Social media growth strategies for global scaleups

So, your business has entered the scale-up phase. Growth is rapid, investor expectations are high and your social media strategy needs to deliver results fast. The challenge? Proving ROI while building brand consistency across new markets.

In this article, we’ll explore practical social media growth strategies tailored for scaleups, from growth hacking tactics and smart budget allocation to localization tips, data-driven decision-making and a real case study of how Too Good To Go scaled globally.

Why global scaleups need innovative social media growth strategies

Social media is often one of the first frontiers to conquer when entering a new market. For scaleups, the challenge is ensuring results keep pace with rapid business growth and high investor expectations.

Financiers invest heavily in high-potential ventures and want to see returns quickly. That puts pressure on leadership teams to deliver measurable ROI while keeping their brand strong and consistent. To succeed, they need:

Deep insight into the target audience
A clearly defined USP
Reliable data for well-timed decisions

At the same time, growth strains resources and can weaken the very qualities that made the brand successful in the first place. For global marketers, the task is helping scaleups expand quickly without losing their edge.

Key challenges include:

Maintaining brand consistency and authenticity
Adapting to diverse cultural preferences
Demonstrating measurable ROI
Competing with established local players
Building trust in new markets

Addressing these challenges is the first step to turning social media into a true driver of global expansion.

Success story: Too Good To Go’s move from startup to global scaleup

A clear example of these challenges, and how to overcome them, comes from our work with Too Good To Go, the world’s largest surplus food marketplace. As the company transitioned from startup to scaleup, it needed to quickly expand into multiple European markets while keeping its brand voice consistent and authentic.

Launched in 2015, the world’s largest surplus food marketplace officially achieved scale-up status when its user base exploded to over 100 million registered users in 19 countries across the EU and North America. The company also grew its partner list and now works actively with 175,000 businesses worldwide.

Through our collaboration, Too Good to Go asked us to take over:

Facebook and Instagram community management in several key Benelux and Nordic markets, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
As-needed content localization for all 17 (at the time) markets, including social media, content, landing pages and user guides.

Our approach for the project involved onboarding local community managers in all five countries. These native linguists were responsible for posting localized content developed in-house, cultivating each audience and maintaining engagement. We also created a general style guide to ensure content consistency across the brand.

Since its inception, the project has had many wins and helped Too Good To Go position itself as a responsible, responsive brand that cares about the planet and its audience, too. We learned many lessons along the way; here are some standouts:

Leverage UGC to keep it real: Too Good To Go uses a ton of user-generated content to connect with users naturally, making the whole experience feel more relatable.
Mix global assets with local flexibility: At Too Good To Go, the global social team creates assets that any of the 19 markets can use, but each local team decides what will actually resonate with their audience. On top of that, the highly localized content never feels copy-pasted.
Partner with multiple smaller influencers: Work with several smaller influencers instead of just one big one. That way, you’ll tap into different audiences and save on costs while still keeping it personal and authentic.

VeraContent’s extensive experience as a global social media agency means scaleups gain direct access to insightful, expert tips like this when breaking into new markets.

See below an example of UGC created for their Netherlands Instagram profile:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Too Good To Go 🇳🇱 (@toogoodtogo.nl)

Read more about our collaboration with Too Good To Go.

Global social media growth hacking strategies

Growth hacking is an innovative approach that uses experimentation, creative marketing tactics and data to rapidly and cost-effectively grow businesses.

At its core, the aim is to fast-track user acquisition, drive engagement and boost retention, all while increasing revenue and market share.

How does it work?

The whole concept of “growth hacking” is based on several guiding principles.

Experimentation: Quickly identify what works and what doesn’t
Rapid iteration: Quickly pivot and improve products, strategies or campaigns for better results
Data-driven decision-making: Refine strategy based on real numbers and analytical insights
User-centric approach: Identify and prioritize each audience’s unique needs
Social proof: Scale credibility and make the audience a willing partner in your growth
Innovation and collaboration: Leverage technology and talent from different disciplines to optimize content
Validate your influence: Become an authority in your niche and shape the conversation
Lean approach: Maximize efficiency and resource use for the most impactful results

When combined, these principles become social media strategies that successfully encourage organic growth.

Actionable social media strategies for business growth

Many of today’s biggest brands began as startups, but they used innovative strategies to scale up their user base and reach. For example, LinkedIn offered early users various incentives to import their email list or invite colleagues to join the platform for free. Similarly, Dropbox dangled the carrot of additional online storage space to boost referrals.

The point is, growth hacking strategies don’t have to be complicated. Here are some easy options you can add to your marketing plan today:

Strategy 1: Content localization

Creating authoritative, high-quality content is the fastest way to establish your company as an industry leader.

When you’re talking about content for different markets, it should not only be relevant within your industry or area of expertise, but also localized to audiences in a specific market, from language to culturally relevant messaging.

Strategy 2: Invest in paid and organic search

Once you’ve created high-quality content, amplify it with a balanced mix of paid and organic strategies. Paid ads and sponsored posts are ideal for generating quick traction, building awareness and testing new markets.

At the same time, organic tactics, like optimizing captions and hashtags, encouraging shares, using user-generated content and maintaining consistent posting, help build long-term engagement and community trust.

Together, paid and organic efforts ensure your social media presence delivers both immediate impact and sustained growth.

Strategy 3: Viral marketing

Want to appeal to modern demographics that make buying decisions based on “clout” and “vibes?” Viral marketing is the way to go. It flips the traditional marketing funnel on its head, turning the linear path into a cyclical process that’s not just about getting new customers, but making them passionate advocates for your brand.

Create shareable content, develop your own referral program and incentivize word-of-mouth to build credibility and trust.

“Leverage user-generated content (UGC) to keep it real. It makes the whole experience feel more real and relatable, rather than just another branded ad.”

–Fernando Wierna, Project Manager at VeraContent

See more: How to localize an “unhinged content” approach?

Strategy 4: Omnichannel marketing

Different markets have different preferences, even in terms of social media platforms. In Turkey, for example, Instagram and Facebook are leagues more popular than TikTok or Snapchat.

This proves that using multiple channels is critical to increase your chances of reaching your target audience, including social media, email marketing, content marketing and SEO.

Strategy 5: A/B testing

This is a real game-changer for growing scaleups. By testing two versions of a creative, ad or strategy, you’re able to see the results in real time. This means you can change course quickly, saving time and money.

Strategy 6: Automation

Embrace technology to streamline processes and ensure your scaling strategies run effectively. For example, using AI could help you optimize targeting and personalization, while automation tools can simplify repetitive tasks, increasing productivity and efficiency.

Strategic spending to maximize ROI

Two women working on a content calendar on a whiteboard with sticky notes

Once the general framework is in place, it’s time to ask an important question: How will you ensure your social media ad spend yields the highest ROI?

The only way to make the investment count is by spending strategically, and it all starts with a budget. Consider these tips when creating yours:

Align paid ad campaign goals with the scaleup’s growth objectives. Focus on goals that target brand awareness, lead generation or customer engagement.
Track the most effective KPIs for your budget and goals. To determine ROI, focus on key metrics such as impressions, reach, engagement rate, click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate.
Understand the current average costs and industry trends. Most advertisers allocate 17% of their total marketing budget to social media, and this percentage is expected to continue rising over the next five years.
Pick the right kind of format. For example, carousel ads bring in 72% higher CTR, while short-form video generates the best ROI for 21% of marketers. Meanwhile, influencer marketing, user-generated content and free resources, like ebooks and whitepapers, are top picks for B2B marketers.
Split your budget along various campaign elements, such as content creation or software tools, and factor in costs for continuous monitoring and adjustment to optimize performance.

See more: How a transcreation company can boost your marketing ROI

Still unsure? Here’s a simple budget allocation outline you can follow that takes into account the unique goals of scaleups:

Goal	For organic content	For paid content
Brand awareness	60–70%(Organic posts)	30–40%(Boosted posts)
Lead generation	70–80%(Lead nurturing content)	20–30%(Paid ads)
Conversion	50–60%(Testimonials, UGC)	40–50%(Retargeting ads)

Tailoring social media strategies for new markets

Expanding into new markets starts with two steps: understanding local needs and adapting your approach. Market research helps define your audience, cultural context, competitive landscape and content plan.

Here are key areas to focus on when entering new markets:

Target audience

Focus your research on understanding local demographics, cultural norms and buyer behavior on social media in each new region.

For example, in mobile-first markets, where smartphones are more prevalent than desktop computers or laptops, platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram are more popular for communication, even among vendors.

Social media platforms

Choosing the right social media platform is crucial to the success of your strategy. Why does this matter?

Platform popularity varies widely by market. For example, TikTok leads short-form video consumption across Europe, while WhatsApp is a dominant communication tool in many regions of Africa and the Middle East. Gaining insight into where your target audience is most active online will guide your choice.

Content formats

Audience preferences, local culture and the latest online trends are practical pointers for what works and what doesn’t in a specific market.

For example, short-form video is booming on TikTok and Instagram Reels in Southeast Asia, while YouTube Shorts continues to grow in the Asia-Pacific thanks to the popularity of K-Dramas. In Europe, Instagram Stories and Reels are especially strong among younger audiences, while LinkedIn articles and video posts perform well in B2B sectors.

Influencer marketing

Collaborate with local influencers who resonate with your target audience from the start. This approach will help you establish a solid foundation of trust and engagement in any market. Whether they’re big or small, pick influencers who are authentic, locally relevant, create genuine engagement and align with your brand values.

Localized ads

Tailoring ads starts by clearly defining your marketing goals for each new market. Then, localize content by adapting everything from the language to tone and visuals. Working with native experts offers a huge advantage and an authenticity that’s hard to beat.

Also, leverage the geo-targeting features available on your chosen social media platforms to match with ideal buyers.

Audience engagement

If your content is well localized, you’ve won half the battle for audience engagement. After all, people are more likely to be interested in posts that are authentic, culturally relevant and respectful of local norms.

Also, use platform-specific tools to create more targeted ads, and keep an eye on the latest trends to refine your approach.

This strategic process usually happens before market entry, so tracking key metrics from day one and staying flexible ensures you can adapt your social media strategy on the go.

It’s time to boost your global reach. Download our free guide to multilingual social media account management and start refining your growth strategy for new markets.

Using data and analytics for social media growth

We can’t understate just how critical accurate data is to crafting an effective market entry strategy for social media. According to McKinsey, companies that invest in marketing and developing robust data and analytics capabilities experience 30% more revenue growth. And when you’re talking about scaleups, that’s well above the recommended sweet spot.

Data-backed decision-making works so well because it breaks down audience preferences, behavioral patterns and market trends. By using these insights, global marketers can tailor social media growth strategies for maximum impact and ROI. At the same time, it allows you to see exactly how to refine your content, targeting and segmentation to boost engagement and conversion.

Here are some practical ways you can use data and analytics to optimize brand success in new markets:

Performance tracking: Understand how content performs across platforms and markets
Trendspotting: Identify the topics, behaviors and content formats gaining traction online and get in on the action early
Social listening: Discover what people are saying about your brand and how they view your offering’s relevance, usefulness and pricing
Sentiment analysis: Gauge how audiences feel about your products or services through direct messages and comments
Competitive benchmarking: See how your target audience engages with other brands to make strategic adjustments

With these strategies, you’ll understand your community’s overall mood, perceptions and top-of-mind needs, while responding quickly to encourage positive experiences with the brand.

Scaling social media in line with your growth

For scaleups, the pressure to grow fast while satisfying investors and breaking into new markets can feel overwhelming. The good news is, with the right mix of growth hacking tactics, smart spending, localized content and data-driven insights, social media can fuel that growth instead of slowing it down.

Focus on consistency, cultural relevance and measurable ROI, and you’ll be set to scale globally with confidence.

Want to boost your success with engaging, impactful localized content and powerful social media growth strategies? Get in touch with our team today and find out if you qualify for a Free Content Consultation.