Newsletters For International Business Development

As an international business developer, one of your primary concerns should be to use all available tools to build trust with your foreign prospects and clients.

Most cross-cultural communication barriers are a direct result in lack of trust. So not only do you have to actively work on building trust building, you also need to highlight your current trust-building efforts and continually bring them to your clients attention.

Building trust can seem vague. But it becomes easy when you learn that you build trust through clarity and consistency.

This means you need to communicate clearly and consistently. If you are building a business you also need to be proactive in your communication.

A Monthly Newsletter

It is no surprise that one of the oldest communication tools is also a good trust-building communication tool.

Newsletters have been around for a long time. Although some people may think their market is tired of newsletters, market fatigue is usually not at fault.

If you feel your newsletter is not working for you, your newsletter is probably not addressing a key element.

Let’s look at why a newsletter is a great tool for your international business development. This list will help you understand what needs to go into a good newsletter.

Building Trust Through Consistency

A newsletter gives you a tool to provide consistent information on a regular, and again consistent, basis.

The content you provide in your newsletter should be consistent. Consistent with your topic and with your readers expectations.

Your newsletter’s publication schedule should also be consistent. Your consistency will reinforce the reasons why your readers should listen to you.

Newsletters are a great tool to build trust in your international markets.

Business Clarity And Specificity

Your newsletter also gives you a tool to communicate clarity in your business objectives.

• Avoid mixed signals.
• Create a congruent message.
• Provide proof to your claims.

This is a very important part of successful newsletters for either domestic or international audiences. Many people do not make their newsletter congruent with their markets.

Successful use of congruency in your international marketing is one of the determining factors in successful international business development.

Newsletters are a great tool to communicate with clarity about the specificity and congruency of what you do.

Cultures Where Newsletters Work Best

According to the 5 different cultural behavioral scales there are some countries where newsletters should be promoted more.

I do not want to list countries here, because the statistics that are available are old. I also feel that generalizations in business can easily lead to big mistakes. The theory that concerns us here is:

• Some cultures have a high tendency towards individualism, the United States and Great Britain for example.
• Some cultures have a high tendency towards collectivism, China, several other far eastern countries and also several South American countries.

The important thing to remember is that high collectivism cultures are where people respond better to a group.

Newsletters bring people together, so they should give you good results in high collectivism countries.

This does not mean that newsletters do not work as well in the other countries.

This does mean that your high collectivism market should react well to newsletters. So if you want to expand into these countries, try creating a culture targeted newsletter for these countries. Also remember to pay attention to responses within these markets when promoting your newsletter.

Newsletters are a cultural communication tool.

Multichannel Marketing Element

If you are serious about developing your international markets, you will need to use a few different marketing channels to communicate with your foreign markets. There are several reasons why multichannel marketing is important:

• To find the best way to communicate with foreign markets
• To create presence when you are not physically there
• To give you good communication tools to stimulate market feedback
• To continue your conversation elsewhere and stay in front of your prospects

Newsletters are an easy way to touch your markets on a large scale. You can easily use your newsletter within an integrated marketing program or international lead generation strategy.

Newsletters are a key component in many multichannel marketing strategies.

Easy To Culture Customize

One of the best reasons to create a newsletter specifically for one target country, is that it is an easy option. In todays world, people do not want long articles.

One very cost-effective way to create a culture-customized presence in a foreign country on a small budget, is create a monthly newsletter for each country you are targeting.

A simple, monthly, 2 page newsletter, with 4 short articles will not cost you a fortune.

The plus side, is that you will get more mileage out of your investment with minimal planning.

You can easily re-purpose the 4 articles in your monthly newsletter and use them in different marketing channels. Each month this could give you the following culturally customized touches in your target country:

• 1 2-page newsletter
• 4 weekly articles on your country specific website
• 4 weekly blog posts
• 4 weekly emails
• 4 weekly audio blasts if you take the time to have someone read them.

You can even print out your newsletter on one double sided piece of paper and mail it to your prospects your clients, or distribute it out at events.

And, if you think strategically about the subjects you cover each month, a year later you could have 12 useful evergreen product sheets, or case studies to help you develop your international sales.

Culture customized newsletters are great value when developing your business in different countries.

International Communication Tools

If you currently do not have a newsletter targeted to your international audience, consider the points above and give it a try.

Instead of thinking of newsletters as company communication, look at newsletters as a culture targeted communication tool.

Change your perspective of newsletters for an even better understanding of how you can use your newsletter to build you business.

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How To Set Up Your Communication Platform

If you are just beginning to define your international marketing plan, one of your first decisions will be how you set up your international communication platform.

Let’s review the different ways you can set up your international website.

Internationalize Your Current Website

This can be an easy way out if you are beginning to sell your products abroad. It simply involves editing your website to become as neutral as possible, and stimulating more international interaction.

Marketing Phase: It can work for a company in the Export Marketing phase.

When not to use: if your content is too culturally specific for your current market needs.

One Separate International Website

This is often a good idea if you know your company will move towards several country specific websites. You use one url for all of your international clients. Some companies keep a separate url for their original domestic market.

• www.internationalcompany.com
• www.mothercompany.com

Marketing Phase: Again this is a good solution for Export Marketing. It is also a good base to start with when moving towards a Global Website.

When not to use: There is no real reason not to use an International Website. You do not need one if you are only going to market to one or two specific foreign countries and have no plans to expand further.

Your Main Website With Sub Directories

This option is very easy to set up. People usually use this option if they do not have basic webmaster skills to set up Sub Domains.

• www.company.com/country

Marketing Phase: This is an option for all marketing phases. I think it is more a question of the size of your foreign markets. This is an option used by smaller endeavors.

When not to use: If you have lots of foreign content, it is probably better to use Sub Domains instead.

Your Main Website With Sub Domains

This is an option if you do not know how fast your international business will grow in specific countries. This option gives you the flexibility to have foreign content without a lot of extra website management.

You will probably need your webmaster to set this up. But it is very easy to do. It is also easy to manage all of the foreign content.

• www.country.company.com

Marketing Phase: This is an option for all marketing phases. If you are in the Export Marketing or International Marketing phase, you can let your international business grow using this platform before moving to Localized Websites.

When not to use: If you know you need the extra marketing power of Localized Websites and do not want to lose time migrating one to the other. It might not be the ideal platform for Global Marketing.

The Main Factors To Help You Find Your Ideal Solution

As you can see from your choices above, there are several factors that will come into your decision process.

Easy To Manage

Most mid-sized companies think they need to start off with Localized Websites. This was the norm a few years ago. Recent improvements in international search engine results make Sub Domains a viable option. Sub Domains are much easier to manage. You will not need any extra expertise once the Sub Domains are set up.

Designed For Expansion

The most important thing you need to consider is programming future expansion.

Plan to implement the use of templates early on. Have a look now at what will cause you problems when you want to use templates later.

Designing your current website needs for future expansion will save you time and money when you are ready to move on to more country specific marketing.

Cost

Companies want to control their investment. This is hard to do when web marketing continually changes and improves. If you are just starting to expand internationally you should plan on adapting your website as your international markets expand.

Today Localized Websites with country specific urls are still considered to be more powerful marketing tools in some countries and in some industries. This trend might be different next year, or the year after. Localized Websites require some additional website management and costs

Having one main website with a Sub Domain for each country is a cost effective option today. It might not give you the same marketing clout in some foreign countries as a Localized Website.

Some companies promote country specific urls and then re-direct the link back to the appropriate Sub Domain on their main website.

Foreign Language Translations

Many companies get stuck with regards to foreign content. If you are just starting to develop internationally here are some basics to get you quickly unstuck.

• All sales are easier to make if you make them in the clients native language.
• Human translations are the only ones you should consider to use for any sales materials.
• Website templates are very cost effective for website translations.
• You don’t need to translate everything all at once - see reference to templates just above.

Your foreign clients might still buy from you if you market to them in your own language. If so this will give you valuable market information weeks and months before your translations are ready. This market information will probably also give you better information on what you need to translate and how to sell to this foreign market.

Remember, if you start off selling to foreign markets without translations, plan on using them as soon as your international market have proven its viability.

Another important point to remember, Localized Websites involve translating all of your business online: content, website, and sales strategies. This requires intimate market knowledge for each country you are selling to.

Avoid Analysis Paralysis

This decision might be a difficult one to evaluate. You may think your international success depends on how you set up your international websites.

This is not true. Your international success depends on how much you interact with your foreign markets.

The sooner you start connecting with your international markets, the faster you will learn how to adapt your offer to different cultures and expand your international business.

The communication tools you use to connect with your international audience and how you stimulate feedback is even more important.

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Design Your International Web Visibility

Today successful international business development often relies heavily on good web marketing practices.

Good web marketing can challenge even the most committed online businesses.

With international business development not only do you need excellent web marketing practices, but you also need to tweak your web marketing for international audiences.

Before you feel like giving up before you get started, just imagine the potential growth for your whole business if you strive towards the best web marketing you are able to practice.

This Business Guide tells you how to give your website international visibility.

International Internet Marketing & Choice of Keywords • How should you use key words? • How do you choose your international key words? • Is your choice of key words important?

International Internet Marketing & Keyword Placement • Where do you need to put your keywords? • How does your keyword placement effects your international results? • Do you know where to put your keywords for best results?

4 Ideas To Get Your Website Visible In A Foreign Country • Do you want your international prospects to see you website? • Do you know how to make your website easy to find in different countries? • Do you get many international visitors from search engine results?

Knowing How Your Foreign Prospects Use Their Search Engines Can Get You More International Clients • Do you know how your foreign prospects use their search engines? • Do your international visitors find you the same way as your domestic visitors? • Do you understand where your international visitors come from?

Easy International Leads With Foreign Search Engine Submissions • How many international leads come through your website? • Would you like to start getting more international visitors over night? • Did you know that Google is not the only search engine, and in some countries it does not get you the best results?

How Top Submit Your Website To The Leading Russian Search Engines - Yandex And Rambler • Would you like your Russian prospects to find you faster on their own search engines? • Did you know you should submit your website to the Russian search engines as well? • Would you like to use a quick guerrilla marketing technique to get on the Russian search engines?

Get Your Website Into China Through Baidu • Is your website listed on Chinese search engines? • Would you like more Chinese visitors to your website? Would you like a fast and simple way to make your website findable for your Chinese prospects?

How To Submit Your Website To German Search Engines For More International Business • Would you like to have more German visitors to your website? • Did you know there are a few different search engines in German? • Would you like to see how you can quickly you can get visiblility for your website in Germany?

Read The Whole Story

Further Reading

• What information do you need to know before starting your international business expansion? How can you get the information you need? Read about how international market research will help you plan your international visibility.

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Foreign Search Engine Submissions

Last updated 23 August 2008

If you submit your website to foreign search engines you will get better search engine results in foreign markets.

Read more on why you should submit your website to foreign search engines for more international visibility. There are also articles here to show you how to do it.

Easy International Leads With Foreign Search Engine Submissions

Knowing How Your Foreign Prospects Use Their Search Engines Can Get You More International Clients

How To Submit Your Website To German Search Engines For More International Business

Get Your Website Into China Through Baidu

How To Submit Your Website To The Leading Russian Search Engines - Yandex And Rambler

Don’t Miss The Whole Story

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Your International Business Intelligence Management

 
Do you want fast profits from your actions in developing your international business?

Would you like open all of the international business opportunities available to your business?

Would you like your international viability analysis to be accurate?

I have written this article for beginners. I have had a few questions lately from small internet business owners who need to rationalize the risk in their international business development strategies.

Most experienced international businesses will have an international business intelligence management system that works. Some small businesses rely on one central person to juggle all of the information. Others have international teams that function well together.

Start With International Business Intelligence Management

International business development always involves risk. It is inherent to doing business in unfamiliar cultures. Businesses often have to adapt their current methods to fit in with foreign markets.

Starting a process for international business intelligence management will help you to rationalize these risks and make the best decisions.

You will never be able to get rid of the risk factor in international business. The beginning is always a challenge, and requires an intellectual balancing act to estimate the risk. Experience makes this process easier. You still need the information to make your decision. An international business intelligence management system or process gives you the information you need.

Your international business intelligence starts with your initial international market research.

This means that if you are using the web for international marketing and international market research, you should include a business intelligence management system right from the start.

It is easy to set up and use a simple monitoring and tracking system right from the start.

Small Companies Too

For small companies, or if you are starting out slowly, this could be a very simple system.

You simply need to gather information in such a way to be able to use all of the information you have later.

You will need to review all of your information to improve your international business development.

It is important to use a process to take advantage of your international business intelligence.

What Information Do You Need

You need to pay attention to your processes in international marketing, market research, communication and feedback from international contacts.

You need to bring all of the information you get during your market research,

• Specific country
• Specific industry
• Foreign competitors
• Domestic competitors in foreign country
• Domestic companies with similar target market already selling to your foreign market
• Online
• Telephone
• Association
• Government agency
• Foreign embassy

together with all of the information you receive from your foreign prospects and clients,

• Phone calls
• Information inquiries
• Emails
• Client orders
• Customer service contact
• Responses to each of your communications by email, website, article or other source
• Foreign event networking

into a process. This process will develop into your International Business Intelligence Management.

No matter how small, or limited your actions are, you will get more out of them if you bring all of your information together and use it in your international business development process.

In fact, you need to have a look at all of the information you can in order to make appropriate decisions.

How Your International Business Intelligence Helps You

It is your international business intelligence that will help you expand your business successfully into other countries.

You need to look at all of the information you have for several tasks key to your international success:

• Define your sales offer for a specific country
• Define how you adapt your product to your foreign market
• Create the right marketing plan for a specific market
• Analyze your business viability in a specific country
• Improve your international sales offer
• Identify new business opportunities

An Opportunity For Growth

Your international business intelligence will help your business grow no matter how small your business is when you start. It will continue to grow over time and you may need to look into different management processes or software more appropriate for your business.

As you get to know your international markets better you will also gain another more intimate type of market knowledge. If you compare business intelligence to being left brained, then your experience will give you a right brained intelligence about your international markets.

Combine your new right brain intelligence with solid business intelligence and your business will be in a strong playing position in your foreign markets.

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International Lead Generation

If you really want to develop your international business and get more sales you need a system. You also need to incorporate this system into an international marketing strategy.

The right international marketing strategy will bring in leads from different countries. An effective international marketing strategy is based on several different marketing strategies including:

• Traditional international marketing - for the core strategy
• Cross-cultural marketing - to get the right communication
• International web marketing - for easy international business development
• Strategic marketing - to get your message right
• Multichannel marketing - to create intimacy with the right marketing mix

Remember to check out the Business Guide 4 - Build Your International Marketing Strategy to see how all of your international marketing strategies fit together.

Your international lead generation strategy is another component of an effective international marketing strategy. Your international lead generation strategy leverages the power of your international web marketing. It works for you to bring in your international leads.

Use you international website as an international lead generation system.

Don’t forget to check back here again soon. This guide is regularly updated.

Creating Your Lead Generation Strategy

• Have you got your online international sales strategy all wrong? • What is the trend towards more international business? • What is your current marketing pipeline? Read more here.

• Would you like to find out what triggered your first international sales? • Would you like to cultivate those triggers to get more international sales? Find out how by clicking here.

• Do you have the right definition for your international lead? • Why is defining your international lead important? Read more here.

• Why should you start with a clear definition for what a lead is to your company? • Should you qualify this definition as precisely as you can? • Do you need to revise your definition? Find out more here.

• What is the BANTS formula? • How can you get better marketing? Get the answers here.

• What should you do first to get more international clients? • What are the advantages of measurement? Find out here.

• What are the three parts of your international lead generation plan? • What marketing do you need to do for more effective lead generation? Click through here to find out.

• How do you use lead nurturing to create relationships? • Would you like a basic outline of what to do? Get started here.

Tools To Use In Your Lead Generation Strategy

How An Information Product Strategy Develops Lead Generation Beyond Your Current Borders

• Are you getting all of the sales value you can from your information products? • Would you like to get more mileage out of your information products? Get started here.

Information Products Open The Door To International Development For Brick And Mortar Businesses

• Would you like to take the risk out of international business development? • Would you like to create an international lead generation system from your current office? See how you can get started here.

How Information Products Sold In Foreign Markets Can Save Your Business When Your Economy Is Slow

• Are you optimizing all of your current products and expertise in your foreign markets? • Would you like an easy source of revenue from international markets? See why you should be doing this by clicking through here.

How Offline Businesses Can Learn From Infopreneurs To Develop Outside Markets

• What can brick and mortar businesses learn from infopreneurs? • Are you optimizing all of your information products? See why you should be doing this by clicking through here.

Your Lead Generation Strategy Is Part Of Your Global International Marketing Strategy

• How can you connect with your international clients?

• What communication do you need to connect with international markets?

• What are the key components of an effective international marketing strategy?

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Is International Marketing On The Web Different?

In the offline world, international marketing goes through a distinct sequence.

5 Stages Of International Marketing

This sequence happens because different countries do business differently. Different countries have:

• Different habits
• Different legislations
• Different markets
• Different uses for your products
• Different client profiles

The 5 different stages of international marketing allow businesses to adapt to these differences. The 5 different stages are:

1. Domestic Marketing
2. Export Marketing
3. International Marketing
4. Multinational Marketing
5. Global Marketing

Read more about these different stages in: 5 Traditional Marketing Steps To Become An International Business

International Web Marketing

Most international web marketers jump straight into the deep end: Global marketing.

There is one similarity between Domestic Marketing and Global Marketing: Read more

Use A Multicultural Internet Marketing Strategy To Develop Your International Business

Internet marketing is a great tool for international business expansion. It can help you get more international clients…if you use it right.

Part of the equation for a successful international internet business is using the correct marketing online for your international audience.

Internet Marketing Today

Internet marketing has become fairly sophisticated with regards to Search Engine Optimization. The search engines have become so sophisticated and they change so rapidly that online businesses are no longer trying to master them. It has just become too expensive to do so, and the rapid changes in search engine algorithms mean they might be wasting their money.

This is good news for the internet users. Online businesses are coming back to stronger marketing to their internet readers.

Good internet marketing has more to do today with creating meaningful relationships with readers than ever before.

Marketing To The Right Cultural Target

The dilemma is that you cannot really contain your website to one location. If your website is in English for example, your readers will come from all sorts of countries. Online businesses need to adjust their marketing to the different cultures of their audiences.

So does what does this mean for online businesses? Read more

Use A Multicultural Internet Marketing Strategy To Develop Your International Business

Internet marketing is a great tool for international business expansion. It can help you get more international clients…if you use it right.

Part of the equation for a successful international internet business is using the correct marketing online for your international audience.

Internet Marketing Today

Internet marketing has become fairly sophisticated with regards to Search Engine Optimization. The search engines have become so sophisticated Read more

How Quickly Do You Need To Get A Globalized Website?

I’ve had quite a few questions lately on how to move towards a globalized website.

And the marketer in me responds my looking at their current business and what they are marketing.

Knowledge Helps You Save

It is important for any online business with a desire for international expansion to know what is involved in website globalization.

Why?

There are things you can do today, no matter how many international sales you currently have, that will help you save time and money later when you actually need to move towards website localization and website globalization.

This is why website globalization is such a buzz word. Read more

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