Many marketers have long ago discovered the power of using videos for boosting sales, providing valuable information and increasing brand awareness among potential customers. But the language used for the videos can limit the markets you can attract. Even the use of subtitles isn’t as effective as you may think.
So if you’re considering growing your business in another cultural market, you may want to think about using a different or foreign voice over in your videos to boost your appeal among the consumers you are targeting. This can extend to simply using a different accent.
Why is this a good idea? Let’s list down the benefits to give you a more accurate picture:
- It’s great for SEO. Video marketing is a potent SEO tool, especially in Google. You often see video links featured in the top organic results. But your target market may not always use English words when they search, so you have to consider this possibility.
Videos in the new language may also be more popular with your target market, so it will lead to more comments and likes. These social indicators will also boost the SEO rankings of your videos.
- The use of your new market’s language offers a more powerful connection. People are simply more comfortable with the familiar, and they tend to favour local offerings. By using the language of your market, you can forge a more powerful emotional bond based on sharing the same language.
You have to understand that many of your future customers will have an instinctive “us vs. them” mentality. By using the same language they use, they see you as one of theirs. Even the attempt to use their language may also be appreciated, because it shows that you’re making an effort to accommodate the language needs of your customers.
- The new language may be more understandable. It’s not just that some of your new potential customers won’t understand the language you use for your videos. It’s also the fact that translations of a website can be unclear or inaccurate. Sometimes words and concepts just don’t translate correctly. You need to formulate the ideas in the new language right at the start.
Different languages don’t just mean using different words, so translations don’t work well all the time. The intonation, the use of idioms, and even the speed of the spoken word can result in different impressions.
One good example is the difference between English and Spanish. Speaking slowly in English may give a composed impression, but if the same speed is used for Spanish the result is often uncertain.
- You can also use the same language but in a different accent. In some countries, English may be a symbol for the upscale and educated class but the accent you use may not be the best for them. You may want to use English spoken by a member of the target market instead so it’s more understandable and more familiar for them.
The best part here is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money or waste too much time looking for translators and foreign voice talents. It’s easy enough to find a voice-over company that specialises in offering foreign voice talents. If you can’t speak to the dedicated team at Evolved Sound to access professional and prompt voice overs for just about any project.
