Hey everyone, I want to share something that’s been a game-changer for my agency over the past few months.
For years, my team and I were grinding through cold email outreach—sending 50-100 emails a week to US brand managers, hoping something would stick. Maybe a 2% response rate if we were lucky. It was exhausting, and honestly, the quality of conversations was terrible. Most replies were “not interested” or just ghosting.
Then I realized we were approaching this all wrong. We have a real advantage: we’re a Russian-rooted agency with deep expertise in influencer campaigns and UGC strategies. US brands are actually looking for exactly this kind of cross-border expertise, especially when they want to enter or expand in new markets. But they weren’t going to find us through generic cold outreach.
So I started being more intentional about how we positioned ourselves in the bilingual hub. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, I focused on what we actually do well—connecting Russian influencers with US brands, structuring UGC campaigns that work across markets, and leveraging that cultural bridge most agencies don’t have.
What shifted things:
1. Real positioning in the community: I filled out our profile properly, talked about our actual experience with cross-border campaigns, and showed specific examples of what we’d done. No fluff.
2. Looking for warm intros instead of cold outreach: I started connecting with other partners in the hub who already had relationships with US brands. Instead of emailing brands directly, I asked if they’d introduce me to their contacts. These warm intros converted about 10x better.
3. Collaborating on specific projects: I found partners (sometimes other agencies, sometimes individual consultants) who had US brand relationships. We’d team up on proposals where they brought the client, we brought the Russian/UGC expertise. Split the work, split the revenue. Everyone wins.
Within two months, we went from one-off conversations to having actual ongoing client relationships. We’ve now got three US brands we’re working with regularly, and they specifically hired us because we bring something different to the table.
The bilingual hub feels less like a place to broadcast and more like a place where you can actually build real partnerships. The people here actually understand what it means to bridge markets.
Has anyone else here had success with this approach? What’s worked for you when trying to land clients outside your home market—especially when you’re trying to position a specific advantage?