I’m a co-founder of a Russian e-commerce brand, and we just made the decision to launch in the US market. We have a decent product, solid unit economics in Russia, and a small but growing following. What we don’t have is any network or credibility in the US market.
I’ve been researching influencer marketing for the US expansion—partly because everyone says that’s the channel for DTC growth, and partly because we have no other way to reach American audiences initially. But I’m honestly overwhelmed about where to even start.
The obvious questions: Do I hire an agency? Do I try to manage influencer outreach myself? Do I look for micro-influencers, macro-influencers, or just buy ads like everyone else? And the bigger question: how do I actually prove that our product is worth their time when we have zero US case studies and they’ve probably never heard of our brand?
I’ve looked at other Russian brands that expanded to the US, and some seem to have gotten early traction through micro-influencers, some through strategic partnerships, and some just through content creators who happened to organically like their product. I can’t tell which approach is actually systematic versus luck.
One thing I’m specifically worried about: US influencers probably charge differently than Russian creators, expect different deliverables, and have different audience expectations. We fumbled a paid partnership with one micro-influencer last month trying to figure this out. The misalignment was painful.
I know I’m asking a very broad question, but I’m trying to figure out if there’s an actual playbook here or if every Russian founder just has to learn this through expensive mistakes. What’s been your first move when entering a new market from scratch, and what would you do differently if you could start over?
Welcome to the US market! Honestly, the fact that you’re asking these questions before you’ve burned through your budget is already a good sign.
First move? Don’t try to do this alone. The network aspect is huge, and that’s actually the part where having the right connections makes the biggest difference. I’d recommend connecting with other Russian founders who’ve done this expansion—not to copy their exact strategy, but to get realistic about what to expect.
Second: you don’t need to hire a full agency yet. What you need is one really good connection in the US influencer space—someone who actually understands both the Russian market you’re coming from and the US market you’re entering. That person becomes your advisor and introduces you to the right creators. It’s way more efficient than cold outreach.
The micro-influencer approach is usually smart for new brands because they’re more willing to test partnerships with unknown brands. But you need to approach it differently than cold pitching. When you reach out, you’re basically saying: “We’re new to your market, but here’s why we think your audience might genuinely like what we’re building.” That’s a conversation starter, not a product pitch.
I know some people in our community who’ve successfully navigated this. Would you be open to connecting with them?
The micro-influencer route isn’t luck—there’s actually a pattern there. Micro-influencers have smaller, more engaged audiences, and they’re more likely to actually believe in a product before promoting it. That matters.
Here’s how I’d approach it systematically: Start by identifying 5-10 micro-influencers who are already talking about your product category, have US audiences in your demographic, and genuinely seem to connect with that content (not just gaming engagement metrics).
Then come at them with specifics. Don’t say “we want to work with you.” Say: “I noticed you reviewed [competitor], and we’re different because of X, Y, Z. Your audience seems to care about [specific pain point], and here’s how we’re solving that. Would you be interested in trying us?”
Most won’t respond. Some will ask for a free product to test. That’s your entry point.
Track everything: whose audiences actually engaged, what content performed, what messaging resonated. After 5-10 of these micro-partnerships, you’ll have data about what works in the US market. Then you can scale systematically.
Also, measure differently than you do in Russia. US audiences are different, conversion patterns are different. Don’t expect Russian metrics to translate directly.
I’m basically where you were two years ago. Here’s what I wish I’d known: the influencer play is only one piece of the US market entry puzzle. We started by treating it as an acquisition channel when we should have been treating it as a research channel first.
What actually helped us: sending products to a handful of US creators and micro-influencers with zero expectation of immediate posts. Just: “Try this. Tell us what you think. If you like it, we’d love to work with you.” About 30% of them ended up doing things with us later because they actually believed in the product.
The other thing: US audiences need proof that you’re actually a real company, not some random international drop-shipper. Our Russian background was actually helpful once we framed it right. “We’ve been growing in Russia for X years, now we’re bringing this to the US because…” People respect heritage when it’s presented authentically.
Proceeding cautiously on budget is smart. We burned money early trying to do too much at once. Now we’re methodical about it.
What’s your product, if you don’t mind sharing? That context matters for the influencer strategy.
Stop thinking about influencer marketing as your primary acquisition strategy. That’s your mistake thinking, and it’s common for founders new to the US market.
Influencer marketing only works if you already have: (1) a proven product-market fit in your target demographic, (2) a clear value proposition that differentiates you from competitors, and (3) a realistic understanding of US customer acquisition costs.
Before you spend money on influencers, answer these questions:
- Who is your actual target customer in the US? (Not just demographic, but psychographic.)
- What are they currently using instead of your product?
- Why would they switch? (And be specific. “Better quality” isn’t an answer.)
- What does your customer acquisition cost need to be to make unit economics work?
Influencer marketing works best when it solves for awareness + trust simultaneously. But if your positioning isn’t clear, influencers can’t help you.
Start with 2-3 strategic partnerships—not a spray-and-pray approach. Pick creators whose audiences genuinely match your target customer. Work with them on authenticity (let them create in their voice, not your approved copy). Track metrics obsessively.
After 3-4 months of data, you’ll understand if influencer marketing is actually the right channel for you or if you should be investing in other acquisition channels.
The micro vs. macro question: start with micro, but not because they’re “cheaper.” Start with micro because if something is broken about your product or positioning, micro-influencers will tell you faster.
Okay, full transparency: if you hire an agency right now, you’re probably wasting money. You don’t have enough data for an agency to work with effectively, and most agencies will just execute tactics without helping you figure out the larger strategy.
What you need first is a strategic advisor—someone who’s done Russia-to-US expansions before. After you’ve learned from a few small partnerships and gathered data, then an agency makes sense.
Here’s a realistic first move: Pick one micro-influencer creatively. Not through cold outreach, but through network. Find someone (or let me help find someone) who knows a high-quality micro-influencer in your space. Approach them differently: “We’re a new Russian brand in the US market. We’re not sure if your audience wants what we’re building, but we think they might. We’d love to send you our product, no strings attached.”
Maybe that turns into a partnership, maybe not. Either way, you learn something about US market expectations.
After 2-3 of those conversations, you’ll have a much clearer idea of what makes sense as a second move.
The fact that you’re thinking about this strategically instead of just throwing money at influencers puts you ahead of most founders I talk to.
Honestly? Most creators can tell immediately if a brand is authentic or just trying to extract value. When you reach out, be honest that you’re new to the market and learning. Creators actually respect that way more than fake confidence.
Also, understand that US creators have different expectations around exclusivity, usage rights, and timeline. Russian partnerships might be “post it once.” US creators often want longer usage windows, might want to keep the post up indefinitely, and have different opinions about when it’s inappropriate to promote something alongside competitor content.
Send your first few partnerships as gifts + small payments, not expecting huge posts. Let creators actually use the product, love it (ideally), and then decide how to promote it. Content is way more authentic that way anyway.
One more thing: don’t ask creators to adapt their voice for your brand. The best influencer marketing is when creators genuinely like you and talk about you in their authentic voice. If you’re trying to control the message, it shows, and their audience can tell.