6 Global Marketing Tips for
Expanding Your E-commerce Business
The fast development of new technologies has opened up a plethora of market opportunities for e-commerce sellers. Modern entrepreneurs can easily expand business overseas by taking advantage of digital tools and services, .
However, not all e-commerce sellers understand how to develop a strong global marketing strategy. They often overlook the different social, economic, and political realities of the overseas markets and, as a consequence, fail to grow sales.
In this article, you’ll find tips on how to avoid these common mistakes and develop an effective marketing strategy that will help to generate more sales.
1. Start Small
If you want to succeed, you should understand that it’s impossible to build a successful global brand overnight. You should start small and enter one market at a time. The first step you should take is to analyze a few markets that seem to be the most suitable for your e-commerce brand. The second step you should take is to choose one or two countries to start with. This approach will help you avoid excessive mistakes and keep things within your control.
2. Conduct a PESTEL Analysis
Before launching internationally, you should conduct a PESTEL analysis to find out whether your product and current marketing strategy comply with local regulations and regional norms. Conducting a PESTEL analysis means identifying Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal forces that will impact your business abroad. Regardless of size, companies that underestimate the importance of PESTEL analysis tend to fail more often.
An example of a world-famous brand that neglected the process.In the 1970s, P&G promoted Pampers globally using an ad that depicted a cartoon stork delivering disposable diapers. The ad worked well in the U.S. and Western Europe but failed in Japan. Storks delivering newborns is western folklore and not common knowledge in Japan. If P&G had researched Japanese culture in detail, they would have recognized the dissonance and perhaps avoided a costly marketing snafu. Learn from their mistakes and take the PESTEL analysis seriously.
3. Check Translation
Keep in mind the chance that your brand name or motto may sound weird or mean something unsavory in a foreign language. Before you start developing a global marketing strategy, make sure that your brand message means what you think it means.
In 1971, Ford launched the sale of its two-door subcompact car, the Pinto, in Brazil with one of the biggest marketing mistakes the automotive company ever made.
In Brazilian slang, the word “pinto” meant “small male genital.” For this reason, no one wanted to buy the new car and Ford was forced to change the car’s name from to Corcel.
4. Use Social Media
If you want to analyze overseas markets in detail, start your research on social media. It’s a simple but effective way to understand the interests and preferences of your local target audience.
-
Take a look at local influencer profiles. Find out the type of content they create and the brands they promote.
-
Analyze social media content generated by your local target audience. For example, find out whether local users use hashtags in English or their native language.
-
Collect feedback. For example, you can use the Poll sticker on Instagram Stories to get to know local buyer opinions on your product.
5. Create Content Carefully
You’ll save lots of time and money if you produce content that appeals to customers from different countries. Here are a few tips on how to create content that is easy to translate and easy to localize:
-
Write everything in simple language. Avoid using sophisticated words, slang, and jargon.
-
Keep your sentences and paragraphs short.
-
Use the active voice instead of passive wherever possible.
-
Stick to the sentence’s standard word order: Subject + Verb + Object (SVO).
-
Use humor wisely. Make sure that your jokes are relatable.
-
In most cases, avoid divisive topics like politics, religion, and wars.
6. Respect Every Culture
Keep in mind that when you expand your marketing strategy globally, you should strive to be politically correct. Choose your words carefully when writing ad copy, articles, and social media posts. You should take every precaution to avoid offending any particular group.
In case your words are ever misinterpreted, resolve the misunderstanding and apologize. The sooner you say “I’m sorry,” the higher the chances of saving your e-commerce business.
This year, Dolce&Gabbana was hit by a racism accusation over its marketing campaign for the Chinese market. To resolve the conflict, Founders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana released a video in which they apologized to their Chinese audience. The apology helped stop the boycott of D&G products in China and regained customer trust.
This year, Dolce&Gabbana was hit by a racism accusation over its marketing campaign for the Chinese market. To resolve the conflict, Founders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana released a video in which they apologized to their Chinese audience. The apology helped stop the boycott of D&G products in China and regained customer trust.
In Conclusion
As an e-commerce seller, you have plenty of opportunities to expand your marketing strategy globally. Don’t hesitate to take those opportunities and catapult your sales. Use the tips provided in this article, and you’ll have a smooth start to expanding your e-commerce business globally.
Psst…More E-commerce guides where that came from. Always be updated with the latest tips!
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6 Global Marketing Tips for
Expanding Your
E-commerce Business
The fast development of new technologies has opened up a plethora of market opportunities for e-commerce sellers. Modern entrepreneurs can easily expand business overseas by taking advantage of digital tools and services, .
However, not all e-commerce sellers understand how to develop a strong global marketing strategy. They often overlook the different social, economic, and political realities of the overseas markets and, as a consequence, fail to grow sales.
In this article, you’ll find tips on how to avoid these common mistakes and develop an effective marketing strategy that will help to generate more sales.
1. Start Small
If you want to succeed, you should understand that it’s impossible to build a successful global brand overnight. You should start small and enter one market at a time. The first step you should take is to analyze a few markets that seem to be the most suitable for your e-commerce brand. The second step you should take is to choose one or two countries to start with. This approach will help you avoid excessive mistakes and keep things within your control.
2. Conduct a PESTEL Analysis
Before launching internationally, you should conduct a PESTEL analysis to find out whether your product and current marketing strategy comply with local regulations and regional norms. Conducting a PESTEL analysis means identifying Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal forces that will impact your business abroad. Regardless of size, companies that underestimate the importance of PESTEL analysis tend to fail more often.
An example of a world-famous brand that neglected the process.In the 1970s, P&G promoted Pampers globally using an ad that depicted a cartoon stork delivering disposable diapers. The ad worked well in the U.S. and Western Europe but failed in Japan. Storks delivering newborns is western folklore and not common knowledge in Japan. If P&G had researched Japanese culture in detail, they would have recognized the dissonance and perhaps avoided a costly marketing snafu. Learn from their mistakes and take the PESTEL analysis seriously.
3. Check Translation
Keep in mind the chance that your brand name or motto may sound weird or mean something unsavory in a foreign language. Before you start developing a global marketing strategy, make sure that your brand message means what you think it means.
In 1971, Ford launched the sale of its two-door subcompact car, the Pinto, in Brazil with one of the biggest marketing mistakes the automotive company ever made.
In Brazilian slang, the word “pinto” meant “small male genital.” For this reason, no one wanted to buy the new car and Ford was forced to change the car’s name from to Corcel.
4. Use Social Media
If you want to analyze overseas markets in detail, start your research on social media. It’s a simple but effective way to understand the interests and preferences of your local target audience.
-
Take a look at local influencer profiles. Find out the type of content they create and the brands they promote.
-
Analyze social media content generated by your local target audience. For example, find out whether local users use hashtags in English or their native language.
-
Collect feedback. For example, you can use the Poll sticker on Instagram Stories to get to know local buyer opinions on your product.
5. Create Content Carefully
You’ll save lots of time and money if you produce content that appeals to customers from different countries. Here are a few tips on how to create content that is easy to translate and easy to localize:
-
Write everything in simple language. Avoid using sophisticated words, slang, and jargon.
-
Keep your sentences and paragraphs short.
-
Use the active voice instead of passive wherever possible.
-
Stick to the sentence’s standard word order: Subject + Verb + Object (SVO).
-
Use humor wisely. Make sure that your jokes are relatable.
-
In most cases, avoid divisive topics like politics, religion, and wars.
6. Respect Every Culture
Keep in mind that when you expand your marketing strategy globally, you should strive to be politically correct. Choose your words carefully when writing ad copy, articles, and social media posts. You should take every precaution to avoid offending any particular group.
In case your words are ever misinterpreted, resolve the misunderstanding and apologize. The sooner you say “I’m sorry,” the higher the chances of saving your e-commerce business.
This year, Dolce&Gabbana was hit by a racism accusation over its marketing campaign for the Chinese market. To resolve the conflict, Founders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana released a video in which they apologized to their Chinese audience. The apology helped stop the boycott of D&G products in China and regained customer trust.
In Conclusion
As an e-commerce seller, you have plenty of opportunities to expand your marketing strategy globally. Don’t hesitate to take those opportunities and catapult your sales. Use the tips provided in this article, and you’ll have a smooth start to expanding your e-commerce business globally.
Psst…More E-commerce guides where that came from. Always be updated with the latest tips!
