4 Best Practices For Localizing A Global CX Strategy

Balancing the global consistency of a brand and local relevancy of the customer experience is the linchpin of success.

For 60% of marketers, producing engaging content is one of their biggest challenges, according to the Content Marketing Institute. At the same time, e-commerce has exploded, with online sales expected to reach $523 billion by 2020 in the U.S. alone. So it makes sense that businesses are focusing more on the digital experience and digital marketing to effectively engage with their customers and, ultimately, increase sales.

A critical factor in reaching target audiences across many regions is to create content that is locally relevant. At the same time, however, companies need to maintain a level of global consistency, ensuring that content effectively communicates brand values across all markets.

In fact, balancing the global consistency of a brand and local relevancy of the customer experience is the linchpin of marketing success. Today’s marketing organizations are encouraged to embrace the following best practices to meet the needs of all customers, whether they’re in New York or New Zealand.

**• Understand buyer personas:**As consumers embrace new digital technologies, brands are being forced to rapidly change the way they think and act. Marketers must pay attention to buyer personas; keep track of customers’ desires, changes, and needs; and be agile in order to adapt quickly. For example, a tech-savvy buyer might be more open to an advanced user interface, whereas a marketing buyer would need a more simplistic UI. By tapping into unique buyer personas, brands can ensure they are producing relevant experiences while significantly increasing speed to market.

• Drive personalization through data analysis: Today’s consumers crave access to information via personalized touch points. This calls for marketers to present personalized content that is consistent and tailored to local regions at the right moment in time. While personalization will be the key in driving meaningful global customer experiences, it can’t be effective without harnessing actionable customer insights. As such, marketing leaders must deploy data analytics across platforms to gain a deeper understanding of consumer preferences, and then align tactics and strategies accordingly.

• Think globally: Being truly global doesn’t mean being in multiple countries–it means having an intimate understanding of culture and business processes to know how to work, connect, and succeed in those countries. By planning and thinking globally, marketers can ensure value is provided for target audiences that drives loyalty, no matter what region they are located. It’s important to note there’s no one-size-fits-all approach and that quality customer experiences starts with language and culture. By understanding the cultural nuances of each region, brands can maintain local relevancy and determine which channels to invest in, which team to effectively deploy that strategy, which technologies and tools are needed.

• Partner: While creative agencies may help design visually compelling content, they tend to lack localization and translation knowledge to ensure local relevancy. To navigate today’s complex landscape, consider partnering with localization experts and language service providers to further expand your capabilities and create relevant content.

To successfully optimize global digital marketing, strategies must be paved with quality, relevant customer experiences that engage and add value. By leveraging these best practices around understanding consumer preferences and identifying key digital channels and partners, businesses can fight through the content noise to deliver the ultimate customer experience.