In a world of more than 4.5 billion internet users, establishing a strong online presence is more like creating an identity for your business. Social media has developed as one of the most influential tools in the world of digital marketing, with platforms like facebook, youtube, twitter, and instagram amassing a base of billions of users all around the globe.
Social media applications offered an unprecedented opportunity for both companies and individuals to brand themselves and communicate directly with their global audience. This opportunity was, however, encountered by the language barriers that come with any multinational approach. As a result, social media localization services were introduced by the language industry leaders to break down these barriers.
Social media Localization
Social media localization refers to the process of adjusting the content of social media channels so that it resonates with global audiences with different cultural backgrounds. It is broader than traditional translation services as it concerns the complete cultural and linguistic adaptation of any social content.
The ease of going global comes with a fiercer market competition. Amid the online clutter, those who manage to cater their content to their international audience outperform their counterparts. Localization has proven to be the key element of transmitting the same message to people with different languages and cultural norms, and achieving global success on social platforms.
Vivid examples
The evidence of how social media localization techniques forge the digital growth of businesses and individual influencer pages is seen across several success stories in the digital world. From multinational automotive manufacturers to comic pages, there are many vivid models to follow.
McDonald’s
The world’s leading fast food company McDonald’s is an epitome of the well-crafted social marketing localization strategies. The multinational brand has adopted the localized approach, against the centralized one, and created different social accounts for every market separately.
and ran unique social campaigns. This successful tactic eventually made it easier for users to follow and interact with their country’s page and further allowed the company to tailor their messaging and marketing campaigns appropriately.
Having over 11.5 million subscribers, educational youtube channel TED-Ed provides accurate subtitles of over 20 different languages. The TED Talks’ sub-channel features short animated educational and entertaining videos that are properly captioned to address distant viewers speaking different languages.
Benefits of social media localization
As part of brand localization strategies, social media localization reaps numerous benefits to any type of business. The following are three positive impacts social media localization could bring to your business:
- Increase sales:
Consumers are more likely to buy your product or use your service when they find a localized content. A study published by Common Sense Advisory in 2006 showed that the majority of consumers prefer buying when they see content in their native languages.
- Improve brand reputation:
People usually resonate more with marketing campaigns when they are created in their own language. They feel more comfortable and they are more likely to give you positive feedback.
- Stimulate interactions:
When localized properly, social media channels receive higher rates of engagement and interactions. A facebook page that speaks the same language of the local audience reaches out to more people and gets more reactions, comments, and shares.
In a nutshell, social media has made the world smaller, yet the absence of a universal language made it necessary to find out adequate social media localization services. Whether you are running a global business or branding your own personal page, finding a reliable localization partner is a condition for success. From using slang and idiomatic speeches to adding subtitles to your videos, localization will help your business thrive in new markets and achieve an unlimited reach.
