Making it big in The United States

Are you looking to grow your business into the United States? It’s home to 325 million people and has a GDP of $20 trillion. It accounts for over 25% of household consumption worldwide and has the highest household spending in the world.

However, getting into the US market can be challenging. It’s immense and extremely competitive. You must be able to do more than simply get your product or service to market – you need to cut through the noise, get the attention of your target audience, and do so without breaking the bank.

The right US focused digital marketing strategy will help you launch and penetrate the US market, reach your target audience, and build sales. Check out our nine top digital marketing tips to help you launch and scale your business in the United States.

1.  Tailor Your Website to the US – Tell your story on your website with the help of past clients by writing case studies to describe how you solved their problems. Collect reviews and testimonials. However, remember that Americans use words differently, and sometimes use different words altogether, so Irish or UK-based client testimonials may not be effective. For instance, in Ireland, it’s called “chipboard”, but in the US, it’s called “particle board”. Be aware of these nuances and also account for regional differences. Collect testimonials, case studies, and reviews from American customers and use these to help explain what you do and how you can help other customers.
2. Communicate in the Right Time – Email autoresponders, automated newsletters, and other communication tools help you keep your audience engaged and tuned in. However, if you’re sending these communications out at the wrong time, you’re going to miss your audience. The US is a very big place, with four-time zones for the continental US that can make your communications more challenging. It becomes even more complicated if you target customers in Alaska or Hawaii. Know the time zones to which you’re marketing and tailor your sending times to ensure that they’re arriving at the correct time of day.
3. Develop a Digital Strategy – Digital marketing is a cost-effective way of reaching your audience. You’ll need to develop buyer personas, identify your goals and map those to digital tools that will help you reach them. You must evaluate existing digital collateral for effectiveness, particularly in light of it being used with an American audience, and then plan owned, earned, and paid media campaigns. Developing a digital strategy can be challenging, but the right partner can help.
4. Get Beyond Google – Yes, Google is the most frequently used search engine in Europe, but in the United States, you’ll find plenty of other options. Bing is the most obvious competitor, but you also need to consider Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and MSN. While Google owns the lion’s share of search, other search engines are used frequently. Make sure you target these with your PPC campaigns.
5. Experiment with Different Ad Platforms – There are plenty of ad platforms available to help you expand your reach that doesn’t rely on Google. Facebook itself can be an excellent way to reach a professional audience through targeted ads. Other platforms of note include Taboola, AdRoll, Perfect Audience, and Version Media to name just a few. From ad networks to social media advertising tools, it’s possible to amplify your message and broaden your reach.
6. Have a Lead Capture Mechanism in Place – Make sure that you have a method of following up on leads through a customer relationship management (CRM) platform and marketing automation tools. HubSpot is one of the industry standards, but there are less expensive options available, such as the Active Campaign. Choose a solution that offers plenty of traction, affordable rates, and excellent performance.
7. Manage Your Digital Assets – One of the most critical tips for digital marketing success in the US market is to ensure that your lists and database are correctly managed. Focus on audience segmentation and break down your database into subcategories for better personalization at each touchpoint along the customer journey. This is also a vital consideration for remarketing – combined with traditional email marketing, remarketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your business.
8. Make Sure Your Digital Assets Are US Ready – Your digital assets are incredibly valuable, but they lose their ability to perform if they’re not geared for the right audience. In this case, you need to double-check that every digital asset is ready for the US market, from buyer personas to blog posts, Google Ads ads to Facebook ads. If it’s not specifically speaking to a US audience, it needs to be revamped.
9. Make It Simple to Contact You – US customers don’t hesitate to get in touch with companies online. However, if your contact information is difficult to find, they’ll opt out in frustration. Make sure that your contact info is front and centre (they’d say ‘center’). It’s worth considering the use of a contact form so that your audience can drop you a line directly, rather than calling or emailing. You should also consider additional technology, such as click-to-call functionality, Google My Business, and placement within relevant US industry listings online. If you open a US-based location, accurate contact information will also place you higher in the SERPs, as Google is continually focused on surfacing local area businesses first.

Get additional tips on using digital marketing to grow your business in the US here

Emarkable has opened a US office to help support Irish companies in the US market, and Irish businesses who want to enter the US market.

If you want to know more about how you can use digital marketing to grow your business in the USA? Get in touch.

Ireland

Contact Richard Coen

T: (01) 808-1301

E: richard@emarkable.ie

New York

Contact Tom Kirwan

T: (347) 528-7734

E: tom@emarkable.ie