How to advertise internationally: a step-by-step plan

Going international works best one market at a time, with separate budgets and measurement for each.

1. Pick markets from evidence

Start where you already see interest: website visits, inquiries or sales from other countries in your analytics. Then check that you can deliver there: shipping, payments, support hours and any licenses.

2. Separate campaigns by country or language

A separate campaign per country or language lets you set budgets, bids, ad text and schedules that fit each market, and makes results easy to read.

3. Set location and language targeting deliberately

Platforms let you target by location and by the language people use. Decide whether you want people located in a country or people interested in it, and check the setting rather than accepting the default.

4. Localize, do not just translate

Use local spelling, currency, measurements, phone numbers and examples. See the localization guide on this site.

5. Budget for learning

Each market needs enough budget to produce meaningful data. The budget splitter shows when you are spreading money too thinly.

6. Track by country

Make sure conversions are recorded for each market, with currency handled correctly. Compare cost per lead or sale by country, not just clicks.

7. Respect local rules

Privacy, consumer protection and advertising rules differ by country, and platforms apply country-specific policies. Check before you launch, especially in regulated categories.

8. Scale what works

Keep the markets that produce customers at a sensible cost, pause the rest and add new ones gradually.