Digital export manager: who he is and what he does

• turnover growth
• diversify business risks
• Improve the company’s global image and reputation.

These are 3 reasons why it is important for an Italian company to open new markets abroad.
In the times we live in, it is necessary to go straight for the goal, knowing well where to allocate budgets, minimizing mistakes, knowing well the markets and the rules to be followed. Our external Digital Export Managers are professionals who have the ability to implement the Digital aspect to their core competencies, leading them to multiply results over traditional approaches.
They define an internationalization strategy, follow up with various stakeholders to manage important steps such as regulations and customs rules, open new channels to acquire suppliers, distributors or end customers, preside over trade shows, and create optimized processes to manage relationships.

Digital export manager: who he is and what he does

The Digital Export Manager is a professional who is responsible for promoting and selling a company’s products or services in foreign markets through physical and digital channels.

Its role is crucial for companies that want to expand their business abroad, as it allows them to reach potential customers worldwide efficiently and at low cost. The Digital Export Manager uses digital tools such as websites, e-commerce, social media, email marketing and online advertising to attract and convert foreign customers.

His work begins with creating a digital export strategy that takes into account the needs of the foreign market and the company’s capabilities. Once the strategy is defined, the Digital Export Manager is responsible for creating and managing content and online campaigns to attract foreign customers. This may include translating website content and social profiles into different languages, creating special offers for foreign customers, and participating in virtual fairs and exhibitions to showcase the company’s products.

In addition, the Digital Export Manager is responsible for managing and monitoring online activities to ensure that foreign customers are receiving accurate and up-to-date information about the company’s products and services. Use data analysis tools to monitor campaign performance and make any changes to improve results.

The Digital Export Manager works closely with the company’s marketing team and foreign branch representatives to ensure that digital activities are aligned with global marketing strategies and are consistent with local practices.

In general, its goal is to increase the company’s sales and visibility in foreign markets through effective and targeted use of digital channels in order to reach an increasingly large and diverse audience.

Responsibilities of the Digital Export Manager

The responsibilities of a Digital Export Manager may vary depending on the company and the industry in which they work, but in general they include:

1. Digital export strategy development: Create a strategy to promote and sell the company’s products or services in foreign markets through digital channels.
2. Online content creation and management: Create and manage content, such as websites, e-commerce, social media profiles and email marketing, to attract foreign customers.
3. Content translation: Ensure that content on the website and social profiles is translated into different languages to reach an international audience.
4. Online campaign management: Create and manage online marketing campaigns, such as social media advertising and virtual event promotion, to attract foreign customers.
5. Data monitoring and analysis: Use data analysis tools to monitor campaign performance and make any changes to improve results.
6. Collaboration with the marketing team: Work closely with the company’s marketing team and foreign branch representatives to ensure that digital activities are aligned with global marketing strategies and are consistent with local practices.
7. Customer relationship management: Use digital activities to build strong and lasting relationships with overseas customers, providing excellent service and responding to their questions and concerns.
8. Reporting and Analysis: Provide regular reports on the results of digital export activities, identify opportunities and problems, and suggest improvements to increase sales and company visibility in foreign markets.

Temporary digital export manager: what are the benefits?

There are several advantages for a company that decides to hire a temporary Digital Export Manager:

1. Specialized Experience: A temporary Digital Export Manager brings specialized experience in promoting and selling the company’s products or services in foreign markets through digital channels. This can enable the company to quickly achieve its overseas expansion goals.
2. Flexibility: Hiring a temporary Digital Export Manager allows the company to have a flexible workforce that can adapt to the company’s needs. This is especially useful for companies that need support for limited periods of time, such as during expansion into new markets or during increased demand for their products or services.
3. Cost savings: Sometimes hiring a full-time Digital Export Manager can be costly for a company, especially if it does not have an ongoing need for this type of activity. Instead, hiring a temporary professional allows the company to save on fixed costs, such as wages and benefits, and pay only for the actual time worked.
4. Access to new skills: A temporary Digital Export Manager can bring with them new skills and knowledge for the company. For example, he may have experience in using specific digital tools or knowledge of foreign markets where the company is looking to expand.
5. Process optimization: The temporary Digital Export Manager can help the company optimize its digital export processes, identifying opportunities for improvement and providing solutions to increase the company’s sales and visibility in foreign markets.
6. support for new projects: it can be useful to support specific projects, such as creating a new website or translating website content, or developing a new advertising campaign for a specific foreign market.
   

The skills of the digital export manager

A Digital Export Manager must have several skills to do his or her job effectively. Here are some of the most important skills:

1. Knowledge of foreign markets: The Digital Export Manager must have a good knowledge of the foreign markets where the company wants to expand, understand their needs and available business opportunities.
2. Digital skills: The Digital Export Manager must be skilled in using digital tools such as websites, e-commerce, social media, email marketing, and online advertising to promote and sell the company’s products in foreign markets.
3. Communication skills: The Digital Export Manager must have good communication skills both written and verbal to translate the content of the website and social profiles and to communicate effectively with foreign customers.
4. Analytical Skills: The Digital Export Manager must be able to use data analysis tools to monitor campaign performance and make any changes to improve results.
5. Campaign design and management: The Digital Export Manager must know how to create and manage effective online campaigns to promote the company’s products or services in foreign markets.
6. Cooperation skills : The Digital Export Manager must be able to work in a collaborative environment with the marketing team and foreign branch representatives to ensure that digital activities are aligned with global marketing strategies and are consistent with local practices.
7. Language knowledge: Knowledge of multiple languages can be an advantage, especially if the company wants to expand into foreign markets with languages other than its own.
8. Problem solving: The digital export manager must be able to solve problems and find solutions to make the most of market opportunities.

Ecommerce as an enabler of international export strategy

E-commerce is important in an international export strategy for several reasons:

1. Reaching a global audience: E-commerce platforms allow you to reach potential customers all over the world, regardless of their geographical location. This means that the company can expand into foreign markets without having to invest in a physical presence in the area.
2. Lower costs: Compared to other forms of international trade, e-commerce can be more convenient for businesses because it avoids the costs associated with opening a physical store or renting space for a trade show, for example.
3. Offer customization: E-commerce allows you to customize the offer according to the target market and provide a smooth shopping experience for foreign customers. For example, one can translate the website or ads into different languages to make them understandable for foreign customers, or offer local payment and shipping options.
4. Ease of tracking and analysis: E-commerce makes it easy and accurate to collect data on customers and their purchases by collecting information on website visitors, page views, and products purchased.

What is meant by “export management”?

Export management is the process of managing business activities related to the sale of goods and services abroad. They include product promotion, research of potential customers, negotiation of trade terms, management of documents required for export, and shipment logistics. A Digital Export Manager is a professional who handles these activities using digital tools and technologies to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the company in the global market.

Export Area Manager and Export Manager: what are the differences?

An Export Area Manager is responsible for developing and managing business activities in a specific geographic region abroad. Unlike the export manager, who generally handles all export-related business activities, the export area manager focuses on a specific geographic area and uses his or her knowledge of the market and culture to identify business opportunities and develop relationships with local customers and partners.

In general, the export manager handles all export-related business activities, while the export area manager focuses on a specific geographic region, developing relationships with local customers and partners.

In Maia Management we have managers with very different experiences, precisely so that we can give the client the best solution for the specific case. They have expertise and experience in specific geographical areas such as China, Brazil, Russia, Peru, Colombia, Spain, Germany, and France, and they have relationships on the ground, know their way around, and know the local culture.

They can then fill the role of temporary export area manager if a territorial focus is needed.

The Temporary Export Manager: our external and temporary formula

At Maia Management we provide the Temporary Export Manager through a smart, sustainable and often fundable subscription.
In this way, all companies can have this strategic figure with sustainable, lowering costs and with the ability to start and stop the collaboration at any time. In this article we have talked generically about the figure of the temporary manager.
In addition, all of our managers draw on the collective intelligence of the group of other managers and partners who are part of our ecosystem. This way they are always up-to-date on new innovative topics.

Export financing opportunities for SMEs.

In Italy, there are several sources of financing available for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that want to expand abroad.
Below are some of the main opportunities:

1. Chamber of Commerce Facilities: Italian chambers of commerce offer funding for SMEs that want to expand abroad through specific calls and programs. Here is an example from the Milan Chamber of Commerce; we recommend keeping an eye on your Chamber of Commerce website.
2. Central SME Guarantee Fund: this fund guarantees loans for SMEs that want to invest in export projects.
3. European programs: there are also European programs such as Horizon 2020 and COSME that provide funding for SMEs to expand in Europe and international markets.
4. Tax credit system for enterprises investing in research and development and internationalization activities.

Keep in mind that these funding opportunities vary depending on the period and available resources and may be subject to change. It is advisable to regularly check the website of the Ministry of Economic Development or the Chamber of Commerce for the availability of notices and conditions for accessing funding.

At Maia Management we have certified partners who support our clients in obtaining these funds.

Write to us at
info@maiamanagement.it
or fill out the test to find out how to get started right away with a temporary export manager.