International Digital Marketing: Practical Tips for Success

The internet has changed how we enter new markets, dismantling barriers to acquiring customers from all around the globe. However, finding your first international client can be challenging, as it requires thorough research, planning, and implementation of a robust international digital marketing strategy.

At ZoneCloud, we know how to market websites in Canada and beyond. In this article, we have summarized the top 5 practical tips for successfully marketing your site internationally.

What is International Digital Marketing?

Without a doubt, digital marketing is the most effective way to reach target audiences. Through international digital marketing, you will be able to target customers in specific countries or regions, expanding your audiences, attracting new customers, and growing conversions.

Importance of International Marketing

Many companies choose to pursue international digital marketing for a variety of reasons:

• The need for global visibility. The global market is becoming increasingly interconnected, which necessitates the need to attract customers across the board.
• Competitive advantage. International digital marketing can help you stand out from the competition by targeting audiences your competitors have not targeted yet.
• Diversified revenue stream. Marketing your products and services internationally can diversify your revenue stream and spread your income sources across different regions.

5 Tips to Succeed at Marketing Your Website Internationally

There are many ways to market your business internationally, from creating relevant and targeted content to partnering with affiliate marketers and international influencers. Let’s take a closer look at the top 5 tips to help you succeed in your international marketing efforts.

1. Build an International SEO Strategy

An international SEO strategy will allow you to optimize your site’s visibility and reputation across global markets, and not just your local region. By implementing a robust SEO strategy, you will show search engines that your website is a credible, authoritative source of information, therefore boosting your rankings and online traffic.

Key things to keep in mind when planning your international marketing strategy through SEO include:

• Choosing the right URL structure. Rather than using a subdomain structure (for example, fr.website.com for your French site), it is recommended to use a subdirectory URL structure instead (for example, com/fr). By doing so, you will be able to retain your domain authority and maintain the related SEO rankings for local site versions.
• Creating a robust sitemap. To streamline search engine indexing and ensure all regional website variations are readily accessible, you will need to implement a well-structured and robust sitemap.
• Using region-specific keywords. Perform extensive keyword research to find terms that resonate with each local audience and incorporate these region-specific keywords into your site’s content and metadata.
• Adjusting for location. Ensure that your site matches each visitor’s location. This can include things like language preferences, currency, and date formats.
• Adopting international SEO tags. Use SEO identifiers, like HTML tags and hreflang tags, to communicate your site’s regional variations and language to search engines. These tags will help search engines deliver the most relevant website version to users.
• Optimizing meta tags and structured data. Finally, make sure to tailor all the metadata like title tags, meta descriptions, and any structured data for each local site variation. Doing so will also help search engines to understand the relevance of your content to specific regions.

2. Create a Multilingual Website

Creating a multilingual website improves accessibility and engagement for global audiences who may be speaking different languages. Internationalizing your website through language toggles and dynamic content can break down language barriers, demonstrate your brand’s commitment to cultural sensitivity and diversity, improve user experience, and positively impact your SEO rankings in different regions. Whenever users can view your website content in their native languages, they will instantly feel more connected with your brand and will be more likely to trust you with their business.

3. Invest in Affiliate Marketing

You can further expand your global reach by adopting affiliate marketing, a strategy that involves collaboration with international businesses and individuals to promote your products or services in different regions. Such an affiliate marketing strategy can help to enhance your website traffic, promote conversions, and grow your brand’s global presence.

You can start your affiliate marketing efforts by developing an affiliate portal – a dedicated area on your website that allows your partners to access marketing materials, track their sales, and monitor related commissions. By recruiting affiliate partners and making them your brand advocates, you will be able to tap into their regional influence and benefit from the trust earned by them among local audiences.

4. Partner Up with International Influencers

Similarly to affiliate marketing, you may want to partner up with international influencers, leveraging their power to influence decisions among local communities. Start by identifying influencers who hold sway in specific regional contexts you are trying to target and reach out to them with a collaboration offer.

Influencers often deeply understand their audience’s cultural nuances and preferences and know how to deliver tailored messages that resonate with the targeted demographics. For example, a popular lifestyle influencer in Italy can effectively introduce your brand to the Italian market in a more authentic and relatable manner than alternative marketing forms like traditional ads. Building such partnerships can grant your business instant access to localized credibility, influence, and reach.

5. Remain Culturally Sensitive in Your Content

Whenever publishing content internationally, you need to make sure that your content is culturally sensitive. This means that your visual content and written messaging should acknowledge and respect any cultural identities associated with the regions where this content is published.

For instance, an international digital marketing campaign targeting Chinese audiences might incorporate traditional Chinese values and aesthetics. On the other hand, for Latin American campaigns, your strategy might involve vibrant visuals and storytelling that emphasizes community and festivity.

By taking such a tailored approach to international digital marketing, you will be able to demonstrate your brand’s commitment to understanding local cultures and better connect with diverse audiences. In turn, when the audiences see their culture reflected across your campaign’s visuals and messages, they will be more likely to trust your brand and choose your company among myriads of competitors.

Reach Global Audiences with the Help of ZoneCloud

Without a doubt, international digital marketing can be a challenging and complex endeavor for Canadian businesses. The good news is that you don’t have to undertake it alone, – as your digital marketing partners, ZoneCloud can help you develop a robust international marketing strategy and turn your global vision into a reality. Contact us today to learn how.