While it seemed like we were living in a digital world pre-pandemic, the onset of COVID-19 made our society more reliant on technology than ever before. The amount of global internet users is on the rise and they are spending more and more time online between working, socializing, and relaxing. International businesses that are ready to adapt both digitally and globally will have a competitive advantage. Localization is an important step business can take to launch products and services in new markets successfully. That being said, localization is a big undertaking and there may be times when decision-makers need convincing to invest in the process. Let’s take a look at how to get the go-ahead for localization from stakeholders.
Set Clear Localization Goals
First things first, you have to set clear localization goals that will guide the requests you’re making and that can outline what you hope to achieve by investing in localization. Whether you’re looking to increase revenue, attract new customers, or improve global brand recognition, you’ll want to outline your end goals. If you can clearly share what you believe introducing localization to your translation projects will achieve, it will be easier for stakeholders to understand the value of taking this extra step. If you can show what types of problems localization can solve, you’re presenting solutions to problems, not just making a request.
Know Your Market Backwards and Forwards
Again, before you make any formal requests surrounding localization, it’s important to get organized. Once you’ve set your localization goals, study your target market’s buyer behavior, the applicability of your products or services, what your competitors in the space are doing, and any other key market elements.
To demonstrate the importance of localization, you need to show you understand not only your company’s current landscape but what your market looks like as a whole. Give your audience the attention they deserve to create products and services they will find valuable. Are there cultural preferences you should keep in mind before launching in a new market? What local pain points can your product solve? Have similar brands thrived or failed after launching in the area? Localization is a valuable process that can make it easier to connect with new audiences, so it’s important to carefully examine your market and where localization can step in to make an impact.
Present Your Case the Right Way
After doing market research and identifying localization goals, you should have the insight you need to make it clear that localization is an investment worth making and not just an extra expense. Localization can be a major needle mover when it comes to growing in a new market and generating revenue. To best explain how this investment can pay off, it can be helpful to allow localization experts to join the conversation. They’ll know firsthand the potential consequences of embarking on international business without taking a thoughtful approach to localization.
When arguing your case, it can be helpful to present evidence of the potential localization brought to the table. For example, CSA found that companies that increased their translation budget were 1.5 times more likely to report an increase in total revenue. Adding localization costs into your translation budget can lead to positive results and ignoring the potential of localization can be damaging. You should make it clear to all stakeholders what the risks are of passing over localization. The last thing you want is for your brand to experience negative effects that can be challenging to recover from in new markets.
