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If you’re looking to expand your reach beyond domestic markets, you might find that influencers could be your best allies. Whether you’re a professional service or consumer-facing, influencers allow you to introduce your brand in a way that feels genuine directly through the voices your customers trust the most — an invaluable advantage when entering an international market where cross-cultural flubs or language barriers can affect your entry.
Influencer marketing also allows you to reach consumers on the channels where they’re spending the most time. In an era of ad blocking and “cord cutting” (shifting screen time nearly entirely to mobile devices), this direct line to consumers is part of what makes the strategy so cost effective.
Based on our own successful collaborations and brand input, here are five helpful tips for entering a new global market with influencers:
Find local talent
Your best ambassadors in a new region may not be the ones with the biggest social media followings. Studies have shown that smaller audiences actually equate to greater engagement and conversion, which can make hyperlocal talent particularly valuable if your goal is an immediate boost in sales. Micro-influencers also allow you to access different sub-markets within a broader region, be it neighborhoods within a city, or various cities within a country.
Use local ties
Ask influencers to incorporate easily recognizable areas of the region you want to enter, making your brand feel immediately relatable. Gifting product (if you can) is one of the easiest and most effective ways to collaborate with international influencers, and it works seamlessly with this collaboration type. Whether you’re showing off how well a pair of shoes tackles the cobblestone streets of a neighborhood, or you’re introducing a new food delivery app, tying your collaboration to the everyday lives of customers will ensure greater success than a more generic campaign.
Use multi-media
Multimedia clips on Instagram Stories or YouTube in the local language and in the local environment can also be very effective for brands entering new markets. Global marketing teams can miss the mark with slang or cultural references when creating TV or digital ads, but influencers are speaking to their peers, making their multi-media campaigns more genuine — and therefore more persuasive.
Go offline
Although most influencer marketing campaigns are digital, a personal connection can go a long way toward making a lasting impression in a new market, making influencer events particularly powerful. MARKS & SPENCER demonstrated the impact of events with when they launched their Australian eCommerce website last year. Hosting an event in Sydney with a mix of ‘celebrity’ influencers and up-and-coming bloggers, which we curated, the brand gained a valuable foothold in the Australian market through fashion influencers who were able to make a real impact on consumer perceptions. By taking the time to personally meet influencers and share the brand’s history, M&S solidified its foothold while increasing the likelihood that bloggers mention the brand organically in the future.
Research your influencers
Before selecting influencers for any campaign, particularly for international markets, it is crucial to assess all available data. We encourage bloggers to connect their Google Analytics to their profiles, allowing brands to see their demographics, website engagement and other factors. We also measure engagement. The comments, in particular, can reveal a lot about an influencer’s audience and local impact. Assessing engagement over total reach will give you a better idea of how likely an influencer is to inspire action among their followers.
Know the rules
No matter what market you enter, know the advertising laws of the regions you enter. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission requires that influencers tag each post with a clear indication of sponsorship, such as #ad or #sponsored, even in space-restricted platforms like Twitter. Announcing once that posts related to a particular campaign or brand are sponsored isn’t enough. Be aware that the FTC will holds brands responsible for disclosure, so make sure you include it as a campaign requirement. Read more about keeping your influencer campaign legal.
The bottom line
With the flexibility to reach multiple sub-markets and the advantage of speaking directly to consumers through the voices they trust the most, influencer campaigns are one of the most effective ways to reach a new global market. By assessing blogger data to determine the best opportunities, utilizing local talent, and creating collaborations that feel ‘local’ to the community or region, brands can successfully enter new markets more cost-effectively than with traditional advertising campaigns and with some guarantee of exposure.
Source: B2C
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