means that not only large companies with offices abroad can do so.

Thanks to the internet, small and medium sized companies can also be part of it and their success will be based not only on investment, but also on the quality and effectiveness of the campaign. This is why we at Atlas recommend combining international marketing with digital marketing.

3.1 Gradual process

The more strategic planning, the better. But we must also get down to work. Experience gives results, although at first it may be a risky and laborious adventure, it is all about getting started. The more you grow, the more you learn, and the faster. It improves effectiveness and production.

You have to be realistic and see these kinds of strategies as longer-term investments. It is understandable that not seeing immediate results after an investment can be hopeless, but this is not how it works. You have to realise that it is a gradual process.

It works in stages: first testing of first customers, brand identification. Secondly, you continue to rely on a national market, but you start to export. In the third stage, adaptation to the foreign market becomes crucial. Finally, this is when you expand your investment in promotion to global markets, analyse your ROI, adapt your strategy and move on.

3.2 Competitive advantage

It is easy and to some extent necessary to compete in the local and even national market. But there are really not that many companies that dare to do so at an international level. Therefore, it becomes a competitive advantage to enter the world of international marketing.

The aim is to reach the market as if there were no borders. With the help of digital marketing, the transfer is much easier.

3.3 Brand consolidation

Increase consumer awareness of your brand and product with an international and digital marketing strategy. Through the networks, you can follow the process and that is much more effective than a simple one-off campaign.

This creates a strong and consistent brand culture. What is needed to proliferate and consolidate a gap in the foreign market

3.4 Reducing costs

Taking advantage of digital marketing tools can lead to considerable investment savings. Global marketing means that by focusing on other markets, economies of scale and standardisation of processes can be achieved.

Related to the first point, it is somewhat gradual and the experience leads to better results each time.

To summarise, you could say that you know your market, create an international and digital marketing plan, adapt your approach to those markets and localise your communications.

Do you feel identified with any of these needs? Always bear in mind that we are here to help you.

4. How do you develop an international marketing plan?

Research, strategy and execution is what is needed in a plan to increase sales with international marketing. It is difficult for a small or medium sized company to carry out a complete plan because of the investment of time and resources needed to do so effectively and increase the probability of success.

It is normal to hire an external agency or studio to take care of it. The agency should give priority to the research phase. It is undoubtedly one of the most important parts of a successful strategy. The research will “inform” or determine what the marketing mission of the company is, not only at the beginning, but as the strategy progresses and develops.

Once the research is completed and the market selected, it is time to create the communication and marketing strategy. Always based on the adjustment of demographics, culture and language. Points mentioned above.

It is important, for example, for emerging brands, to establish relationships with other organisations in the target country. One of the strengths of Atlas Marketing Studio is the management of contacts in different countries thanks to its experience and positioning.

Without measurement there are no results, and without results there is no success. From our knowledge, the correct measurement of results is fundamental. The differential factor is in doing so while the campaign is being produced.

Measuring the strategy while it is being executed ensures the probability of success and improves its effectiveness. Identifying what works best and what is not working is the key.

Adjusting activities and actions regularly as they occur is the key to success.

5. Frequent problems and mistakes

It is not always easy to carry out a strategy to increase sales with international marketing, so specialized studios are hired. There are different mistakes and problems that can arise both at the beginning and in between the strategy.

5.1 Correctly defining the target countries

It is often a mistake to think too simply when talking about expanding into foreign markets. It is important to first study clearly in which countries it is best to adapt your product or service when it is sold.

For example, if you want to reach a market at European level, you have to point out in which geographical area you want to make an impact. If we choose a Western Europe, specify the target countries.

Each of them has its own rules, laws, types of payment, lines of communication or commercial practices that work best. You need to study your audience and how it would be best to introduce them to your product.

Each consumer has their own characteristics, but when talking about countries in general, they identify themselves at a local level and this must be used as a point of advantage and not as a barrier to be overcome.

We also tend to base our work on the markets we think we are going to work best in without doing any prior research. This can lead to significant losses in time, investment and resources.

5.2 Taking you into account

When considering research it is very important to bear two things in mind. On the one hand, external data collection is essential, i.e. studying the target country for your future international marketing plan. All the aspects that have been developed above.

On the other hand, understanding and taking into account your company, product, image, limitations, etc. However many external sources are used to optimise a campaign, nobody knows better than you which one is best suited to your organisation.

5.3 Lack of adaptation to sales channels

This is a topic that has been mentioned before, but it is very important so that the message, money and effort do not end up in a broken bag. We must take into account which channels are chosen for the international and digital marketing strategy.

To do this, two factors must be taken into account. Firstly, those that work best in the target country for international promotion. In Brazil, the Facebook platform works very well, in Arabia, as we have already said, Snapchat, in China WeChat, and each one has its best rates.

The other factor is that, when developing the strategy, we choose, based on the message we want to convey, the best platform to adapt to. For example, Instagram stories come in handy for videos no longer than 10 seconds, with impact and a link attached.

5.4 Badly adapted products

This means that you first have to consider at what level the market you would like to impact specifically is. Understand and measure the level of progress you are at and adapt to it by selling your product or service.

There is no better explanation than an example. A technology company has to take into account that it is not the same to sell its products in a technology market as developed as Germany, compared to one that is so advanced, or even our own.

If you have a wide catalogue of products, you must choose the one that best suits the current market of the country. Without forgetting of course the innovation factor. But you are not going to sell the same state-of-the-art computer software in Munich as in another less developed capital city.

Having a promotion strategy to increase sales with international marketing is key to establishing yourself in the market in a consolidated and secure way. It is important to take all these concepts into account when developing it and that the studio or agency hired for this purpose is aware of them.

The Atlas Marketing Studio team has a lot of experience in strategies to increase sales with international marketing. We have been working in digital and international marketing for more than 10 years. The best examples that represent us are the projects carried out in promotion of food products at an international level, both within the European Union and in third countries. Programs subsidized by CHAFEA, for 3 years and with budgets in the millions.

I leave you the link to the explanation of these programs in case you are interested.