When creating a content marketing strategy for social media you don’t run into many difficulties, but the strategy becomes difficult when it comes to targeting an international audience. One has to make several changes because a multilingual audience is targeted with a different approach. Content localization and translation can be good options to start with. However, tools like Google translate are not an ideal choice for your multilingual approach.
Today, social media is used as an ideal platform for creating connections with the targeted audience. However, when it comes to the multilingual audience, one has to go towards localization and professional translation.
Below marketing experts from JatApp will give you a better understanding of how to localize your social media content for a multilingual audience.
What is social media localization?
The term “social media localization” refers to the community pages that are created for targeting a specified portion of our international audience. Now, there are two options for dealing with the international audience. Since we are now targeting people with different languages in the same target market, we have to either translate the content or create it from scratch.
The second option of creating the content from scratch increases the expenses besides taking more time and effort. This is the reason why companies always opt for translating the content. No matter which option you choose, you need to keep in mind that the information should be relevant and easier to understand.
According to EraBright, localization is used by some of the top-notch entities of the world for targeting their multilingual audience. Now, social media has countless posts, and getting a high ranking is a daunting task. However, the secret to a higher ranking lies in quality content, and in this context, the secret lies in multilingual content.
A bit more about localization
A multilingual campaign on social media focuses on providing a personalized experience to its audience. Rather than simply translating the content, the marketer aims at providing the best experience to its users. Localization focuses on the cultural elements as well as the linguistic standards of a region. Also, this global strategy is never implemented by a single person. It is always a team effort in which a lot of research is required and different roles are assigned to different persons.
Bad localization can adversely affect the brand. This means that if the content is not targeted properly and translations are not appropriate, it will affect the brand identity and brand recognition on an international scale.
Expert marketers always advise not to cut down costs in terms of localization and always go for the right person to do the task.
Professional agencies for translation and localization
Going for professional services is always recommended. Several agencies provide professional translation and localization services. These companies have years of experience in this work and they can provide you with various options. In the translation service, they offer options like niche translation, website translation, marketing translation, document translation, and so on. Since translation and localization have a direct relation, many professional translation companies also offer localization services. They offer website localization, app localization, and market localization.
Professional translators are of the view that business translations are not just about the accuracy of linguistics, it is much more than that. The context is of high importance and the message has to be conveyed in a manner that the target market is influenced by it. This is the reason why the top-notch brands of the world opt for professional translation agencies rather than translating the messages for their multilingual audience themselves.
These professional agencies that provide translation services make up their team by hiring the natives of different languages at a single platform. For instance, if a company wants to market its social media content to a Japanese audience, it requires a Japanese translator and if it wants to target a Chinese audience, it will need a Chinese translator.
Some small businesses resist professional translator services because of the additional cost. However, if the business is well-established and has a good reputation in the international market, it should not go for free translating software. This free software is not very accurate and the quality of the service may be compromised. If a brand wants to maintain its reputation, it should go for a professional translator because global strategies require good investment, time, and effort.
Even if you are opting for a professional service and paying a good amount for it, make sure that the translator is native. A bilingual or multilingual translator is not ideal for business communication.
Things to remember when localizing your content:
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Knowing your core message
Since localizing involves dealing with various types of rules and requirements for each country, make sure you do not lose track of what your brand’s core message is. Take the example of McDonald’s – they may alter their menus according to the regions they’re running their outlets in, but their “happy” meals are a part of their brand image. Likewise, carpet cleaners Chislehurst may want to localize their content, but their brand’s core message should remain intact in the process.
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Social norms
Knowing the social norms of the audience also helps in localizing your content. For instance, some regions may respond to a selected geographical background that others do not. Besides this, social norms can also be reflected in the content indirectly.
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Language nuances
Literal translations are not always required because different nations have different ways of expressing the same emotion. This is particularly important when translating phrases, idioms, and slang. For this reason, natives are required for translation work. The way people speak a particular language is also important to note for developing a relationship through your content.
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Appropriate writing style
The writing styles and systems of different languages greatly vary from one another. Latin alphabets are the same in the European and English languages. However, some countries like South Korea, Japan, China, and Arab countries have their own system of writing. Different systems have different characters and other features that can change the layout of the content. Thus, a native translator and a localization expert can help in crafting an ideal piece of content for you.
In short, localization is of immense importance and one should be very cautious when localizing the content as it directly affects the brand’s image.
