Why include multilingual solutions in your international marketing strategy?

In an increasingly more global world, multilingual marketing is one of the decisive factors in driving the growth of brands. Having a website or online catalogue available only in English seems to be an obvious choice, since English continues to be the most frequently used language on the Internet. However, if your brand communicates with its international consumers in English only, there is a strong chance you are losing sales.

Below, we will address some of the reasons for adding multilingual solutions to your international marketing strategy. These days, marketing professionals who design international marketing strategies know it is crucial to speak in the language of your target audience. Why is this?

 

 

First and foremost, due to the audience’s greater proximity and identification with the brand. Next, there is the trust created with consumers. A study published by Common Sense Advisory shows that around 60% of Internet users rarely or never buy products at websites available only in English, while 75% prefer to purchase products with information in their native language.

Sometimes, certain professionals in the area of marketing feel frustrated with the quality of translations offered in their area. In most cases, this is due to the inadequacy of the type of multilingual solution chosen for a specific project.

For a marketing campaign to have the same strength, relevance and results in different regions of the world, translation may not be the most suitable solution. A focus on creating native content, on localization (adaptation to the context, symbols and references of the target country) or on transcreation (creative translation, which preserves the tone and register, but has more room to change the original text to convey emotions and make the content more appealing to the target culture) can make all the difference and lead to success in your international campaigns. Often, is necessary to change socio-cultural references, word games, rhymes and other resources of style so that a slogan or campaign is perceived with the same strength in a given culture. The goal is to preserve your message by adapting how it arrives at different markets.

Another critical aspect of your international marketing strategy is optimizing your content for different languages through Multilingual SEO. This solution is essential in boosting the visibility of your brand and products. You will have to understand your target audience and its search habits to do so.

In 2022, it is estimated that online videos account for around 82% of all Internet traffic consumed. The subtitling of your videos in other languages means reaching new audiences.

Subtitling ensures that your message is received exactly as intended wherever your video content is viewed. Videos for social networks and websites generate 80% more traffic. Your video content will thus be integrated into a higher-visibility strategy in all of the leading social networks and channels.

Another reason to include multilingual solutions in your international marketing strategy is the globalization of your brand. For a brand to become global, a multilingual marketing strategy must be implemented, which considers how your brand will be communicated and perceived in the various regions where it is found. Why are some brands more successful than others? Why do some products dominate a particular market faster than others? What are global brands doing to stand out from the competition? One of the answers to all of these questions is: that they understand and communicate with their customers in a manner appropriate to the linguistic and cultural context of the target market.

In summary, if your content is available in just one language, instead of creating proximity between the customer and your brand, the monolingual content will certainly discourage your customer from interacting to any extent or spending much time on your website or social networks.

Conversely, you can understand your customers in the field and their habits and preferences and successfully communicate with them in their native language, with relevance and proximity. The key is adapting your content and communication to the cultural needs of your target audience.

In a highly competitive world such as ours, your brand’s ability to communicate effectively, in an adapted manner and with relevance, can make all the difference to standing out from other brands. By including multilingual solutions tailored to each market in your international marketing strategy, you will be ready to reach a new stage in a global world.