Translation and social media - is your business getting it right?

Social media is a powerful marketing tool. Businesses that get it right can enhance their reputation, increase sales and benefit from social sharing. Companies that get it wrong, on the other hand, can look forward to tarnished reputations and dwindling sales figures. 

Social media and translation

For companies that offer products and services in more than one country, or in more than one language, social media can be a minefield. Relying on sites like Facebook to automatically translate on behalf of your company is a bad idea. If you’ve spent time and money on developing a social media campaign in one language, relying on imperfect translation tools to deliver it in another language just doesn’t make sense. 

Multilingual social media campaigns

Using a professional translation company to provide your business with a translation of its social media posts is the only way to truly be sure that your messages are being delivered as intended. 

At the same time as translation, ask your translation company about their localization services. Professional localization can ensure that your business doesn’t make a faux pas when it comes to presenting your messaging in other languages. The American Dairy Association’s ‘Got milk?’ campaign, which was delivered in Mexico as ‘Are you lactating?’ emphasises the need for localization. Just because something makes sense in one language, doesn’t mean that it will come across correctly after a direct translation. Localization can ensure that regional considerations are taken into account. 

The perfect social media campaign

With the perfect social media campaign in hand, your company can be ready to take the internet by storm. Use professional translation and a localization company to ensure that your marketing expertise is put to good use across international borders in order to maximise your campaign’s impact. After all, you’ve done the bulk of the work by putting the campaign together in the first place, so why not achieve full value for money from it by ensuring that you engage with every customer in the manner intended, regardless of the language they speak?