If you’re an international entrepreneur and want to sell your products and services to a UK audience, then there are lots of marketing techniques that you could try out.
Search engine optimisation, for example, should be a priority, and pay-per-click advertising can offer you some ‘quick wins’ and find new customers, provided that you have the necessary budget.
Social media, though, is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies out there, and if you want to appeal to a UK audience, then Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the sites you should target.
By 2021, it’s predicted that 42 million Brits will have an account on Facebook, so you cannot ignore the platform if you want to appeal to the UK customer base.
Below, we’ve put together five things you should do if you want to adapt your social media strategy to appeal to a UK audience and drive more people to click through to your website.
Post content in the right timezone
If you’re already running a successful business on the other side of the world, you’ll likely be using social media and posting in your native timezone.
But the average Brit isn’t going to be awake at 3 AM when you’re posting content for your American consumers, so scheduling a post or two in the GMT or BST timezone will keep you on people’s timelines and help you sell more.
Sure, chronological timezones are a thing of the past and algorithms show users relevant content rather than the latest posts, but it’s still important to honour the timezone and post when you know customers are going to be awake and active online.
B2B companies, for example, should schedule material to go live between 9-5, and fashion and lifestyle brands should post content at peak times on Twitter and Facebook, between 6PM-10PM.
Work with influencers
If you’re struggling to connect with British consumers on social media, then consider working with influencers who can post about your products on their Twitter and Instagram feeds in exchange for a fee.
Although some influencers are happy to accept a freebie in exchange for a post, the majority now charge fees, so you should factor this into your marketing strategy.
Businesses in the health, beauty and lifestyle industries, for example, can expect to pay anywhere from £100-£10,000 for a post from an influencer on Instagram.
It’s an expensive job, so don’t spend your money willy-nilly – analyse their accounts, make sure their audience is real, and always calculate your return on investment before re-running a campaign.
Popular reality TV star Charlotte Crosby regularly posts pictures on Instagram featuring brands. A post from someone of her calibre could drive thousands of visitors to your website.
Pay for social media advertising
Another way to spread the word about your business if you want to appeal to a UK audience would be to pay for social advertising.
Although not as powerful as they once were due to regulations and privacy concerns, Facebook Ad campaigns can help you to reach a targeted audience and grow your presence in one part of the country, or nationwide with the budget.
Indeed, an ad spend can put your brand on people’s timelines and Instagram feeds and help you to increase your brand presence virtually overnight.
Experiment with different ad copies and images and see which are most effective – it’s better to run targeted, specific campaigns that reach a small segment of the market than try to appeal to every single person in the UK.
Consider UK-specific accounts
UK consumers are incredibly different from American, Canadian, Australian or European consumers – and as such your marketing messages will naturally have to be different.
In the UK, you can get away with being a little more risque and cheeky. Too many Americanisms will no doubt put people off from following your brand, and memes and GIFs from TV shows they’ve never heard of will also alienate your UK audience and encourage them to unfollow.
Rather than treading the line between a UK and US audience on social media, consider the idea of setting up separate accounts for UK followers.
@YourBrandUK will differentiate your markets and allow you to go full steam ahead with a UK expansion, without having an impact on your brand or social media strategy in other markets.
The drawback to this, of course, is that you will have to post on multiple accounts and hire additional marketing managers, but this is a small pay-off on the grand scheme of things and allows you to scale your business.
Amazon has a dedicated Twitter account for its UK operations, although one single account for its customer service department, @AmazonHelp, to save money and reduce confusion.
Outsource to a British social media agency
Finally, if you have no idea how to appeal to a UK market but want to have a presence on social media, then consider outsourcing to a British social media agency.
Not only will they know how to present your brand and products in the right manner, but they’ll be on hand to offer you advice and manage your campaign in the country they know best.
Of course, you won’t have control over what they post seven days a week, but by choosing the right social media manager, you’ll quickly be able to save time and build a presence without any hassle.
Consider the team at 99social
At 99social, we offer UK social media management from as little as £99 per month (around $130, €110.00 as of February 2019), meaning that you can hand over the reins and allow us to manage your Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram without breaking the bank.
We’re experienced in working with international brands and know how to tailor campaigns to suit specific audiences, so don’t hesitate to get in touch today if you’d like to find out more.