Addressing the US market, approximately 43.5 million people speak Spanish, and that is a big number. More importantly, it is a huge market opportunity. If you are a marketer, you would know what I mean.
I am a digital marketing strategist who is an opportunist (Estoy siendo honesto). I saw an opportunity that (made me successful) wasn’t being utilized by anyone then, but now, it’s being applied today.
You might be interested in knowing how I ended up making millions of dollars for my clients as a freelance content marketing strategist, right?
The story dates back to 2017, when I moved to New York from Mexico. As a young teenager, aspiring to become the best digital marketer, I was struggling a lot – neither did I know the language very well nor the culture.
I was looking to get WiFi for my hostel, but the problem was that I couldn’t talk to the customer support of the internet providers in the US. Then I stumbled across Xfinity en español customer service, and my eyes lit up like I had found some lost treasure. I instantly got my internet connection from them and haven’t switched since then.
It was at this moment that I realized that there are going to be tons of people like me who need relatability in the new lands of the United States of America. That’s when I found the technique called content localization.
What is Content Localization?
Alright, so if you thought that translating the text into a certain language and calling it a day is content localization, your definition can be improved.
Content localization is basically tailoring the content for a specific market. By tailoring, I mean you need to establish a connection with them to sell them your offer. How exactly would you do that?
By incorporating an expert in the language who can actually translate the language nuance, expression, formatting, and more in a certain way that becomes relatable to the targeted audience. For example, I am a native Spanish speaker, and I know that the way to say “Let’s call it a day” in Spanish is “Terminemos por hoy”, but when you translate it from a tool, it becomes “llamar un día”.
Are you seeing the difference? Translation might work in some cases, but not all the time. So, you need to implement a full strategy of content localization to reap the benefits of a more diverse audience.
Having said that, let me talk about that strategy.
How to Create a Multilingual Content Strategy
· First Things First, Know Your Audience
Now, imagine this: you are a Gen Z, and I use content in an ad that has Bible-like English. Would you buy from it? I highly doubt that. Buying is a totally separate debate; you might not even read what’s written on that ad.
So, the point is you need to understand your bilingual audience.
What might work for the North Americans, might not work for South Americans. Excuse me if I sound like a racist, but that is true.
You need to dive deep into their thought process: their likes, pain points, dreams, and much more. The best resource for diving deep into your audience is forums. People there will be discussing their problems and will likely be looking for solutions. So, your job is to go on a hunt and find out exactly that before creating the strategy.
· Take Cultural Differences into Account
I have been to Bulgaria. People there are very sophisticated, and they don’t like using slang much. On that note, as a marketer, if you use informal and casual language in your ads to target a Bulgarian audience, you might end up losing your money on ads because it is not going to work.
The point here is that you need to know the cultural differences.
If you are a business owner reading this, you might not be doing any of that yourself. So, hire an agency that doesn’t just translate the text but helps tailors it for the culture of your target audience. It might cost you more, but trust me, it is going to work like a charm (more revenue – if you know, you know).
· Provide Hassle-Free Customer Experience
This might be generic, but this is one thing that fits all of your audience at the same time.
¿A quién no le gusta una buena experiencia de compra? (Who doesn’t like a good shopping experience?)
I hate when pop-ups appear while I am browsing a web page. I am sure you do, too. So, instead of offering them a discount while they land on the page, offer the website visitors that when they try to leave your page. It is a win-win as it will keep them for longer on your page, and improve their user experience as well.
Pro Tip: If you want to sell them, make it like a breeze for them.
· Last But Not Least, Consider Every Word You Write or Say
This tip is the sum up of all of these tips.
Since you don’t know the language and cultural differences, beware of every word you say, write, or publish. This will help you in the long term because you never know who you may offend by being naïve, or unintentionally.
So, always double-check before publishing your content or maybe ads (if you are running paid advertising).
