How to expand into foreign markets with PPC
As the globalisation of our markets continues to increase, it’s more important than ever to expand your digital presence into new territories. But in such a competitive industry, how do you get your business on the international map?
With PPC, it might be easier than you think.
As an international PPC agency, we at Embryo know exactly what it takes to launch into foreign markets and create killer campaigns that resonate with your target audience.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to successfully launch into new markets in just three simple steps.
And if you need a hand, we can set up and manage your international campaigns for you! Get in touch and we’ll be happy to tell you more about our award-winning PPC services.
Step 1: Research, research, research
Knowing your target market inside out is key to ensuring your success in new territories. There are three main areas you’ll need to research in depth before you even start to think about creating your first campaigns.
1. Get familiar with your search engines
Google Ads is the main paid ad platform in most countries, which makes monitoring campaigns in different territories pretty straightforward in the majority of cases.
However, there are some notable exceptions, including:
- Russia (Yandex)
- China (Baidu)
- Japan (Yahoo)
- Korea (Naver)
- Taiwan (Bing/Yahoo)
While Google Ads does have a presence in some of these countries, using local search engines is a must if you want to make any real impact. In China, for example, Baidu boasts over 60% market share, while Google isn’t used at all.
2. Check where there is demand for your products/services
It probably goes without saying, but there’s no point trying to expand into a foreign market where there isn’t actually any demand for your products/services. You can identify demand in different countries by:
- Using keyword research tools
- Searching for variations of keywords in the SERPs
- Noting your competitors (they almost definitely won’t be the same as in your current market!)
- Gauging differences in price points and the ways competitors in the territory market their products or services
- Checking the messaging used – which USPs are pushed most frequently
3. Find out whether there are any additional costs
There can be additional hidden costs associated with launching in new territories. Make sure you’ve researched the following and factored them into your forecasts:
- Shipping costs
- Import/export regulations
- Customs/tax
- New digital taxes
Step 2: Build trust signals
Being visible and paying for traffic in your target market is pointless if you can’t get people to convert.
While you may not be a household name in foreign territories just yet, there are two key things you can do to build trust signals and increase the chance of conversions.
1. Optimise your landing pages
Invest the time and effort into translating your key landing pages into the language spoken in your target territory. While this can be time-consuming, it’s essential to maximise your chances of converting new users.
Be sure to hire the services of a translator who is fluent in the language for this – your content will end up riddled with errors if you use an online translator.
2. Implement on-site credentials
Adding reviews, accreditations, and security protocols to your website will help you build trust with your target audience. Without an established brand name, building this trust will be crucial to getting conversions from overseas markets.
Step 3: Scale your visibility
Setting up your accounts correctly will be key to your success and to collecting accurate performance data which can be used to optimise your campaigns.
1. Perfect your account structures
Although there are a few different ways to go about setting up your account, there are some things you will need to do regardless of how you choose to set up the foundations:
- Set up separate accounts for each country. This will make reporting easier and enable you to glean deeper insights into individual markets.
- Make sure the time zone is correct for your target market. This will ensure you can serve ads when the local audience is most active online.
- Select the correct currencies. This will help with both reporting and budget management, ensuring you don’t accidentally overspend.
- Set a bidding strategy that aligns with your goals in the new market. As you’re breaking into the market, your priority should be generating brand awareness and setting bids based on impressions or clicks – you can move more towards conversion-based strategies once your presence is solidified.
2. Make the most of Google Shopping’s features
Google has recently made it a lot easier to reach international customers. You can now reach customers searching for your products in any market that Google Shopping operates, as long as the user’s browser is set to the same language as your feed.
To set this up:
- Add the details for each new market into the feed – Google will automatically convert your prices to the local currency and display both your price and the converted price in the ad.
- Add the new markets you want to target as additional countries in the Google Merchant Center feed settings.
Need help launching into an international market? Contact Embryo today
Breaking into a new market can be daunting, which is why our award-winning PPC team will do all the hard work for you.
From setting up your accounts to managing your bidding strategies, we’ll help you gain traffic and increase conversions in your target countries.
To find out more about how our PPC services could benefit your business, get in touch with our team today.
FAQs
Answered by Callum Leonard
What metrics indicate that expanding into foreign markets could be good for my business?
An overall interest from other locations. Courier routes need to be tested and you need to have the viability for this. Look at organic data too to influence your PPC decisions.
Do different countries have different regulations on advertising?
Yes, lots of countries especially in e-commerce and sensitive industries like the pharmaceutical industry have strict advertising standards. This may limit what countries you can expand into.
Does ad copy automatically translate into the required language?
No, you must manually translate all ad copy. If not you will feature for people using the English version of Google in another country. Translate the landing page too for a seamless experience.
What is the best way to research where demand for my business is?
Keyword Planner can look at search volumes for certain keywords across different regions and countries.
