Planning to expand your business in the US market? Don't forget the key to success (especially on this continent). Content marketing is a huge opportunity in the US for brands to stand out and convince customers.
But remember: to have a successful presence in the U.S., it's not enough to translate content - you need to understand the local characteristics and needs of your audience.
The U.S. is a diverse market with different habits, communication styles and cultural values that have a direct impact on the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. In this article, I'll share five key lessons that can help your company better tailor your content efforts to an American audience.
Welcome to America. How do you find your way here?
Creating an effective content marketing strategy for the U.S. market is quite a challenge - especially in terms of competitiveness. Let's start with hard data.
The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world. It has an area of 9,826,630 square kilometers, and its population exceeded 331 million people in 2024. According to statistics, there are 33.3 million businesses in America in 2024 , of which as many as 99.9% (or 31.7 million) are small businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
In addition, we can count 20,000 large corporations with more than 500 employees and as many as one million startups, which employ a total of 5 million people, accounting for as much as 4% of all private sector employment. Not to forget the millions of companies from all over the world that also want to share in this business pie, with greater or lesser successes trying to make their presence felt in the local market.
The US market is extremely diverse in terms of industries. In 2024, U.S. companies operate in many sectors, such as technology, health and retail. As we read in statistics for the current year, as much as 70% of the Gross Domestic Product in the United States of America is services.
One glance at these figures is enough to imagine how intensively marketing departments in individual companies must work to not even so much as overtake, but at least catch up with, the competition. There is a relentless marketing "arms race" in business.
Content is a King, or content marketing in the US market
In the competitive context of the American market, especially for smaller companies, it takes hard work to attract the interest of your audience. Not surprisingly, in such a crowded and dynamic market, content marketing really is king, as one of the most famous Americans, Bill Gates, said in 1996. It is content that is becoming a key tool for building customer relationships and differentiating a brand.
Consumers, accustomed to the large amount of information available, expect content that is valuable and precisely tailored to their preferences. Americans don't have time to search for what might suit them - and no wonder, after all, such is the availability of companies they face in the market that they can pick and choose from proposals at will.
Content marketing must be strategically planned to attract attention and build trust. This is why there is a strong emphasis on authenticity and personalization of content in the US - a direct yet engaging tone of communication is essential.
Diversity is also becoming increasingly important: content marketing in America makes masterful use of multimedia, including, for example, video marketing and AI solutions. It's worth mentioning in passing that as many as 70% of companies in the United States of America conduct their business online!
What should you know when creating content plans for the U.S. market? 5 valuable lessons learned
Home to millions of small and large businesses, the United States offers a wide range of opportunities, but at the same time poses many challenges for marketers. As you already know, the most important thing is to find your way through this "chaos": to understand the preferences of American consumers, who value qualities such as immediacy, authenticity and personalization, and love to be surprised.
To help you with this, I've decided to put together five key takeaways that will help you effectively plan and - most importantly - execute your content marketing strategy in the US market.
1. content marketing really is king. And a marketer!
In 2024, content marketing remains a key component of any marketing strategy. With it, companies can not only build brand recognition, but also generate three times more leads than traditional outbound marketing, while also reducing costs by up to 62%. The modern consumer avoids intrusive advertising, preferring valuable content that provides knowledge and solves problems.
The example of BRITA, a company that produces water filters, shows how effective the integration of influencer marketing with educational content can be - activities on the company's TikTok generated more than 44 million impressions, which translated into a significant increase in sales.
In the U.S., consumers make purchasing decisions only after reading content about a product- this makes it so that well-planned content can become not only king, but also... a seller.
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This is how it works in the US. Do you want to make a name for yourself there?
Stop thinking of a content strategy as having to come up with a few blog posts. Content can include anything: your Instagram posts, YouTube videos, notes included on product packaging, copywriting in ads, informational brochures and much, much more.
2: The bolder, the better. You need to stand out
The U.S. market is a fiercely competitive one, so standing out in the crowd requires courage and creativity. Companies that take risks and go beyond standard schemes gain an advantage. For example, Beardbrand, a brand that produces beard care products, has created interactive quizzes that match products to... the customer's personality. With this bold and innovative strategy, the company has generated more than 150,000 leads, while increasing backlinks and improving brand recognition.
Personalization and interactivity are more important today than ever in terms of capturing the attention of audiences and increasing their engagement with content and, in turn, their purchase.
3. tailor-made content marketing - this should be the goal of your efforts
Personalization of content is becoming indispensable in content marketing, especially in the diverse US market. According to research, customers prefer content that is tailored to their needs and behavior - brands that take this into account gain greater customer engagement and loyalty. A case in point is the US company The Ordinary, which answers customers' questions on TikTok and tailors product recommendations to their skin problems.
This kind of approach builds customer relationships and reinforces the brand's authority as an expert in the field.
One thing is certain: the product must be more than a tangible thing. It must be an experience. Isn't that inspiring?
4. remember diversity and inclusiveness
Diversity and inclusivity is not so much a trend as a requirement in the US market in 2024. Consumers expect brands to make their content inclusive of different social and cultural groups.
The example of Sephora or Nike, which integrate diversity into their marketing campaigns, shows how important it is for any brand to be seen as open and representing a broad spectrum of its audience. Including diverse perspectives in content builds trust and loyalty among customers, who feel the brand represents their values.
The U.S. market is so large (you can go back to the first paragraph here), so you have a wide range of options.
You can come up with dozens of different products that will still find a target for you, or... present one product in dozens of different ways, such as regarding other social groups. You are only limited by your cleverness and imagination!
5. more experience, less product
Contemporary content marketing in the U.S. places more emphasis on customer experience than direct product sales. Examples of successful companies focus on building relationships with customers by providing valuable, educational or inspirational content rather than pushy product ads.
Substack, a paid newsletter platform, is a perfect example - people pay for content that is unique and valuable, rather than traditional advertising. This kind of approach helps build long-term customer engagement and loyalty, which ultimately translates into increased sales.
This is an important tip not only for business owners who are expanding offline and tempting with authentic experiences served to their customers (such as brilliantly designed store displays and expositions or shopping that takes on the feel of a visit to an interactive museum).
This is also an important suggestion for brands developing online: remember the importance of UX, or User Experience (literally: user experience). Remember to:
- text not only WRITE, but also DESIGN;
- create interesting, interactive landing pages, such as seasonal or occasional;
- believe in the power of the message through pictures, tables, charts and even memes.
Time to take stock
It won't be long or surprising: cleverly applying content marketing to the American market is a challenge that can pay huge dividends, if well planned and executed, of course. The whole secret is to understand the peculiarities of the American consumer, who values immediacy, authenticity, personalization and variety.
Applying the five lessons I've described will allow you to build a stronger relationship with your audience and effectively reach a broad market in the US.
If you dream of expanding into the U.S. market, start with a well-planned content marketing strategy that takes into account local nuances and customer expectations. Need help with this? We'll be happy to help you with it.