What is a go-to-market strategy?
A go-to-market strategy answers five questions. Who are we selling to? Why would this customer choose this offer over another? At what price? Through which channels can we reach them? In what order should we act? The GTM aligns product, marketing, and sales around a single plan.
Go-to-market, marketing plan, or soft landing?
The marketing plan describes acquisition activities. The GTM is broader: it also defines the target, the price, and the sales model. The soft landingon the other hand, organizes the physical setup in a country. For international expansion, you need all three, in this order: first the GTM, then the setup, then the activities.
What is the role of public relations in a go-to-market strategy?
Public relations build the awareness and trust that facilitate sales, especially in B2B. A buyer who has read an article about a startup in an industry publication takes it more seriously during the first sales meeting. PR doesn't replace sales; it shortens the path to them.
Timing is everything. In an international GTM, local press outreach must be prepared before arrival. At Linker, we allow for about three months per market before the first results appear. Announcing an expansion without this groundwork rarely leads to an article.
Why a GTM per country?
Because every market has its own competitors, benchmarks, and media. A positioning that works in France might be commonplace in the United States or incomprehensible in Germany. The press narrative follows the same logic: it must be rewritten for the transcreationlocal context, using examples and figures from that country. For a foreign company targeting France, it’s the opposite: the French press expects a narrative in French, rooted in the French market.
Learn more
Public relations are organized within a PR plan aligned with the GTM. For international expansion: public relations and expansion in Europe. To integrate the press into your launch: our public relations support.
Last updated: October 2026
