All business owners dream of working with a global consumer base, but to do that, you need a robust expansion strategy and the right tools for the job. Marketing to people worldwide may sound like a significant challenge, but it’s surprisingly easy if you put together a solid toolkit. Here are seven out-of-this-world marketing tools to help you take your business to the next geographic level.
Virtual office
A virtual office can help your business break into new markets in one fell swoop. Using this tech tool, you can have all the benefits of offices in different cities and countries without the cost of expensive leases or property contracts. Additionally, a virtual office uses technology to connect you to remote mail, phone, and fax management, so you can grow a foothold in a new market without planting two feet on local soil.
Social media management tools
Social media is one of your most essential marketing tools. But you may not be leveraging it to its full potential. Different countries have different active hours, and that’s a vital consideration when you’re marketing globally. So unless you want to set the alarm for 2 AM to post a tweet for your Chinese or Australian followers, use a management tool to organize your timelines and focus on marketing to the right people at the right time.
Split testing software
Launching a marketing campaign and changing your website or storefront is scary. If you want to tweak your marketing campaign after you’ve already launched it, you have a lot to undo and fix. That’s where split testing software comes in. You can change your website and storefront within controlled parameters to test it and make changes to the usability, content, or design before launching, so you can market and spot-fix more effectively.
International call forwarding
Wherever your customers are, they’re going to want to reach you without having to call internationally. That’s where forwarding and toll-free numbers come into play. Your customers can always quickly contact you, upping customer engagement on a global scale.
Internet connectivity
In today’s cyber world, you need a strong Internet connection no matter how your marketing strategy. The last thing you want is your Internet to go out during a critical launch or for employees to be unable to connect with clients and vendors.
Opt-in marketing
Do you want to send emails to consumers but don’t want to catch spammers in the process? Opt-in marketing is for you. Just set up a form on your website or host a contest that requires participants to put in their email. After that, you’ll have a substantial contact list for email campaigns. Remember to give visitors an option to opt-out to minimize the appearance of pushiness.
Blogs
You should never underestimate the power of blogs. Make sure the content you write is relevant to the services or products you provide while being valuable for the readers. Keep a list of exciting topics to pull inspiration from, and remember to update older posts regularly.
Wrap up
Global marketing can be challenging, but the trick is to customize your strategy to your needs and audience. Several major marketing strategies will work in any country and only need a little adapting based on who you’re trying to reach. Bring your global marketing toolkit along, and you’ll be globetrotting with your brand in no time.