Marketing your business in Europe
Establish marketing contacts in Europe
UK small businesses often develop by word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family. However, when starting in a new country, this trusted network usually does not exist. Building a strong reputation from scratch is a common challenge for businesses expanding overseas:
- make your business easy for customers to approach
- offer them an easy way to leave feedback
- engage with early customers and turn them into brand advocates
- respond to reviews and offer readers an incentive to try your service
- build relationships with local influencers and bloggers
Partners and resellers
If your business sells well-known products or services, it may be wise to find local partners.
This can be an advantage as they will have local knowledge and a pre-existing distribution network. Typically they will take a commission from any sales - which means you have no upfront costs.
It can also assist with marketing your business, as your partner will have already built up trust with their customers. This can help introduce people to your products or services through a familiar channel.