Five tips for building an e-commerce success story in Finland

March 22, 2024

Finland has unlocked potential for e-commerce businesses. Cater to the right audience, localize your touchpoints, and establish a strong brand to secure your position in the market.

After the upsurge of e-commerce in pandemic times and the steep drop brought by war in Europe, we are back to steady growth of online shopping. The general uncertainty and rapid changes, however, make it hard to see which actions work long-term. Petri Vatanen, Head of e-Commerce gathered, five fool-proof tips to get you started with your e-commerce business in Finland.

1. Hone your message and offering for your audience

There’s no such thing as too much research on your target audience. Translating your message and simply going for it may work, but you’ll be more likely to succeed if you get to know your audience, their wants and needs, which media they spend time with, and what kind of products and messaging they value. Entering a new market is expensive, and comprehensive insight is invaluable.

Finns are seasoned online shoppers. Still, there is unlocked potential especially in the demographics that are not yet used to buying online, such as the older generations. If that is where your target is, tailoring your marketing and customer experience for their needs could give you great results.

2. Create an effortless, localized, and reliable customer experience

Effortless buying is what matters most to Finnish online shoppers, so a seamless customer experience is key. Another vital point is safety and an air of reliability. Finns like to buy from domestic online stores, and less people look beyond our borders. As an international company, evoking trust through localized communications is essential.

For most demographics, the Finnish language is a must. This means translating and localizing your shop, product descriptions, and marketing, but also providing customer service in Finnish.

3. Offer smooth payment and delight with quick delivery

Online banking is the preferred payment method for a large number of Finns. Offering the option of online banking alongside other methods is an important part of tailoring the customer experience for Finnish audience.

While next day delivery is the norm in many places, the standards in Finland remain lower. You can still create an excellent customer experience by providing quick delivery. Having your stock in Finland both speeds things up and builds trust within your customers.

4. Invest in building your brand long-term

Having the muscle to invest in your brand and strategic marketing gives you upper hand when entering the Finnish market. Many of your competitors will emphasize tactical marketing, sometimes due to lack of resources. Putting effort in building your brand will give you a strong position in the market and definite competitive advantage.

5. Combine mass media and digital marketing to gain a wide reach

Many countries have seen a big drop in the consumption of linear TV and other mass media; in Finland, though, they maintain a strong reach. Keep your brand top of mind and drive traffic into your store with a combination of online and offline. Effective TV or radio advertising will put your message through to a large audience, but it needs to be paired with continuous digital marketing that will pull them into the store.

The advantage of Finland as a media environment is that there’s no need to scatter your marketing efforts to many different places. Working with a big media company such as Sanoma is a one-stop approach that gives you access to channels from TV and radio to newspapers and magazines. This leaves you a whole lot more time to focus on the all-important creative side.

Get to know the Finnish media user – download our guide to media usage in Finland

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Your roadmap to results – meet the Pillars of Effective Marketing

October 27, 2025

How do you ensure the effectiveness of your marketing and determine the right metrics to use? Sanoma’s 10+1 Pillars of Effective Marketing outline the key aspects to consider and double as a promise to our customers. This is marketing, the Sanoma way.

Players’ expectations of responsibility set the bar for gaming marketing in Finland

September 26, 2025

When choosing a gaming provider, the Finnish player prioritises reliability, security and brand familiarity. A new brand in the Finnish gaming market needs to earn their credibility through open communication and walking the talk.

It’s time to plan your gaming marketing in Finland - here’s what to do while the legislation takes shape

September 26, 2025

Many gaming operators hesitate to take steps while the reform of the Finnish gambling system is still underway and the restrictions to marketing remain open. Sanoma’s experts share three concrete actions you can do right now to get started and ensure visibility from the get-go.

Three steps to successful market entry in Finland

September 24, 2025

Marketing effectiveness relies on understanding your target audience and the market. This is especially true when making an entry with a new brand or concept. Sanoma’s experts share a simple and scalable method for building advertising success from the ground up when your plan is to enter the Finnish market. The three-step model for market entry helps you lay solid foundations for effective campaigns and content. When done right, the process becomes an iterative cycle that adapts to different needs. ”The idea is not to go through the steps and call it a day, but to begin with insight and strategy, create content for your chosen media, and finally measure and learn before starting again with a refined plan,” says Tiina Virtanen , Head of Insight and Marketing Solutions at Sanoma. Thorough groundwork brings results on campaign level. To recognise and demonstrate those results, you need clear, measurable objectives. ”If you base your strategy on a hunch or pick a goal that is too vague, such as simply entering the market and growing brand awareness, it’s hard to measure success and develop further. A clearly defined goal allows you to align your content production and prove the effectiveness of your advertising,” says Sanoma’s Director of Video Sales Anssi Heikka . Step 1: Fill knowledge gaps with research and insight Contrary to popular belief, Finland is not a miniature Sweden. The unique nuances of the Finnish media environment as well as the way Finns use media and relate to advertising make it worthwhile to put effort in research. “Start by taking a moment to consider your existing knowledge. Are there any blind spots that need addressing?” Virtanen suggests. Sanoma offers a multitude of ways to better find and learn about your audience: Eight media consumer segments based on Sanoma’s research help you scope out your potential audience and learn about their media use. Brand Tracking gives you a clear picture of how your marketing actions affect your image and brand awareness. The Audience Reporter reveals new approaches or previously overlooked potential by shedding light on the characteristics and interests of those who clicked on your advertising. Measuring the creative execution and effectiveness of your advertising across media helps you refine future campaigns. A tailored research project provides the answers to your most pressing questions regarding the market and your target audience. It offers useful data for launching a new product of brand, pre-testing marketing or getting to know a specific target group. “The benefit of working with Sanoma’s experts is that you have a professional by your side to interpret the data and translate it into suggestions for your next marketing actions,” Virtanen shares. Step 2: Invest time in strategy and create authentically local content The age-old challenge in marketing is finding the intersection of your favourite topics and what your audience wants to see. “There are no shortcuts to finding the advertising sweet spot. You need to first locate your audience, understand their interests and figure out the topics your brand should own. Time invested in creating a strategy is time well spent,” Anssi Heikka explains. When it comes to concepting advertising in Finland, authenticity and Finnish content are the way to go. Locally made content has proven time and time again to be more effective than that localised from international (or even Nordic) material. “I like to say that Finland is the European equivalent of Japan in that we have a distinct language and a culture formed in the intersection of east and west. Because of this, the Finnish consumer tends to quickly recognise if so-called local advertising is actually that,” Heikka says. Step 3: Boost your message with a cross-media approach By the time you have gone through steps 1 and 2, you will have a deep understanding of the market and your audience, a content strategy and a set of campaign materials ready to go. When you are ready to launch, make sure to pick more than one channel to advertise in. According to Sanoma’s research, every added channel results in an image lift of 13 per cent and an activation lift of 15 per cent on average. “Going cross-media is a way to make sure your target audience comes across your message throughout their day. This is ever more important as media use gets increasingly fragmented. When you have already invested in a campaign, it’s no use only choosing one channel,” Tiina Virtanen states. Having a single team to lead you through the entire process makes life simple and ensures a smooth flow of information. Sanoma’s 500+ professionals are there every step of the way from information gathering to content creation.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

By submitting your email you agree that we may send you promotional emails and information about our services. You can unsubscribe any time. Check out our Privacy Policy.