Social media is currently at the forefront of communication, marketing, and the general spread of information. The sheer global reach of social media alone is enough to reach almost every country on Earth. However, there may be certain barriers to entry. Language, culture, and relatability are the main barriers to reaching global audiences. Localization service providers have a history of helping content producers spread their creations across borders. Social media is the same in this aspect. Though social media has only been around for more than a decade. It has changed the way people communicate and go on with their lives. Social media can impact buying behavior as well. This is why all major brands have their unique pages and social media influence. More than often these brands have multiple pages, one for every region they want to target. For example, there is a NESTLE USA, NESTLE India, NESTLE Africa, and a page for each region. Nestle also creates adverts and content for social media based on regions. They will often utilize the same script and concept by adapting it for different cultures. This is an excellent example of social media localization.
What is Social Media Localization?
Social media localization is the process by which social media content is adapted to suit a unique audience's cultural, linguistic, and regional preferences. The process includes customizing social media content such as images, captions, videos, gifs, and more. The purpose is to make them more relevant and appealing to users in different countries or regions.
How Localized Content Benefits Your Business?
Localized content offers several benefits for businesses. Especially when it is about engaging with diverse audiences in different countries or regions. Here are some benefits of localizing content:
Better Relevancy
Localized content is more likely to resonate with your target audience. When you tailor your content to specific regional, linguistic, and cultural preferences you show the audience you understand them. This helps in creating a more personalized experience.
Better User Engagement
Content that feels more familiar or relates to the audience is more likely to capture the audience's attention. For example, people can only like Tom Hardy if they know who he is or are interested in sports. When you provide content that relates it has more likes, shares, and comments, and you are more likely to get the end result you are looking for.
Better Communication
Language is a very powerful tool and by using the right language you create a lasting impact on the audience. Localization ensures that your message is clear and easily understood. It changes language, examples, tone, and more. The risk of misunderstandings is diminished considerably.
SEO Perspective
Localized content is more likely to show up on search engines in regions you want to target. Why? Because search engines provide results based on user ease, relevance, based on keywords, and phrases used by the user. When you provide multiple languages and localized content. It will show up more often. For example, a query made in Spanish from Barcelona is likely to provide results in Spanish regarding who the content is targeting. In conclusion, localized content is more of a strategic long-term investment that can provide better engagement, relevancy, and success in global markets.
Better Conversion Rates
People feel more at ease with what they find more relatable. They respond to what they understand and localization helps them to do that. People are more likely to make a purchase, subscribe, or anything else if they can find value and relatability.
Effective Content Techniques for Social Media to Target Globally
Content that is localized goes beyond simple translations. It accounts for cultural differences, social norms, and more. The goal of localization is the key that brings social media content into the global limelight. And that goal is to resonate with local audiences, avoid cultural misunderstandings, and give an authentic feel. Key aspects of global social media success through localization include:
Language Translation
Converting one language to another regarding cultural relevancy and with complete accuracy is key. The best translation companies hire local native speakers and industry specialists to help firms establish not only informative but relatable content.
Regional Targeting
Content for social media needs to be created according to a region's likes and dislikes. For example, in India, people love Shahrukh Khan. Hence collaborating with him will help you connect with audiences better than Brad Pitt in India. But the opposite exists for the USA or Europe, for instance. You must give the people what they want and localizing is a big part of that.
Adaption to Culture
Each region has its own set of beliefs, forms of socializing, jokes, taboos, and more. When producing content for another region, it is important to adapt your content according to that region. You do not want to create any resentment or lose the interest of your audience. Adapting to culture may involve changes in designs, references, dubbing, and more.
Conclusion
Social media localization is unavoidable for those looking to become global powerhouses. All the major brands localize their content to save on cost and increase retention. For example, creating a new advert for each region is much more expensive than localizing one through translation and editing. Localization is a very cost-effective way of marketing your business on social media. Even social media influencers and content creators utilize localization. Mr Beast, for example, makes millions of dollars from YouTube through his many localized channels. Through careful planning and with the right localization technique, your venture can also be a global success.
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