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    Best Practice
    6 min read

    Best practices for managing a multi-national business in Klaviyo

    Running a multinational business is a rewarding experience, but it comes with unique challenges. Explore the guide below to find out how to localize your marketing program with Klaviyo.

    Best practice #1

    Choose the right Klaviyo account structure for your business

    Running a successful multinational marketing strategy on Klaviyo starts with choosing the right account structure for your business. The decision between a single account versus multiple accounts depends on your specific business needs and operational setup.

    • Choose a single Klaviyo account when: you have a single ecommerce store instance (or platforms like Shopify Markets, PrestaShop, or Magento that support multiple stores in one instance), you have a centralized marketing team managing global campaigns, and you need simplified reporting to track worldwide performance at a glance.
    • Choose multiple Klaviyo accounts when: you operate separate ecommerce store instances across different markets, have regional marketing teams running localized campaigns, or require detailed reporting for each market independently.
    Best practice #2

    Communicate in your subscribers’ preferred language with Smart Translations

    One of the biggest challenges of running an international business is maintaining a consistent brand experience across all of your markets, while talking to each customer in their own language. Luckily, Klaviyo's Smart Translations feature makes it easy for you to reach customers in their preferred language without the hassle of separate sends.

    Note: Smart Translations is only available for paid Klaviyo plans, so if you’re on a free plan you won’t see the Translation toggle in your account settings.

    1. Enable Smart Translations in your Klaviyo account: Head to your account settings to toggle on the Smart Translations feature and set the property you’d like to use to determine a profile’s preferred language.
    2. Create your multilingual campaign/flow: Create your campaign or flow like you normally would. Then, using the Smart Translations workflow, select the languages you want to translate your message into. Klaviyo will automatically translate your message in the selected languages, which you can review and adjust before sending.
    3. Review the performance of your multilingual campaign/flow: Review how your campaign/flow message performed by language to see whether you need to optimize your messaging for a specific one.⁡

    No more juggling multiple campaigns or creating multiple flows; just one seamless workflow that saves time while ensuring every customer gets a personalized experience! Head to our Help center to learn more about Smart Translations.

    Best practice #3

    Streamline multi-account management

    If you have multiple Klaviyo accounts, day-to-day account management can seem like a daunting task. That’s why Klaviyo offers various tools to help you streamline multi-account management.

    Best practice #4

    Follow regional laws and regulations

    Adhering to data privacy rules not only helps you build customer trust, but also avoid costly lawsuits and fines. Since different countries have different regulations governing consumer data and marketing, it’s important you do your due diligence before expanding your marketing program.

    Note: This information is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice. The content provided is general in nature and may not reflect the most up-to-date information. Klaviyo strongly advises consulting with a qualified legal counsel to ensure your compliance with applicable laws and regulations in connection with your use of our services.

    • Know what information to provide at opt-in. For example, GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) requires informing EU (European Union) subscribers of how you'll use their data. If you’re planning to send subscribers product launches, promotions, and abandoned cart reminders, list those out in your sign-up form disclosure language.
    • Familiarize yourself with regional SMS marketing requirements. SMS marketing is highly regulated globally, with different countries, and sometimes even different states, having specific rules for quiet hours and message content. Make sure you comply with the SMS rules of each region you’re sending text messages to.
    • Adjust your privacy policy and terms of service. Policies designed for one jurisdiction may not meet other countries' standards. Consider creating separate sections or versions that address local regulations like GDPR's explicit consent requirements or CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act)'s opt-out provisions.
    Best practice #5

    Use segmentation for further localization

    Regardless of whether you have one or multiple Klaviyo accounts, there are multiple scenarios in which you may need to target a specific subset of customers within an account. This is where segmentation comes in! Some common use cases for segmenting your international audience include:

    • Targeting customers who speak a certain language: Countries often have multiple languages, like Canada with English and French-speaking provinces. Create language-based segments to send targeted campaigns, such as reaching French-speaking Canadians for International Francophonie Day.
    • Targeting customers in a specific location: Are you running a promotion in a specific city? Or offering free click and collect in your physical stores? Klaviyo enables you to create segments based on a certain radius of a specific zip code, so you can easily run location-based campaigns.
    • Targeting customers who engage with a specific channel: Customers from different markets may have different preferences when it comes to marketing channels. For instance, SMS is a popular marketing channel in the United States, while WhatsApp is favored in many countries in Europe and Asia Pacific. Create channel-specific segments using channel affinity to meet customers where they are.
    Best practices for managing a multi-national business in Klaviyo
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