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In the language translation service industry, your marketing strategies are as important as they are in any other industry.
Language translation service providers often make mistakes while marketing their services, which can cost them, potential customers. It is important to create a clear strategy and follow it closely to reach your specific market.
Are you a language translation agency struggling to attract new customers? You have come to the right place. I have gone through all the marketing strategies, or actions you can take to attract clients to your business.
Why Language Translation Service is a Unique Business
Easy to set up
If you have enough capital to start a business, this happens very easily as all you have to do is get yourself a computer and internet connection and you are good to go.
Very rewarding
This is because the services you offer have been proven useful by many people and so they will always be in great demand no matter what time it is or where they are located in the world.
Many opportunities
There are more chances of making more money with this business model since there is such a big market out there looking for these services.
A flexible working environment
Unlike other businesses that may require that you work for certain hours, with this model, you can work from any time and place.
You reach new customer bases
If your target market is located in a different country than you are, then hiring a translation service allows you to reach them via their native language. This may help increase sales and profits and could even open new markets for you that were previously unattainable due to language barriers.
Variety
The translation is a very wide field and offers many different types of projects, clients, and opportunities for new business. The amount of variety available to you as an independent translator is unlimited! No matter what type of project comes your way, you will be able to handle it if you know the language involved well enough.
Income flexibility
There are many ways to generate income as an independent translator, including working with translation agencies or other organizations that need translation services, doing freelance work directly with clients, offering workshops or classes on translation-related topics such as marketing in other languages or business tips.
Main Language Translation Service Business Challenges
Cultural differences
Cultural differences are huge. If you translate something without being aware of the cultural aspects, your translation will end up sounding awkward or even offensive. This can lead to losing customers who feel that your service is not worth the money spent on it.
Technical differences
Every technology has its terminology and jargon which needs to be taken into account to make your translation sound natural. If you don’t do this, then again you will be losing customers who feel that you have not done a good job for them and this will lead to loss of revenue for your business.
Language is not just grammar
There’s more to it than just knowing how to put letters together in different ways. Language also includes how to say words and phrases in specific ways so that people will understand them well. People who speak English aren’t able to understand certain things said by people who speak Spanish or German because they use different languages.
Translating documents takes work
There are many different kinds of documents that you can translate. Technical documents such as manuals or safety guidelines need specific expertise to be translated correctly because you need to know the terminology well.
You have to spend on marketing costs
You have to spend on advertisements in newspapers, magazines, and online publications so that you can reach out to new clients for your translation services.
Clients can be demanding
If you work as a freelancer then clients might demand changes in the translated content without offering any extra payment for it!
Pros and Cons of Language Translation Service Business
Pros
- You can choose the type of documents you want to translate and earn accordingly.
- It helps you build your resume and expand your network.
- It allows you to meet new people.
- You decide who to work with and what jobs to accept or reject.
- As an independent translator, you are your boss. You make all the choices about what to translate and when to do it.
- You can choose the languages you want to learn and then, in doing this, you will be able to increase your knowledge and ability in those languages.
- Better communication and new opportunities.
- Flexible hours and no office politics.
- Get paid for what you already know how to do!
- Free marketing through word-of-mouth referrals.
Cons
- When you run a language translation service, you have to pay for office space and equipment as well as employees’ salaries.
- You need to work with wordy documents and fill in the gaps where necessary.
- No job security.
- You to meet deadlines and keep up with the pace all the time.
Best Language Translation Service Marketing Strategies
Use mobile to get more leads
Mobile is the future of language translation services marketing. Why? Because people are increasingly looking for information on their mobile devices.
If you want to be competitive in today’s business world, you need to have a comprehensive mobile marketing strategy.
Mobile is here to stay, and it’s only getting more popular. Statistics show that mobile marketing is growing at an average rate of 30% per year. That’s why there are so many businesses making an effort to be mobile-friendly.
Mobile-optimized landing pages can lead to a significant increase in conversion rates. This, in turn, increases your leads and sales.
Mobile is also a great way to get more leads for your translation business as well.
Here is how:
1) Put a link in your email signature that directs people to your website on their smartphone so they can find out more information about the services that you offer. This will help to generate leads for your business when people see that you offer mobile services – especially if your services are unique or something that cannot be easily found elsewhere.
2) Use QR codes in every one of your marketing materials including brochures, business cards, and billboards. These codes can direct people to respond to you via text message or even send you an email.
3) Tailor your message. A primary benefit of text messaging is that it gives you the ability to tailor your message in a very personal way. It is also an excellent way to send out discounts and coupons promptly. If someone has recently expressed an interest in your language translation service, you can send them a coupon or other deal they can take advantage of right away. This will not only get them in your door, but it encourages repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals from happy customers.
Build a website
A language translation service website is the most important thing your business should have. It helps you build a trustworthy relationship with your client.
Several factors can influence the success of an internet marketing strategy.
To have a successful business, you have to make sure that your strategy will bring you the profits you desire.
Here are some simple tips on how to build a website as a language translation service:
- Keep it simple. You don’t need pages full of visuals or animations—what’s important is that your site loads quickly and contains quality content. Don’t waste time trying to create something fancy if your audience just wants the facts.
- Add links to additional information. Even though they aren’t necessary on static pages, links allow users to easily find other resources if they need more information about your translation services or their needs in general. Keep it relevant: don’t spam your customers with links to unrelated products or services.
- Focus more on accessibility than design. Many of us are designers who know HTML and CSS inside and out, but that doesn’t mean we’re great at making people want to read our websites. Most designers tend to focus more on design than on accessibility. Accessibility means making your site easy for everyone — not just people with expensive iPhones — to use it! Make sure your site works in Internet Explorer 6 or 7 (yes, those versions of IE are still used by many), and break up your text into shorter paragraphs with short sentences.
- Create pages based on keywords. The content of your website must be based on keywords and phrases that potential clients are likely to use when looking for language translation services. This is because the higher up your site appears in search engine results, the more free traffic it will generate. If your site is not appearing high enough in search engine results pages (SERPs), then this is a sign that there might be something wrong with its content or structure, so it would be worth spending some time trying to fix this.
Give special offers
Giving your customers an incentive for using your language translation service is a great way to ensure that they’ll continue to do business with you in the future.
Here are some tips on how to offer special offers as a language translation service marketing strategy:
Offer language translation services priced lower than the competition. There’s no better way to get customers in the door than by offering services at prices that others simply cannot match.
Offer language translation services with faster turnaround times than the competition. Once you’ve got a customer interested in your pricing, be sure to up the ante by offering services with a faster turnaround time than what your competitors can offer.
Bundle multiple language translation services into one order and offer some sort of discount or added benefit for doing so, perhaps free shipping on the entire order.
Offer an introductory discount on your language translation services.
Offer a discount for every consecutive order of language translation services that the client places with you in a specific period.
Offer free delivery of your language translation services in a specific area or zip code.
Add a special gift to each new order of your language translation services, such as pens or notepads with your company logo or website address on them.
Send out coupons for discounts on future orders of language translation services by post or email to people who have placed orders with you in the past but haven’t used your services for some time, so they’re aware of your existence again and might be tempted to place another order with you at some point in the future.
Offer incentives for people who recommend your business to others, such as lower rates for their first order with you than they would have paid if they had placed their order directly with you rather than going through the person who gave them.
Develop your brand
Developing your brand as a language translation service marketing strategy is one of the most important things in your business.
A strong personal brand will help you gain credibility and trust with potential clients, and it can be a powerful tool for attracting and retaining customers.
Language translation services are an important part of any business, but it’s not always easy to get your services in front of customers.
A brand has three key components: name, face, and personality.
1. Name
I recommend that you use your full name in your branding because it’s easier to find on the Internet. If people can’t find you easily, they will pass by your website or social media page without giving you another thought.
2. Face
You need a photo of yourself or at least an avatar that looks professional and also reflects your personality (e.g., if you are a fun-loving person, don’t use a serious picture). Also, make sure to use your photo consistently on all of your social media pages and websites so that it shows up in search results consistently.
3. Personality
You need to develop a voice for yourself and be consistent about using it throughout your blog posts, articles, and other online interactions. The voice should be distinct from everyone else’s in your industry; the best way to do this is to focus on how you speak to customers and potential customers online as well as in-person when networking at events or over coffee with colleagues.
Become a thought leader
What would happen if you were to promote your translation services in a way that lets your customers know you are absolutely the best for their needs? Would it be possible for your company to become a thought leader in the language translation industry?
Truly becoming a thought leader means understanding what people are going to want tomorrow and beyond.
It is more than just a marketing strategy; it is an ongoing commitment to learning about new ideas, new trends, and new technologies as they emerge, and then sharing that information with your clients.
Becoming a thought leader in the language translation industry is not an impossible task. In fact, with the right approach, it can be quite easy. But first, you have to decide what you want to achieve. Do you want to become the only name that all your customers think of when they need language translation services? Or do you just want to increase sales?
Trying to become a thought leader as a language translation services marketing strategy is not an easy thing to do, but there are some tips you can follow to get there.
1. Find your niche market: You need to understand who you are and what you do best. It is important to understand the target market for your services and also make sure that it is something that you enjoy doing. If you get passionate about what you do and about whom you serve, it will be easier for you to be an expert in your field of work and also help others by sharing your knowledge.
2. Do not be afraid to share your knowledge: As I mentioned earlier, if you want to build yourself up as a language translation service thought leader, it is important to share your knowledge with prospects and existing clients.
3. Define your expertise. It’s not enough to get in front of the crowd; you have to be the right person for the job. You have to understand your audience and appeal directly to their needs and wants. For example, if you’re trying to market yourself as an expert in finance, it’s not enough to simply follow trends — you have to stay ahead of them. You need to understand what will happen next when it comes time for trends to shift again.
4. Engage with other thought leaders. The best marketing strategy is one that is built on top of other successful strategies from other experts in your field. The same holds for thought leaders — they want to learn from other experts and share what they’ve learned with others. Engaging with other thought leaders helps spread your name and expertise around.
Provide value
The best way to provide value as a language translation service is to keep it simple. This can be hard for some companies who want to provide every possible translation service for all languages, but this isn’t always the best approach.
Trying to include every language translation service under one roof can lead to problems. It can be confusing for customers, who may not know exactly what they are getting.
It can also confuse potential customers if they feel they are paying extra for services they don’t need. Instead, concentrate on providing the most popular types of translation services in specific languages you translate into and out of.
Focus on providing excellent customer service and investing in quality control software and processes so you maintain high standards of quality in your work. You must make this part of your business as simple as possible because translation services is an extremely competitive industry right now, with many new players entering the field every day.
Customers have many options when it comes to language translation services, so you must stand out from the crowd to succeed in this field.
Target the right customer
What language translation service marketing strategy can you do to target the right customers? This is a question that may be common in your mind, but what’s even more important is how you will get the answer to it.
Targets are an essential part of any marketing strategy. Pick the right target market and you are bound to succeed. And to find that target market, you need to know who they are, where they hang out, and what they want.
But how do we go about finding our best target market?
Researching Your Best Target Market
Your best target market is not going to be found on your website or Facebook page. It isn’t necessarily going to come from someone who just emailed you and said they needed a translation. You have to go out and find them.
Go To The Right Places
You need to know where your potential clients hang out, which means going where they are. Some good places are conferences – If you are at a conference for your industry then it’s a great place for networking with people who have similar interests in their minds as you do.
Get customer feedback
The success of any language translation service depends on more than just the quality of the translations.
It depends on the level of customer satisfaction and how they are served by the company.
Getting feedback from clients is vital to improving the company’s performance and client satisfaction.
Here are possible ways to get positive feedback;
1. Provide a link to your website blog.
2. Asking for feedback via email or phone call.
3. Sending an email survey or questionnaire.
4. Creating a survey on social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
5. Sending a feedback request via social media.
6. Maintaining personal relationships with customers.
7. Conducting focus groups in person or online.
Set up a Facebook fan page
Facebook is a great platform for building a following for your language translation business. It’s free and easy to set up.
And you don’t need any special knowledge or skills to do it—just some time on your hands. The most important thing to remember when setting up your Facebook fan page is that it isn’t about you, it’s about your clients.
Your followers are there because of you, so you have to give them what they came for—and that is information about you and your services that they can use.
To make sure you stay on target and deliver good information, here are some tips:
1. Create your page and fill in as much information as possible about your business. People need to be able to find you easily so that they can “Like” you, so make sure that you fill in all of the necessary fields in your About section and add a link to your website.
2. Invite personal connections to like your page as soon as possible after it has been created. This way, you will start with a strong foundation among friends and family members who already know and trust you.
3. Invite people that share similar interests to become a fan of your page. This will help attract more visitors since those visitors will recognize topics on the wall of other fans who have liked your page.
Final Thoughts
It’s a good time to be in the language translation marketing space, what with the technology being used by these companies becoming increasingly sophisticated, and consumers becoming more comfortable with leveraging these services.
There is certainly merit to many of the strategies highlighted above, and something here is likely to resonate with any company looking to break into this industry.
Whether you’re a start-up or an established player trying to get more traction for your services, there’s much you can learn from the strategies curated in this post and we hope that it will inspire further discussion on strategy options that can lead to success in this space.
