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Glocalization Helps Small Businesses Compete

Often, smaller businesses are wary of competing with a reputed brand, assuming that the bigger enterprises are more resourceful with an added advantage of an established brand value and reputation in the market. However, that’s not always how it works in the ‘www’ world. In fact, as a local business, you know more about your customers and their requirements than a bigger brand. So, you should always leverage this knowledge to become a local expert on the industry. This brings me to the concept of glocalization, the practice of conducting business according to both local and global considerations.

Glocalization is the adaptation of globally marketed products and services to local markets. “Think globally, act locally,” is one of the most effective “mantras” for small and medium-sized business who are ‘all set’ to compete with a big brand in your domain.

With the current digital-growth explosion, where people are connected online 24×7, you can thrive in the market with a well optimized website and an effective content marketing strategy. In fact, “content” is a key buzzword in the online space. According to WordStream, while the catchphrase “content is king” has been used plenty in the past couple of years, we shouldn’t expect it to go away any time soon. “Content is key, having a content strategy is essential, you need quality content if you want to succeed in today’s digital marketing landscape.”

In addition to having strong content, we recommend following these simple glocalization steps:

  • Get listed on Google Places to gain visibility in the local market. People tend to trust someone from their own area, so this is a great opportunity to build on that trust factor.
  • Add images, videos, and customer testimonials on your website to make your business appear more genuine and trustworthy to potential customers.
  • Use tools to add “review ratings” that show up on the organic search results.
  • Add some resource links on your website to provide good content to your customers. After all, Google appreciates sites with authentic, useful information.
  • Provide local and relevant content on your website that your potential customers can easily relate to.
  • Know your customers’ likes and interests and provide content that they will feel compelled to share with others.
  • Connect well with your customers and get “personal,” making them feel that you are speaking with them. It is widely accepted that people connect with and trust other people more than they connect with trusted brands. Become the face of your business to forge a tie with your customers, foster a lasting relationship, and eventually turn them into loyal advocates of your business.

Yahoo! is an example of a company that practices glocalization. It markets a portal that is viewed worldwide and offers different versions of its website (and related services) for different users.

Therefore, the biggest weapons to win the online game are “Local-focused” content and personalization. Make sure you follow glocalization guidelines on an ongoing basis to stall a competitor from becoming a threat!

Sources:

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glocalization
  2. http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/02/23/marketing-buzzwords
  3. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/glocalization.asp
Team Position2

August 10, 2016

By Team Position2