Since there are over 3.2 billion active social media users worldwide, your material has a wide variety of individuals to appeal to. How do you go about making material that appeals to a global audience? Material localization is what takes translated content to the next level, beyond simple translation.
When it comes to content marketing, a more targeted approach that takes use of content localization is preferable to a blanket strategy.
This post will teach you the value of content localization for businesses and their social media marketing efforts, as well as some easy-to-implement best practises for content translation.
what is meant by the term Content Localization?
Marketing, websites, and even apps and software may all be localised in a variety of ways. However, we’ll be focusing on localising material here.
To tailor and improve material for a specific target audience or market is what we call “content localization.” This necessitates sensitivity to their idioms, social mores, aesthetic preferences, political beliefs, and religious tenets.
Localization is a crucial aspect of any worldwide company strategy, and it is essential for global corporations and even SMEs who want to grow internationally. They may make their products and advertising content more relevant to their intended market by having it translated into their language. They may increase their brand’s credibility and solidify their position in international markets by doing so.
Can’t We Just Use Content Translation Instead?
The quality of the translation does not determine the success of localization; it is merely the first step. Localization is a sort of translation that has advanced beyond the basics. Despite its difficulties, translation is only the beginning of achieving successful cross-cultural communication. They work hand in hand, translation and localization.
Companies in many different sectors throughout the world understand that they need to invest in both marketing translation and marketing localization if they want their products and marketing material to be received well by consumers in other countries. Yes, a translator is needed to overcome linguistic hurdles, but what about other, more intangible ones, like those involving social norms and expectations? Where localization comes in is at this point. It is not guaranteed that your material and its marketing message will be organised effectively for its target, even with exact translations.
Is it really necessary to localize content for social media marketing?
Marketing tactics, such as social media marketing, might benefit from content localisation. The marketing objectives and target demographics will, of course, influence the final choice on whether or not to localise the material. You generally won’t need to translate and localise your material if your social media marketing strategy is just targeting a small geographical area. Do you disagree with that?
Where you set your sights is determined by who you want to reach. However, you may have no alternative but to translate and localise your material if you happen to live in a cosmopolitan city with multilingual citizens. The use of content localization for social media marketing efforts on a worldwide scale is common, but not exclusive.
Most of the world’s content and internet users are also not native English speakers. Obviously, you can get around this problem by having your material translated, but what benefits does localization provide, and is it really worth the effort? Maybe the following two ideas can help you out.
A demonstration of cultural awareness, localization
You may increase your content’s effect and demonstrate your brand’s respect and awareness of cultural differences by paying attention to what your audience like and avoiding what they dislike.
Planning ahead is essential for successful localization.
Poor preparation is a defining feature of each unsuccessful marketing effort. However, better early planning will result from the necessity of significant local market research that comes with localization.
In order to get desirable search engine optimization results, it is necessary to translate and localise content.
Localized content means better traffic attraction and retention, which in turn means better search engine optimization. Of course, search engine optimization isn’t as simple as that, since there are many factors that must come together for a successful SEO campaign. However, one of the many things you can do to bring in and keep international visitors who find your site through organic means is to provide material in their native language. All material, whether on a website or a social media platform, is subject to this rule.
When individuals visit your social media accounts in large numbers, there is a good probability that they will also visit your website. However, when you include in people that speak different languages, you may profit on the traffic with website translation and localization (which is a whole other discussion).
In terms of return on investment (ROI), content localization may be one of the most effective techniques if it is executed properly. Of all, you shouldn’t expect those profits to just appear out of thin air. You’ll need to put in the effort and invest the necessary money, as well as seek out assistance from qualified experts and reputable companies.
Conclusion:
While there are obstacles to overcome when localising content, it is well worth the effort to do it properly. Having said that, go at your own speed and avoid stretching yourself too thin. To clarify, I don’t intend to discourage you from expanding into international markets, but rather to recommend against doing so simultaneously with language expansion.
The old adage goes something like, “with tremendous power comes great responsibility.” In addition to supplying them with high-quality, locally relevant information, you should also keep in constant contact with them via various social media platforms.
This being the case, it’s best to tackle one language at a time. Since there is a lot to manage just in content localization, much alone the other aspects of your business, it is best to start small and ramp up as your company and marketing ambitions expand.