An Uzbek IT outsourcing company finds international clients in four steps: an international-level brand, visibility (SEO, LinkedIn, YouTube), ad tests by market, and a sales team that takes the lead all the way to a contract.
For one of our clients, this system brought 460 leads from the USA, the UK, Kazakhstan and Dubai with $2,378 in ads and 35 campaigns. Contracts of $186,000 in Dubai and $82,000 in Kazakhstan were signed.
In short:
- An international client does not see you. They see only your packaging.
- Brand and content first, then ads.
- Every market is a separate client and a separate offer.
Why are ads alone not enough?
The director of a company in Dubai will not come to your office. They see your website, your LinkedIn page, your case studies and your English on the first call. These four things decide.
If the website is outdated, LinkedIn is empty and there are no case studies, even the best ad only buys you a "bounce."
Step 1: brand
A full brandbook: the visuals and positioning that make you look like a reliable technology partner to an international client. Website, presentations and creatives in one style.
Step 2: visibility
SMM, SEO, SEM and YouTube marketing, so the client finds the company wherever they search. In our case, brand marketing gathered 1,206 targeted followers on LinkedIn and 540 on Instagram. Not many, but all of them targeted.
Step 3: tests by market
Four markets, four kinds of clients. A client in the USA and a client in Kazakhstan do not look at the same offer in the same way. 35 campaigns were tested by market, segment and offer, and the budget was moved to the campaigns that delivered.
Step 4: sales team
Getting the lead is half the job. A process that takes the lead all the way to a contract was built: fast reply, meeting, proposal. In international sales, time zones and reply speed matter a lot.
Results
- 460 leads from 4 countries.
- Dubai contract: $186,000.
- Kazakhstan contract: $82,000.
- 6 sales for Odoo.
The two international contracts alone ($268,000) are more than 100 times the whole ad budget.
Conclusion
In short, in an international market, ads are the last step.
- Take your brand to an international level.
- Create visibility on LinkedIn, SEO and YouTube.
- Test each market separately.
- Prepare the sales team.
To enter international markets — book a consultation.
About the author. Safarmurod Abduroziqov is the founder and CEO of AURA Digital: 6 years in marketing, 50+ IT projects, ~$1M in managed ad budget. Telegram · LinkedIn
Frequently asked questions
Can an Uzbek IT company find clients abroad?
Yes. One of our clients got 460 leads from 4 countries with $2,378 in ads and signed a $186,000 contract.
Which countries should you start with?
Test several markets in parallel and choose by the numbers. In our case, the USA, the UK, Kazakhstan and Dubai were tested.
Which channel matters for an international client?
LinkedIn, the website and SEO for trust, and ads for leads. Everything has to work together.
Can you find international clients with ads alone?
It is hard. An international client decides based on the brand, website, content and the quality of the first conversation.