I’m at a point where our Russian-founded brand has solid product-market fit domestically, but we’re ready to test the waters in Europe and the US. The challenge? I have zero network outside of Russia, and every agency I’ve talked to either wants a massive retainer upfront or doesn’t really understand what we’re trying to do.
I’ve been thinking about this differently lately—instead of hiring an agency immediately, what if we started by connecting with the right creators and influencers who already have audiences in our target markets? They understand local trends, they have credibility, and honestly, they’re probably more connected than any single agency.
But here’s where I’m stuck: I don’t even know where to start looking for these people. Are there specific communities or platforms where international creators hang out? How do you vet someone you’ve never met for a collaboration that actually matters? And how do you structure those early partnerships so you’re not just throwing money at random creators?
I’m curious if anyone here has actually done this—found creators in new markets, built real relationships, and used those connections to break in. What did your actual process look like? Did you focus on micro-influencers or go bigger? And most importantly, how did you know you’d found the right person versus just someone with a decent follower count?
Oh, I love this question! This is exactly what I spend my time doing—connecting brands with creators who get what they’re trying to build.
Honestly? Start by looking at who’s already talking about problems similar to what you solve. Don’t just search by follower count. Use tools like BuzzSumo or even just scroll through LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube to find creators in your space. Look for people who are creating content around your industry, not just random influencers.
Once you find someone interesting, do your homework. Check their engagement rate (not followers), look at the comments, see who’s actually interacting with them. Are these real people? Then shoot them a personal message—not a template. Tell them specifically why you think their audience would care about what you’re building.
I’ve had amazing success with cold outreach to micro-creators (10k-100k followers) because they’re hungry, they’re usually more responsive, and their audiences are engaged. The key is making it about them first, not what you need.
Want to grab coffee sometime? I’d love to help you map out a few creators worth talking to in your space. This is literally what gets me excited about this community.
I did exactly this six months ago when we started testing the German market. Here’s what actually happened.
I found five creators through a combination of manual searching and some detective work—looking at who was engaging with competitors’ content, basically. Reached out with a genuine message about my product, not a sales pitch. Two didn’t respond, two said no, and one said yes.
That one creator was a 45k-follower content creator in Berlin who focuses on tech startups. We started small—€500 for a review video, no affiliate deal attached. Video went live, we got maybe 30 signups from it. Conversion rate was actually pretty decent.
But here’s the thing that surprised me: that video led to an introduction with another creator who had a bigger audience. Then another. Suddenly I had a small network of people who were actually talking about us to their communities.
My advice: Don’t overthink the first partnerships. Start with small budgets, find people whose audience actually overlaps with who you’re trying to reach, and be honest about what you’re building. The right creators want to work with founders who care about their work, not just their reach.
The mistake I see a lot of Russian founders make is treating this like a transaction. It’s not. It’s relationship-building. That’s why the first partnership matters—because if it goes well, they connect you to others.
You’re asking the right question, but let me reframe this slightly. Influencer networks are valuable, but they’re not a substitute for having a real strategy.
Here’s what I tell clients: before you reach out to any creator, you need clarity on three things:
- Who is your actual target customer in the new market?
- What problem are you solving for them that they actually care about?
- Which creators have daily access to these people?
Once you have that clarity, the creator sourcing becomes easier. You’re not looking for the biggest names; you’re looking for the right names.
I’ve built a playbook around this for international expansion. Typically, we start with 8-10 micro-influencers in a market, run pilot campaigns with them, measure ROI obsessively, then scale. Micro-creators tend to give you 2-3x better performance on CAC than macro-influencers because their audiences are genuinely interested.
One thing I always insist on: contractual clarity from day one. Who owns the content? What are usage rights? What happens if the creator takes down the post? I’ve seen deals fall apart because this wasn’t discussed upfront.
The real value of working with creators early is that they become your education partner. They tell you what actually resonates in their market. That feedback is worth more than you might think.
If you want to move fast, I’d be happy to share a creator vetting template we use. Saves a lot of back-and-forth.
This is a solid instinct, and the data backs it up. Creator partnerships often deliver better early-market traction than traditional paid media when you’re unknown in a new geography.
But I want to make sure you’re thinking about this strategically, not just tactically. Here’s the framework I’d recommend:
Phase 1: Discovery (Weeks 1-4)
- Identify 15-20 creators in your target market and geography
- Research their audience composition, engagement patterns, historical brand partnerships
- Their audience should have 60%+ overlap with your ideal customer profile
Phase 2: Pilot (Weeks 5-8)
- Select 3-5 creators with the strongest fit
- Run small, performance-based campaigns (€500-1,000 each)
- Track attribution meticulously—UTM codes, unique landing pages, promo codes
Phase 3: Analysis (Week 9)
- Calculate true ROI, not just vanity metrics (impressions mean nothing)
- Focus on: CAC, conversion rate, LTV of customers acquired
- Identify which creator/audience combination performed best
Phase 4: Scale (Weeks 10+)
- Double down on what worked
- Expand those relationships, possibly with performance bonuses
Common mistakes I see: founders chase follower counts instead of engagement, they don’t track attribution properly, and they don’t give pilots enough time to generate meaningful data.
One more thing—consider whether the influencer network approach is enough on its own, or if you also need complementary channels (paid, partnerships, community). Most successful market entries use a combination.
What’s your current CAC target for the new market? That would help me think through which creator tiers make sense financially.
I just realized I might have been too enthusiastic before—let me add something practical.
You mention you have zero network. That’s actually an advantage in some ways because you can start fresh without assumptions. But it means you need to think about relationship-building as an ongoing process, not a one-off campaign.
Consider this: what if your first “influencer partnerships” weren’t just about promotion? What if they were about learning? Interview 5-10 creators about what’s working in their market. Ask them what brands are getting it right and which are failing. Build relationships before you ask for anything.
I’ve seen founders approach me purely transactional, and I help them find creators, but it’s not exciting. But when someone genuinely wants to understand the market AND wants to collaborate with great creators? That’s when I actually invest my energy in helping.
Does this make sense for where you are right now?