Leveraging Multilingual Content Marketing

It’s no secret that Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the world, both racially and linguistically. Because Houston is a true melting pot in which many cultures and backgrounds come together, people who speak a dizzying number of languages call H-Town home. You’re bound to overhear casual conversations in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, or Arabic all over town.

According to Understanding Houston, Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken in homes in greater Houston, and more than 140 languages are spoken throughout the city. So why do marketing companies in Houston continue to run ads in only English? If all of your content marketing efforts only leverage one language, then you are failing to connect with the households in Houston that speak the other 139 languages.

Baal & Spots is a Houston SEO agency that specializes in digital marketing services across a variety of industries to help businesses like yours connect with the right people. How? By leveraging something called multilingual content marketing.

What is multilingual marketing?

Hands pointing to different languages

We’re glad you asked! Multilingual content marketing centers around strategically creating content in different languages to help your message connect with a more diverse audience. If you run a business here in Space City, odds are that a portion of your customer base will speak a language other than English; therefore, your marketing messages and materials should be tailored to speak to those members in their preferred language.

This doesn’t mean that you have to put out every piece of content in over 100 languages or flood your feed with duplicate posts — but it does mean you need to have an accurate picture of who you’re speaking to and the ability to connect with them in the language they’re comfortable speaking.

Here at Baal & Spots, we like to discuss things that are “nice to have” and “need to have” regarding digital marketing for small businesses and larger companies, and we have concluded that a multilingual content marketing strategy is a need to have if you want to captivate the attention of audiences in Houston.

Why are multilingual marketing services important?

Resonate and retain

A good multilingual marketing agency will go beyond just translating your existing content into different languages — it will heavily consider content localization. Content localization occurs when a marketer has a clear understanding of the culture, preferences, and tone of an audience and their area, and pours that knowledge into the campaigns. What may resonate with a Spanish speaker in Houston may fall flat with Spanish speakers in Austin.

More than anything, people want to feel seen and heard by the advertisements they see. Content that speaks directly to a user’s background and experience allows your message to resonate, and makes it easier for your audience to engage with your business. And if they engage once, they are more likely to become loyal customers.

Connection creates credibility

Digital marketing is all about connection. Connecting with your customers is the best way to showcase that your business is here to serve them exactly as they are. If you speak to your audience in their native language, it signals to customers that you value their culture and needs, which can lead to stronger relationships.

Utilizing multilingual content marketing can also boost your credibility by closing gaps your competition decided not to fill. Since not every company invests in multilingual content, you can stand out by showcasing your ability to accommodate different languages — especially if your competitors aren’t. Leveraging multilingual marketing services sets your brand apart and shows customers you’re capable of meeting their needs in ways that the competition simply cannot.

Engagement equals expansion

Since you’re not pigeonholing your audience into just one language, multilingual content allows you to reach a broader audience, enhance brand awareness, and unlock new market opportunities. The more people engage with your online marketing, the wider your content will spread and the more successful your business can become. It’s a simple concept, but casting a wider net often results in catching more fish.

Multilingual content marketing strategies to utilize

Diverse marketing team

Implement content localization

Instead of merely translating all of your content to different languages, tailor the content to fit each group’s needs and region’s attributes to make the messaging relatable. This can include:

Tailored social media content
Multilingual blogs and landing pages for SEO*
Email marketing
Targeted ads
Utilizing video content
And more!

While you might be tempted to just copy and paste your work into an AI translator, heed our warning: there will be mistakes that will make you look inauthentic, which is one of the biggest killers of engagement in the game. Localized and translated content should still have your brand’s unique voice. So, how can you go about this effectively?

Highlighting your multilingual team members or partnering with local multilingual influencers are both great and authentic ways to relay your messaging to your desired audience. Video content from real people with diverse backgrounds encourages users to engage with your business on and offline by building brand awareness, trust, and familiarity.

*Keep reading: Is blogging still relevant?

Multilingual SEO

Is multilingualism good for SEO strategies? Absolutely! Because languages all have their own audiences, they also represent unique market segments on the search engines. Some businesses may have trouble ranking highly with English keywords but see massive success with Spanish keywords and vice versa.

If you are aware of who your audience is and what languages they speak, tailoring content helps you show up in relevant searches, optimizing your online presence.

Hire a multilingual marketing agency partner

If implementing these multilingual strategies seems overwhelming or you simply don’t have the resources, hiring an agency can help take the challenging work off your plate. Whether you need help creating a Spanish version of your website or are unsure where to start with localized programmatic ad buying, an agency that specializes in multilingual content marketing can help you better reach your audience, accomplish your current goals, and set your sights on new objectives for the future.

Implement multilingual content marketing with ease with Baal & Spots

Creating and executing a successful multilingual content marketing strategy has less to do with simply translating and more to do with understanding your audience and reaching them with messaging that will resonate. We understand that developing this type of strategy and content on your own can be a large undertaking, and anything worth doing is worth doing right. Hiring a multilingual marketing agency like Baal & Spots can allow you to focus on your business while we handle the challenge of reaching the right people in the digital landscape.

Looking for a digital marketing agency in Houston? You need an agency that knows the city as well as they know their digital marketing playbook. Just like Houston, Baal & Spots is a diverse agency with team members who speak many languages, including Spanish and Arabic. Together, we can create and distribute content that will captivate and foster meaningful connections where it matters most for your business.

Your audience is out there, waiting to be reached. If you’re ready to connect with them, let’s get started.