Localization Strategy: The Key to Reach Successful Global Growth

A company that does business without proper effort to blend in with the new culture in a new region will get different results from a company that uses a localization strategy to do so. A strategy involving localization will achieve a more solid foundation for the local people and result in long-lasting growth that will eventually result in revenue.

A proper strategy regarding localization will ease the company’s efforts to enter new markets and therefore reach new audiences. It will become the beacon of success for companies from different cultures and languages.

Here is some of the information regarding the strategy of localization for companies that will and want to enter new markets in the future. Check it out!

Localization Strategy?

What is a localization strategy? It is a strategy to approach and connect the new markets in a way that speaks to the local preferences and takes cultural nuances into the strategy. This strategy is not just about translating some text into another language. It is a deeper kind of translation that will take account of the cultural nuances and local preferences in it.

This kind of translation also includes the integration of linguistic, cultural, and functional elements in a way that could resonate well with them. The localization process will take account of a company's business model to determine the strategy.

Localized content is needed for business. Contents that are fully suited for the new markets will resonate well with them. It is simply because it includes relevant cultural preferences that blend perfectly well with their lifestyle. A fully localized content will provide the perfect relevance rather than content that is merely using a simple translation.

A company that incorporates a proper localization process can achieve several benefits, such as:

• Expanding the reach of the business since your company understands the target markets and is willing to customize content, products, and services to them. This will allow companies to grow their customer base and eventually make profitable opportunities.
• The company will increase its positive engagement with customers. That is simply because many good customers will prefer products and services that are customized to their cultural preferences and their language. Localizing elements of the business will increase user experience and boost engagement within the target markets. It will form strong connections between them and your brand.
• Integrating the localization process in business will reduce the time to enter the market. Using localization from the start will reduce the time the company takes to enter the new markets. Therefore the company can start to generate revenue effectively.

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Elements of Localization Strategy

To gain success in forming localization processes, some key elements will help businesses to enhance their connection with the target markets, therefore able to reach new profit. Here are some of the key components:

Set business objectives

The first step is to define the business goals. Defining the goals and objectives of the business is a basic step to creating a beneficial strategy for the business. This first step is crucial since it will set the direction for all the localization efforts and ensure the process meets the company’s business goals.

Market analysis

One thing that a company should do before entering a new market is to do research. This research is to help identify which area will give the best return on investment.

The process of market analysis includes research on market size, consumer preferences, local competitors, and also the requirements for entering a new market. Moreover, it is also a crucial aspect to understand the target markets' cultural nuances, purchase preferences, and many more.

Market analysis will help companies understand what they need to prepare before entering a new market with a different culture. It will prevent any mistake regarding cultural appropriation and provide products or services that are relevant to their needs.

Strategies

After concluding the process of market analysis and understanding their cultural behavior and consumer preferences, you should form strategic choices that are related to the localization process.

This process involves determining the budget for localization and also identifying aspects of products and services that will need to be localized. The process will help give a general picture of how you want to be seen in the new markets. When targeting the local market, understand that you also need to take considerations regarding language translation, a design pattern that suits the target, relevant cultural references, and the products and services functionality.

Develop plan

After forming strategic choices, you can develop a plan that details the process. The plan should include timelines, resources, and processes for content localization. Using new technology such as AI will help to manage the workflow and automate the localization process. However, it is not recommended to fully depend on the AI alone. Assign a team or specialized company that will help to manage the localization process. Establish workflow to make sure the process takes place accordingly.

Form localization team

The next step is to build a localization team. You do not need to form a new team or hire experts in the company. You can also partner with experts who have experience in successful localization processes in new markets.

Choosing experts is probably a good choice since localization is a complex process that requires not only skills but also an understanding of the cultures involved. When choosing a company to collaborate with, consider their track record, reputation, experience, and client history.

Measurement

Define the metric framework that aligns with the localization goals. Monitor and analyze the metrics regularly to see the effectiveness of the strategy. You can gain a lot of insights and then adjust your approach to optimize the results.

Conclusion

A company’s efforts to enter new markets are not just done around the products and services. It also required a more thorough localization strategy that will ensure how the business will perform in new markets with different languages and cultures. It is a needed action that a company should carefully consider beforehand.

If you have the intention of reaching for new markets in a new region such as Southeast Asia, you can count on Digital Trans Asia as your partner. Digital Trans Asia's services include web novel localization, voice-over localization, game localization, and many more.