2022 surprised us in many ways...
In the global market, the old ways of getting customers no longer work. Many companies have realized that they can't fit into the new world without making changes. But a lot of them don't know where to begin. Panic and a loss of hope set in. Everyone is good at what they do.
So we know exactly what companies need to do now to prove themselves and find new ways to attract customers.
Who is your client?
This is the most important point. Please analyze your target audience. Not just the countries you need, like Spain, England, Malta, etc. Get to know who "your person" is. Whom do they work with? What do they read? What social networks do they use? What are they interested in? What events do they go to? What is important to them in the product that you make?
This information is important because you need to know where your client lives so you can reach out to them directly and get them ready to buy your product. Talk with them every day. Show them how valuable you are and how much they need you. How do you know who they are, though? Ask your product managers and salespeople, who work directly with your customers and know what makes them happy and what makes them sad. Or, if you are a founder and can talk to them directly, that's even better.
Why do we need social media if we're not bloggers?
Social media is essential for business! LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. LinkedIn, in particular! LinkedIn is used by the entire professional community. Let me explain.
For instance, I'd like to build my own NFT marketplace or e-commerce platform. But who will build the platform and handle other technical issues for me? I'm a businessman, not a programmer. So first and foremost, I need to find a development company. I'll use LinkedIn for this! I will search for a company using keywords, look at its profile, what they write about, what they say, and its use cases, and determine if I like them. Then I'll go see the team to see what kind of people they are.
Next, I'll visit the website to see what information is available and if it's clear enough for me. And if nothing else gives me pause, I'll write to them. But when I find inactive profiles, no cases, and semi-anonymous company representatives, it makes me doubt the quality. What else makes social media so important?
After researching the market in which you want to advance and your target audience, concentrate on the problems specific to these markets' audiences in your social networks. Understanding narrow local problems will demonstrate your understanding of the market itself.
Advertising
In addition to promoting your social networks, you should launch your advertising in the region where you want to expand. It is your company's solution that will be useful for this market that should be promoted.
Try out different types of advertising to see which one is the most profitable (again, if possible, try to find out where the audience in this region mainly gets information from—there you should advertise). In addition to paid advertising, you can get free advertising by writing to a potential client and offering your services.
This scheme is still active on LinkedIn. We can back it up with personal experience. LinkedIn also has a feature for generating leads. And, once again, you send a LinkedIn mailing to potential clickers; they visit your profile, and what do they see: a clear, open profile with a slew of use cases or anonymous?
People’s friendship
Make friends with local businesses or (if your company is medium or small) influencers—those you can trust. Use mutual promotion and cross-posting. Assume you are a fintech platform.
You want to promote your services in Montenegro or Serbia to local businesses so that they can open accounts without difficulty. You can bargain with local law firms that provide business services, and they will recommend a bank where you can open an account without difficulty.
Or, you could form partnerships with companies that help people set up businesses, register for residence permits, and do other things.
Brand media publications
Master the respected local media and put reputation ahead of traffic. Local media, for example, is very popular in Europe. They have been read. And if you have material about your company where you say practical things, they will click on the link and research who you are and what you stand for. It could even be a prospective client.
The media is always about trust. In general, the media does not cover bad projects. Because of this, formats such as an interview or when a journalist writes about your project inspire more trust among people. People recognize that you can be trusted because your company was approved. Because it was not only the author's reputation that was important here but also the publication's reputation.
Events
Industry events in the markets you might want to enter. Take advantage of any opportunity in the desired market to begin working in advance and obtain at least some cases. You should also prepare for the event. What will you say in your presentation, and what will you say to potential clients afterward? What is your company's history and mission, and what are the goals of the products? Each product can be useful and important. Consider the answers to the most obvious questions in advance.
I hope that these five points help you understand what you need to do if you've arrived at this point! Stay tuned for more helpful tips.