Communication Channels to Consider When Going International

As your company expands globally, it’s essential to consider using internationally accepted communication channels. Companies can easily reach out to potential customers in multiple countries and regions using the following platforms.

Also, establishing your business presence on international communication channels can help create trust and understanding between you and your customers.

To make these connections, however, it’s imperative to understand the nuances of each channel so that you can adequately reach out to overseas customers in their own language and with messages tailored to their needs.

We’ve compiled some of the most popular platforms for communication and insight on how to leverage them to deliver the best customer experience for your clients.

Check out our curated list of Communication Channels to Consider in China if your focus is on the Chinese market.

Instagram

It probably comes as no surprise that this is at the top of our list. With a user base of 1.5 billion, Instagram continues to be a powerful platform for businesses to reach and build customer relationships. And with 90% of Instagram users following at least one business account, that’s plenty of potential followers for your brand.

Around half of Instagram’s users say the platform helps them discover new brands, and 44% of users shop weekly using shopping tags and the Shop Tab.

Knowing the general benchmark for growth is helpful when setting social media goals for your brand. Instagram offers an analytics feature that allows you to measure the success of your posts and the customer engagement it generates.

Instagram Stories is a fantastic tool for getting followers’ feedback. 57% of users surveyed prefer seeing polls and quizzes from brands on Instagram. So, ask them what they want.

By engaging with your audience, you create a sense of community while also gaining the confidence that comes with knowing that the choices you make regarding your business will be well received. Ultimately, it’s a win-win situation where your customers feel seen and heard, and you gain beneficial customer insights.

KakaoTalk Channel

If you’re trying to reach an audience in South Korea, consider checking out KakaoTalk. As of August 2022, the platform had 53 million global monthly active users (47 million within South Korea). It supports 15 different languages and is used by an impressive 93% of smartphone owners in South Korea, making it the most widely used messaging app for smartphones and PCs.

For business accounts, KakaoTalk launched KakaoTalk Channel and Business KakaoTalk Channel in 2017

The basic KakaoTalk channel has all the features to help your business succeed, like a customizable user ID that is searchable in-app, newsfeed posts, messaging, performance analytics, and even promotional coupons to send to your customers.

KakaoTalk Business takes it one step further with verified badges and added protection for brands through search prioritization, recommended channels, and KakaoTalk push notifications (Biz Message) to increase engagement with your customers.

Plus, both types of KakaoTalk Business Accounts are free for 1:1 messaging – although additional documentation may be required for the KakaoTalk Business Channel.

WhatsApp (Business) 

Chances are you’re familiar with WhatsApp, the freeware cross-platform messaging and voice service.

The WhatsApp Business app was explicitly created for external business communication. The app provides automation tools that make interacting with and responding to your customers easier and faster. Its end-to-end encryption makes it one of the most secure messaging platforms available, and each app is GDPR-compliant based on its intended purpose.

WhatsApp was the third most downloaded app in 2022. While it’s not a popular communication platform in the US, it’s worth noting that there are a staggering 390 million WhatsApp users in India alone, making it the perfect communication if your business has its sights set on expanding into the Indian market.

According to WhatsApp, more than 175 million people message a WhatsApp Business account daily. Their research shows that people who prefer reaching out to a business’s account in search of help are more likely to make a purchase when the business can.

Expanding into India, Nigeria, France, Indonesia, South America, Italy, Finland, or Austria? Then consider strengthening your brand presence via a WhatsApp Business account, as these markets have a high penetration rate of WhatsApp users.

LINE (for Business)

LINE is a potent communication tool for businesses looking to reach Japanese customers. It’s the most popular messaging app in Japan, with over 78 million monthly active users.

LINE for business offers a variety of features tailored specifically for businesses, from standardized accounts and secured messages to payment services. These elements make it an ideal choice for companies looking to maximize their reach in Japan and provide powerful marketing tools such as chatbots, coupons, polls, and surveys to engage customers.

Furthermore, LINE’s Promotion Stickers can do wonders for your brand’s awareness, helping to convert users into fans and encouraging them to connect with your LINE Official Account. This is a simple yet effective way to engage more people with your business or product.

Twitter

Despite the recent drama surrounding Twitter and its change of ownership, Twitter is still a powerhouse for business marketing activities. With over 400 million daily active users and around 33% of people that use the platform to follow brands and companies, Twitter has become an invaluable social tool for companies looking to strengthen their brand awareness and build relationships with their consumers.

Having a presence on Twitter can be incredibly beneficial for your brand. It allows you to drive website traffic, develop leads, and respond to inquiries quickly.

One significant benefit of Twitter for businesses is its ability to boost your visibility by engaging with your audience’s replies and mentions. By responding to your followers’ comments, questions, and concerns, you are likelier to show up in non-followers’ feeds.

Meta (Facebook)

Let’s face it; there’s no getting away from the Meta trifecta. What was once Facebook has been rebranded as Meta, alongside its sister companies (mentioned above), Instagram and WhatsApp. More than ¾ of Internet users (about 3.59 billion people) are active on at least one Meta platform.

Meta offers the perfect all-in-one solution for your marketing and advertising efforts on Facebook and Instagram: Meta Business Suite. You can easily view notifications, respond to messages, create or automatically schedule posts, stories, and ads, and gain insights to help you optimize your efforts – all from one convenient place.

Business Suite also provides recommendations for optimal times to publish content to generate the most engagement and views. Additionally, its Mentions & Tags feature allows you to find user-generated content to gain insight into how your consumers interact with your product or service.

Conclusion

Creating business profiles on the abovementioned platforms can be highly advantageous to your business. Having a presence on these social media sites can help you build your brand, increase visibility and connect with your customers, allowing your business to expand its reach and drive traffic to its website.

Remember, it’s not enough to simply create an account. Only by engaging with followers and leveraging each platform’s various features can you increase awareness of your products or services and maximize your potential for success.