Paid social strategy: key considerations for the US market

Scaling your paid social strategy into a new market is never simple and the US is a different challenge altogether. Despite costs (CPMs) being higher, there’s so much potential for growth in advertising to users in the US. US consumer spending has remained resilient despite macro pressures like inflation and the pandemic. In fact, US consumer spending and disposable personal income have continued to increase consumer spending and disposable personal income increased in Q1 2023 compared to Q4 2022, even after peak season. The opportunity is clear: if you can reach the right users with the right strategy, you unlock scale and efficiency at the same time. At Journey Further, we’ve found success in the US market for our clients by understanding what actually moves the needle and continuously testing, learning and optimising paid social performance.

So, what should your paid social strategy account for when entering the US?

Location matters 

The US population is significantly larger than the UK. Rather than targeting the entire country from day one, a smarter strategy starts smaller:

• Focus on states that already drive the most revenue
• Prioritise top-performing regions
• Exclude low-performing states to protect efficiency

Seasonality also varies hugely. Weather, lifestyle and demand in New York versus California can be worlds apart. Tailoring creative and messaging by region can significantly improve conversion rates.

Audience scale comes at a cost 

The larger the audience, the bigger the budget required to make your paid social strategy work. To exit Meta’s learning phase, you need 50 conversion events in seven days, meaning your starting budget should be roughly 50x your target CPA. Monitor performance early to understand what level of spend is required to scale sustainably. Unlike the UK, household income targeting is still available in the US. For premium or luxury brands, this can be a powerful lever to reach higher-intent audiences. To strengthen performance further:

• Use high-value customer lists to build Lookalike audiences
• Test broader targeting (geo or similarity-based) to unlock scale once efficiency is proven

Cultural factors

A strong paid social strategy adapts to cultural detail. Yes, spelling differences matter, but only if your website is localised. More importantly, 13% of the population are Spanish speakers. We’ve seen success using Dynamic Language ads to deliver Spanish creative, provided the on-site experience matches. Other cultural factors to factor in:

• You may see fluctuations in performance due to the payday frequencies which are every 2 weeks rather than monthly for the majority of the UK.
• It’s worth keeping tabs on the different bank holidays in the US, as this can impact conversion rates. For example, test ads aligning with Labor Day or Independence Day sales.

Remove friction at point of purchase 

If your brand has low awareness in the US, jumping straight into conversion campaigns can limit results. A more effective strategy often includes upper-funnel brand activity, either before or alongside direct response, to build trust and seed future conversions. Other key barriers to address head-on:

• Shipping costs, taxes and duties: be transparent in ad copy
• Delivery timeframes: slow international shipping can kill conversion rates
• Returns: free and easy returns are a major trust signal for US consumers

And don’t forget competition. The US is crowded with strong local brands. If you have a compelling USP (British heritage, superior quality, ethical production) lead with it boldly. Give users a reason to choose you.

Winning in the US requires a smarter paid social strategy

There’s no one-size-fits-all for the US. Success comes from testing, learning and adapting. Meta’s cross-border business guide offers useful context, but real performance is built through experimentation and insight-led optimisation. If you’re ready to scale your paid social strategy in the US, and want to do it profitably, Journey Further can help. Get in touch with our team and let’s unlock your next stage of growth.