US-Bulgaria Chamber in America Promotes Trade & Investment Opportunities

By guest blogger Eliz Nestorov, President,US-Bulgaria Chamber in America 

The recently founded U.S.-Bulgarian Chamber in America (USBGC) is a nonprofit organization that focuses on increasing bilateral trade and investment opportunities between Bulgaria and the United States. The organization encourages all types of investments in Bulgaria, while trying to promote a positive image of Bulgaria and Bulgarians in the United States and abroad. The USBGC will at the local level, effectively represent the interests of a rapid growing number of Bulgarians residing the Capital area.

“Our goal is to collaborate and be a bridge for US companies with interests and business in Bulgaria, Bulgarian companies present on the American market, and individuals having stake in economic relations between the two countries” said Eliz Nestorov, President & Co-Founder of the Chamber. She also added that “The number one reason people join chambers of commerce is to get business and to do business and we provide the necessary tools to make that happen”.

The USBGC provides business referrals, connection and support for export and import activities for US and Bulgarian businesses as well as special rates for market research, advisory and legal services. Members have priority access to meet visiting delegates, including sector-specific business delegates, and market their products and services through the Chamber’s website and events.

There are many investment and trade opportunities in Bulgaria, most importantly the country is a gateway for U.S. business to 750 million consumers. Advantages include: - lowest cost of doing business in Europe
- lowest corporate income tax, a flat 10%
- multilingual engineering savvy workforce
- highly developed tech industry
- close proximity to MENA Region
- eligible for $120 bn. in EU R&D grants
- excess in electricity production

For more information contact us at info@usbgchamber.org or visit www.usbgchamber.org.

Automated Lead Nurturing Abroad: 3 Key Elements You Have to Get Right

By Guest Blogger Gary Peterson, Wavelength Marketing

Automated lead nurturing is a form of marketing that uses a variety of communication tools to attract prospects with high-value content and then capture and nurture leads over a period of time. While automated lead nurturing abroad is often comprised of many or all of the same elements you would use here in the U.S., it also requires special consideration when selecting communication tools and packaging marketing messages in order for it to be successful.  When planning an automated lead nurturing strategy for a market outside of the U.S., here are three key elements you have to get right.

1. The Tools
The key to all successful marketing is knowing your audience—who they are, what they need, how they do business, and how to reach them. Never assume your foreign audience uses all of the same communication tools you do or conducts business in the same way. You may find that the foreign market you’re entering relies less on the web and more on face to face interactions, or uses mobile more than desktop, or prefers printed literature to digital downloads. Identifying your prospects’ preferred communication channels will help you build a successful foundation for your automated lead nurturing strategy.

2. The Message
Your sales people are used to addressing a certain set of pain points with your customers and prospects here at home, but those pain points don’t always carry over to foreign markets. Foreign rules and regulations, local market conditions, and divergent ways of doing business can create a different set of demands on your prospects. To understand those demands, and more importantly meet them, you need to do your homework to properly position your products or services as the right solution.

3. The Timing
Timing covers a lot of territory. It may mean a time of year for seasonal businesses. It may refer to a buying cycle or when new fiscal budgets are approved. It may also mean what time of day you communicate with your prospects. When in the year, in the business cycle, or in the day your message reaches your marketplace is a defining factor in whether or not your message is heard, so make sure you take the time to understand local business cycles.  Entering a foreign market is no small task, but it is often a necessary step for small to mid-sized businesses that want to remain competitive and grow. If you don’t have the internal resources to manage all of the work that goes into foreign sales and marketing, look for consultants and services in your area to assist. Also, consider supplementing your sales and marketing team with automated lead nurturing to relieve you of having to hire additional personnel to manage lead gen abroad.

Reach out to Wavelength Marketing today for help with your automated lead nurturing efforts abroad. You can visit our website or call Gary Peterson at: 717-823-6939.