This post is part of the #ThursdayFiver series.
Identify your target market’s level of awareness. Do they know what your product is about, or how it is going to impact their lives in a positive way? If not, what is the strategy you’re going to follow to create awareness in them?
Identify your competition. What have your top 3 competitors been doing to attract an Arabic-speaking audience? If you’re in an industry where none of your current competitors are using Arabic, then look at whether there are any companies within the region who would be considered your top 3 competitors once you decide to enter the market. Most Arab companies also use English on social media due to the large numbers of non-Arabic-speaking expatriate workers in the region, so you’ll easily be able to figure out what their main social media strategies are. Finer details like the difference in how they speak to Arabic vs. English speakers aren’t that important right now, and you won’t be able to figure that out unless if it’s a major difference, like using more images vs. less images, unless if you speak Arabic.
Identify your goals. Why do you want to market your product or service to Arabic speakers? Are you interested in increasing revenues, transitioning into a global business, or creating worldwide brand awareness? Or is it more of a combination? Or some other goal unlisted here?
Identify what services you’ll need to outsource, and what you can do in-house. Perhaps you already have a marketing whiz on your team (or you’re the marketing whiz!) and he or she has some experience marketing to Arabs, in which case you might only need to hire an agency or consultant to implement a strategy. Or, maybe you’re looking for someone to do everything from A to Z. Or, maybe it’s the other way around – you have an Arabic-speaking employee or business partner who doesn’t have marketing experience, in which case you will need an agency or consultant to put together a strategy for your employee to implement. Whichever the case, you have to be clear about your goals and your current team’s strengths and weaknesses.