Don’t Just Translate

It is no secret that customers like to be spoken to in their own language. A lazy, and most likely popular way of communicating with audiences of different languages, is to run to a translating site or service and rely on that to do the work for you. You might have already heard that Google Translate, for example, is not always and completely accurate. This means that using it is not the best way to actually connect with your audience authentically and wholly. 

There is only one option that makes sense, and that is to have bilingual people on your team. The more languages spoken by people on the team, the more people the brand has the chance to reach and connect with on social media. Of course, it is probably the marketing team who will work on social media. Employees actually knowing the intricacies, complexities and nuances of the language will allow for them to actually relay accurate knowledge. This differs from the potentially incorrect words that a translating service will provide. 

You can specifically seek and hire bilingual people to work on social media. As an alternative, you can look at the team around you at the moment. If they are not already bilingual, that’s not a problem. Learning a new language is possible at any age, especially with the right language tutor. Learn&Co is home to some of the best, knowledgeable and most professional tutors who can take you to the level needed for connecting with customers from different languages.

Find Out Who Your Target Audience Is

You want to reach as many people as possible, from as many different countries as possible. But a sensible way to begin the journey of making your brand more accessible with social media is to focus on your current audience. It is likely that, as a company, you would have done your research to figure out who your target audience is. Look at the countries that have connected with your brand the most. For instance, by utilising your products and services the most, or by visiting your website the most. These are the countries that you should pay most attention to at the moment. What languages do citizens of these countries speak? These are the languages your team should focus on learning. These are the consumers that are most likely to be interested in what you have to say on social media. 

Connect With Your Target Audience

It’s not just about the languages they speak though. When you work out who your target audience is, you will also be working out other important facts about them. For example, age, gender, and things they enjoy doing. It is one thing to know who it is you are attempting to build a relationship with on social media, but it is a complete other thing to know how to build this relationship with them. You can reach and relate to different demographics in different ways, especially on social media. For example, people between the ages of 18 and 30 might be more privy to memes and TikToks. This is because such memes and TikToks are likely to contain relatable language that can somehow be used to speak to them. 

On the other hand, people in their 50s might prefer language that is relatable for them. The location they are in matters too, because people from different areas may not be exposed to the same things. Some languages may find contrasting things humorous. All of these things are worth thinking about carefully, so that you know exactly how to form that bond with your audience.

Think About Social Media Platforms

Yes, you may have your bilingual social media team all worked out. However, a very important decision that comes with knowing you will be using social media to connect with your audience, is deciding which social media platforms you should actually create a presence on. The importance of knowing your target audience is very clear within this article. It is the information that is necessary for you to decide which social media platforms to use. There are many, with some being extremely popular, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Snapchat, and so forth.

Of course, you could use them all if you really wanted to. But that may not be the best decision, and you may not have the time to create the best content for them all. So it would be a good idea to use no more than 4. This will give you the chance to really think about the content that you would like to post on each one, and you can ensure it is created as best it could be. To do this, you have to think about your target audience again. Which social media sites are these people most likely to frequent? Which social media sites are you likely to catch the attention of these people on? 

Create Multiple Accounts

With that said, you may find that your audience consists of many different types of people. As such, it is no use creating just one social media account on each site you choose to use. Have you ever seen the many different Twitter accounts KFC has just for this same brand in different countries? That’s because they figured the best way for their audience of these countries to get tailored information, is to separate the accounts the communication to them is stemming from.

Something to advise is that the most important thing to do is research each country you are attempting to reach. Find out whether there is any reason some social media platforms may not be permitted in the country. Or whether there are some that are more popular. It also depends on the type of company you have as well, and the type of content that you plan to create. Essentially, you could use all sites for business. But, if you plan to mostly share news or changes occurring within the company, for example, then LinkedIn might be best for you. If you are planning on using a lot of image-based or video-based content, then Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat might be most appealing. 

Either way, once you figure out the platforms you will be using, you can tailor the content for each country that you will be attempting to reach. This way, people from each country will feel they are truly important, which can draw them to your brand more. But just remember, they have to feel like the communication is authentic too. This is why you should not miss out on the chance to incorporate bilingualism within the social media team. Learn&Co offers specific services desired by corporate clients and companies, so you can gather your team together and begin this language learning journey together. 

So that’s it, it’s always a good thing to make your brand more accessible for people. As social media is one of the greatest ways to connect with brands, a truly effective way to do this is by making your social media accounts more bilingual. And you don’t have to risk the chance of getting it wrong by using inaccurate translation services. 

Though, if you do opt for a translation service, it should be a reputable one with experienced translators that will provide an accurate translation. You don’t have to search very far for this, as we have great translators at Learn&Co. And if that is not the best option for you, there is always the opportunity to become bilingual, if you are not already. Especially if you do this through a corporate language course at Learn&Co. We can help you to reach this goal of accessibility.