Before we dive into the essential attributes of a successful localization strategy, let’s assume that you have already recognized the significance of localization and understand its distinction from ad hoc translation efforts. Next, you need a plan because without a plan you will constantly be in the reactive mode and guessing every step.

At a broad level, the successful localization strategy should be collaborative, adaptable and flexible.

Let’s take a closer look at each element.

Collaborative

Developing a localization strategy is not a solitary endeavor. It requires a collaborative effort involving various leaders from marketing, business development, product, procurement, and legal departments in your organization. By design, the purpose of the localization strategy should align with your business goals. While localizers are passionate about languages and enabling global growth, the fundamental raison d’être of localization is to support and sustain the expansion of your products or services internationally. This means that the localization leader must have relevant data about product blueprints, customer journeys, sales projections in different regions, budget constraints, and legal requirements to formulate a scalable and well-balanced strategy.

Developing a localization strategy is not a solitary endeavor.

Adaptable

The localization strategy will naturally differ across various locales. Practicality dictates that not everything can be localized simultaneously and in the same way, which is why it’s necessary to identify and prioritize the content and elements of the customer journey that require localization in each locale. This decision depends on factors such as the legal requirements of a country, the English language proficiency of potential international customers, the localization strategies employed by competitors, and the budget constraints of your organization, among others. Let’s consider a scenario where your product is training videos. In a market where English proficiency/tolerance is high, you might choose to translate the subtitles while keeping the on-screen text in English. However, in a market with low English tolerance, like Japan, you would need to translate both the on-screen text and provide a voice-over in addition to the translated subtitles.

Not everything can be localized simultaneously and in the same way.

Flexible

A well-crafted localization strategy should also be flexible. Achieving the right balance involves adjusting certain components of the strategy in response to economic data. Therefore, it is crucial to gather and closely monitor pre- and post-localization data to make informed decisions. Depending on your product, you may want to track customer and revenue growth in each geography, keep a close eye on social media channels and product forums, and review feedback from customer support. However, it’s important to exercise caution here. It’s often challenging to attribute the success or failure of international product features or marketing campaigns solely to localization, as other factors come into play, such as timing, customer expectations and preferences, relevance, and competition. We will discuss the transient nature of localization ROI in a future article, but for now, it is essential to establish that while localization does not guarantee global success, it is indispensable for your global growth.

Achieving the right balance involves adjusting certain components of the strategy in response to economic data.

Localization strategy can become overwhelming, often leaving you with more questions than answers. However, fear not! At WordJam, localization is our passion and expertise. We thrive on navigating the complexities of localization, and would be thrilled to alleviate the burden of any localization-related queries weighing on you. Feel free to get in touch with us, and let’s talk about how we can help!