B2B Marketers Step Up Localization Initiatives To Support Global Expansion

The intersecting trends of globalization and digitization are driving the need for accurate and culturally appropriate translations. B2B companies are often approaching this challenge with improvised methods that result in bottlenecks and poorly translated content. Therefore, progressive B2B companies are streamlining their localization strategies to maximize engagement with a global audience.In 2017, a small U.S.-based company can reach a global audience and scale up very quickly. For instance, Slack, the office communications platform, officially launched in 2014. By 2015, it had opened its first international office in Dublin, and, at this writing, had eight offices, including outposts in Tokyo and Melbourne.But the risks of bungling global content are also considerable. Poorly translated content at best can promote the image of a brand as careless and arrogant. At worst, it can offend and repel the customers it is seeking to attract.The good news is that navigating those cultural nuances and language barriers can be done well again and again. The solution is to have the right processes and people in place.“The translation disasters can be avoided if you have a fairly established collaboration and communications practice,” said Pam Didner, industry consultant and author of Global Content Marketing.