Preparations Before Launching International Paid Media Campaigns

Before launching an international Paid Media campaign, it is crucial to assess whether the business is truly ready to take that step. One of the most common mistakes is overlooking technical and strategic aspects, which, if not addressed in time, can result in performance issues or high costs that are difficult to rectify.

The first step is to review key elements such as local competitiveness, logistical and financial capacity, and the payment methods available in the target market. Then, it’s necessary to analyse whether we are already present in that market or if we are entering for the first time. Do we have a physical store or presence on local platforms such as Google Business Profile? If not, is it really necessary?

We should also ask ourselves if we are already receiving traffic or customers from other countries. This gives us a clue about the market’s viability before making a significant investment.

Knowing your competitors is essential: What do they offer? How do they promote themselves? This includes not only those who are already internationalised but also those who have not yet expanded, but have the potential to do so. A detailed analysis of the competition can provide valuable insights into how to position ourselves and which strategies might work best in each market.

These considerations are basic but essential to ensuring that our investment in international Paid Media is effective and profitable.

Before investing in an international paid media campaign, another key step is to ensure that the product or service truly suits the target market. How can you know if you’re ready? The key lies in evaluating existing demand and the competitiveness of your offering in that specific context.

Entering a developed market with multiple competitors is a completely different challenge compared to entering an emerging market. In the former, it's about capturing existing demand; in the latter, you’re building from scratch. The complexity increases if there is no clear need that your product can immediately fulfil. You can use tools like Google Market Finder and Export Potential Map to measure whether there is really room for your offering, and then review what competitors are providing in that market.

Additionally, it’s essential to ask a tough but necessary question: If your company isn’t competitive in its local market, how do you expect it to be at an international level?

It’s not just about translating campaigns or adapting creatives. It’s an analysis of the product and its fit with the culture, purchasing power, and local preferences of the new market.

For those managing paid media campaigns, this prior analysis can make the difference between success and failure. Ensuring there is real demand before launching can save resources and time, avoiding costly mistakes.

And you, when evaluating new markets, what tools or criteria do you use?

Introduction to International Paid Media

Expanding Paid Media internationally: Why should you consider it now?

Reach is a necessity for businesses looking to scale. If you only focus on your local market (national level), you're missing out on significant opportunities in less saturated markets, where competition is lower and acquisition costs or CPC may be cheaper.

This is where many hesitate. International expansion sounds complicated: different languages, cultures, regulations… It’s easy to dismiss it. However, it’s a mistake to think that advertising internationally is more “difficult” or expensive than optimising your paid media solely for a competitive local market.

Three key factors to consider in international markets:

Cultural and linguistic adaptation: You need to translate and adapt the language of your campaigns, creatives, and landing pages to the cultural context. This increases relevance and can also reduce your acquisition costs, while maintaining brand consistency and coherence—something that is often underestimated in improving CRO. Users will feel a stronger connection when they’re spoken to in their native language.

Optimisation of the user experience (UX): I’m not just talking about the website, but also the local currency, the most common payment methods, and the preferred shipping options, all of which are crucial for achieving conversions outside your usual market. What’s the point of driving traffic from abroad if you can’t offer a smooth purchasing experience?

Less competition, more opportunities (even if it doesn’t seem like it): When we talk about less competition in international markets, many people assume I’m simply referring to the number of competitors. However, it’s more complex than that. If you already have the capability and competitiveness to lead in your local market at a national level, it’s very likely that you have the conditions to be competitive abroad.

What really makes the difference here isn’t just the number of competitors, but the fact that many businesses aren’t ready to take the leap internationally. Barriers to entry—such as infrastructure, a sufficiently good offer, cultural adaptation, and resources—limit many businesses to only operate in their local markets. In contrast, if you’ve already overcome these challenges, you have an advantage that many other competitors don’t yet have. In other words, although there may be many players in the market, the real competition might be less intense than it seems.

And of course, this is something that needs to be analysed on a case-by-case basis, but overall, the landscape suggests that businesses well-prepared for internationalisation often face fewer real competitive barriers outside their local market.

Tapping into these markets is a smart way to reduce advertising costs, generate more customers, and diversify risks.

Before you start, research which platforms dominate in that country: Bing Ads is more popular in some markets than others, and the same goes for Google. There are local platforms that dominate, such as Yandex in Russia.

In markets like Japan or Germany, where consumers are more loyal, if you have a competitive and high-quality offer, you’ll not only achieve conversions but also gain customers with higher lifetime value. And yes, we’re talking about a real competitive advantage here: not many businesses dare to cross borders, but if you’re the first to do so, and do it well, you can dominate international markets faster.

Taking advantage of these markets is a smart way to reduce advertising costs, generate more customers, and diversify risks.

Why It’s Important to Discuss High-Potential Markets with Clients for International Campaigns

When it comes to international paid media campaigns, identifying markets with the most potential is not just a matter of geographic interest. The right choice can mean the difference between a highly favourable outcome and a costly result with little return. But how do you know if you’re aiming in the right direction? This is where deep discussions with the client and a critical analysis of the various variables you seek in an attractive market come into play.

The first factor to consider in international paid media is the market’s growth potential. Not all markets are at the same stage of maturity; some are ready to explode, while others may be saturated. What does this mean for the campaign? It means you need to invest time in analysing data, identifying trends, and understanding consumer behaviour in those markets before launching campaigns. Some clients need guidance to understand that investment should be directed where real opportunities exist, not just where there is apparent demand.

A tool that can help you gather data on international markets, beyond search volumes, is Google’s Market Finder.

Another important aspect is understanding the local consumer. The cultural and behavioural differences between an Eastern country and a Western country, for example, highlight how vast these differences can be between countries, and what works in one place may not work in another, although the differences may not always be so significant.

If you overlook this, you risk launching a campaign that is not profitable. This is where you need to talk to the client about adapting the messaging and creatives to the particularities of each market, if necessary.

Local competition is a factor that cannot be ignored when planning an international strategy. What if the market has potential but is dominated by local competitors? It is vital to assess whether the client has the resources to compete or if it would be more strategic to focus on a less saturated market with good growth prospects. A frank conversation about the competitive reality can prevent unproductive investments.

Costs and infrastructure are decisive factors in international paid media. A market may seem attractive, but if the client cannot bear the entry costs or if there is no adequate infrastructure to support distribution and logistics, the campaign may fail. This is where the client’s experience and knowledge of their operational capacity must be integrated into the planning.

In conclusion, discussing these factors with the client is the foundation for a well-structured international campaign. Someone who overlooks this conversation may end up launching campaigns without direction or focus, wasting resources and opportunities.