5 Tips for Writing Social Media Posts for Different Countries

by | May 14, 2018

When you’re trying to create global online content, it’s not enough to just translate your social media posts. Sometimes, people just won’t care about what you’re posting, because it’s not relevant to them.

Here are some different ways to connect with people around the world on your multilingual or global social media pages.

Tip #1: Countries Have Different Climates

Obviously, right? But say you run a clothing company. Are people who live in California going to want to buy the same clothes as people who live in Norway? Probably not, because one place is known for being warm year-round, and the other is often very cold.

On a related note, this article points out that different countries are in in different seasons at the same time of year. When it’s summer in Germany, it’s winter in New Zealand.

In summary, don’t forget about climates and seasons if your product is seasonal.

Tip #2: Post about Local Holidays

Facebook in particular will place your posts higher or lower on someone’s newsfeed based on their secret algorithmic methods. People have different ideas about how to ‘hack’ Facebook algorithms, but it’s basically impossible to run a study on the effects of these measures due to a myriad of outside influences.  No one really knows why some posts are prioritized over others.

But one thing I’ve noticed, purely anecdotally, is that posts acknowledging holidays seem to have very strong reach. This might be because it’s a thing that many people feel generally the same about, so a lot of people will ‘like’ that post, which can send it along to the people who follow them.

Pay attention to local holidays, and do plenty of research to be make sure you’re being respectful of the culture.

Tip #3: Talk To Your Followers!

People get pretty excited when companies or famous people talk back to them on social media. If you have the ability to respond to your followers, do so! People will tolerate more language mistakes in the comments section, but still make sure your grammar makes sense.

And don’t be weird when you’re commenting, either in your company’s primary language or a translated one. Remember, you’re representing your company!

Tip #4: Stay Up To Date

Internet language can change quickly. Likewise, culture can change just as fast! What’s cool can change daily. Do market research to learn what’s popular in a country you’re trying to reach, and don’t expect something that’s cool where you live to be cool halfway around the world.

Tip #5: Keep It Simple

As this article points out, you don’t have to write intricate posts. In fact, no matter what language you’re writing in, if you spend too much time crafting posts, you’re going to have trouble keeping up with fresh content. Write simple sentences, and avoid highly specific cultural references unless you’re absolutely certain you’re using them correctly.

And VOILA! You have a plethora of resources to give your audience easy-to-read, awesome content, and make it quick and painless from start to finish!

You may have more questions about multilingual social media, so feel free to reach out to us here at Wordbee to find out how we can fulfill your translation needs. Or, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, and feel free to ask questions there!

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