Promote Your Business Internationally (1 of 4) - Recognizing the Opportunity

For many U.S.-based companies, international commerce is at an all-time high. According to a WorldCity analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, year-to-date exports are up nearly 14 percent to $676 billion through August 2006. The top 12 export categories all topped $10 billion, up from eight through August in 2005. The above figures don't even account for various services and client solutions sold by U.S. firms internationally that most likely would drive the figures even higher.

And while many of these companies are operationally equipped to sell to other geographies, their online marketing strategies often are solely focused domestically. Yet, there is low-hanging fruit to be had. Search marketing offers a quick-to-market opportunity to further penetrate these markets. Here is a look at how a small, international search marketing campaign generated in just two months more than $2 million in revenue potential.

One of our clients is a global business-to-business provider of enterprise-level IT products and services. For years Prominent Placement has managed their search marketing efforts in the U.S. -- gaining visibility among major search engines like Google and Yahoo, ultimately driving increased traffic to the client's website and generating qualified leads. We wanted to explore doing the same in Latin America. The test campaign ran for two months and required a very minimal investment from the client.

Over the next three days, we'll take you through the challenges you'll need to consider when attempting to reach non-U.S. customers. Tomorrow we'll cover developing your international campaign.