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Expanding Your Audience by Becoming a Bilingual Business

EXPANDING YOUR AUDIENCE BY BECOMING A BILINGUAL BUSINESS
 July 30, 2024 |  Business Tips, Marketing, Social Media |  hiring, business growth, client, satisfaction, inspection industry

New business owners often feel that they are racing to find a client base and develop trust with their local community. Finding leads, converting them into sales, and creating advocates to spread the word of all the good work that they do - the fight to gain credibility in a market takes plenty of guts and hard work. But after that growth slows, it can be difficult to find a new client base to tap into.

Language barriers in diverse populations can limit a business's market reach, posing a significant challenge. There’s certainly an opportunity to expand by becoming a bilingual business, but making this change involves more than simply translating a flyer into Spanish and calling it a day.

Owners who learn a second language or hire employees with language skills may be able to grow their business, but that’s only the start of the story. If you’re wondering what it would look like to start marketing in a second language as a small business, here are a few of the considerations to take into account first.

Learning a Second Language
One strategy that business owners may consider if they’d like to start marketing in multiple languages is to learn a second language themselves. To call this an ambitious endeavor would be an understatement for a number of reasons:

1. Languages are more than just words.
To be believable in another language, you will also need to learn the gestures, the unique sayings, and the different ways that people carry themselves in new cultural contexts. According to the famous psychologist Albert Mehrabian’s communication theory, only 7% of communication is verbal. Running a business in another language means learning about tone and facial expression as well - the other 93% of communication which varies language to language.

2. Word-for-word translations won’t cut it!
When it comes to translating marketing materials, some might feel that purchasing an English-to-Spanish dictionary or relying on Google Translate is enough to do the trick. But, to that I’d have to say: “¡Aguas!”

In Spanish, this word has more than one meaning, depending on the context. The first and most common translation to English would be “waters,” but in Mexico specifically, this word can also mean, “watch out,” “be careful,” or “danger!” When conducting business in a language other than your native tongue, the chances for miscommunication naturally go up. In the home inspection industry, miscommunication can lead to liability trouble.

3. Industry-specific terms have a language all their own!
Industries and professions are full of unique, specialized words that are rarely used in everyday speech. In the world of property inspections, this technical speech is even more noticeable. From gable and fascia to joist and sump pump, every nook and cranny of a home is chock-full of terms that the average homeowner may have never heard before. Home inspectors need to have a deep understanding of these elements in order to perform their job effectively and “translate” their discoveries into common speech.

Becoming a property inspector is already like learning a second language. So, if you’re considering learning a second language to expand your business, think of the venture as learning two new languages instead of just one.

Building a Bilingual Business
Now that we’ve scared you away from the concept, let’s talk about how to become a bilingual business the right way! The first and most important point to highlight is if you don’t actually speak or have an employee who speaks your selected second language, don’t do it. Sending out marketing materials in another language will ideally lead to clients who speak that other language calling in to schedule a job. If you can’t answer their questions or perform the job in their language, this situation can only lead to frustration.

Instead, start with hiring a native speaker to answer the phones or, if you are a native speaker yourself, make sure you are available to field the calls that require your language proficiency. When writing your marketing materials in a second language, be sure to hire a native speaking marketer who can ensure the copy sounds natural and uses the appropriate calls-to-action. As previously discussed, a phrase that works in one language may be misunderstood or ineffective after translation!

Finally, when making the move online, be careful not to muddy your brand too much by posting to your social accounts in both languages. Sudden shifts in your social media strategy can lead to confusion among your existing audience and ultimately weaken your online standing. Even businesses who have the goal of marketing in multiple languages may choose to keep their online presence in their primary language rather than hiring another marketer to manage the increased workload.

Marketing in a second language can open new doors and lead to impressive growth. But, like with other forms of diversification, becoming a bilingual business is an investment. ¡Buena suerte!