Our planet is characterized by its great cultural diversity in which one of the most distinguishing elements, emphasizing this diversity, is the language or languages spoken in each country.

If we look at the current world situation, using languages, rather than countries, as the basis of distribution, the prism of perception changes radically. We enter a completely different dimension in which the possibilities of enormous business opportunities are revealed; the multilingual needs that can be generated in companies during the process of internationalisation.

On establishing the top 10 of the 23 most widely spoken languages around the globe, the figures speak for themselves: the total of the top three languages in the world ranking (Chinese, Spanish and English) accounts for a quarter of the world’s population. By translating our corporate content into 8 languages we reach 65% of the world’s population, and if we move up to at least 14 languages, we reach 80% of the world’s population.

For this reason, it is not surprising that from 2005 to 2015, companies have increased their communication languages from 10 to 30 languages, a telltale sign indicating that the implementation of a multilingual strategy in our company undoubtedly boosts our international activity affording major exponential effects.

What are the advantages of a multilingual strategy?

The election of languages to form part of our multilingual communications will naturally depend on the market we have chosen to enter.  In order to decide on a selection of languages, just ask yourself a few simple questions: What language do our customers speak? What language do they think in? What language will they use on taking a purchasing decision? Are we correctly adapting the contents according to the target language and cultural specificities?

Many advantages are to be gained by implementing a multilingual strategy in our company. By demonstrating to the end user that we have the cultural sensitivity they are looking for, by offering the possibility to communicate with us in their own language, very strong bonds of trust are generated. At the same time, our company is strengthened by demonstrating that language will not act as a barrier to achieving international objectives, making our international DNA all the more relevant.

Furthermore, if we transfer multilingualism into today’s digital environment, the dimensions and competitive advantages are enormous, converting it into a very efficient marketing tool. The impact of a newsletter or a blog entry or social network activity translated into several languages is considerable, thus exponentially increasing the conversion rate.

Working with an expert partner

In order for our multilingual strategy to have the desired effect, it is essential to work with a partner who has the same vision, since this will facilitate our company’s presence in different parts of the world, reaching a higher level, optimizing multilingual translation processes and ensuring that our message efficiently reaches its target market. And what’s the most interesting thing of all? It being the most efficient, effective and profitable communications solution.

Shall we locate?

Likewise, when choosing a partner in translation services, it is essential to consider the localization standpoint, which consists of adapting the product or website to the target market. The aim of this phase of the translation process is to convince the end user that the communication has been created specifically for him. In this phase of the process, not only the contents are adapted but also the layout, according to the cultural specificities of the target language. We will adapt format-specific elements to the desired language, working the “keyword” list in a very precise way in order to ensure a good SEO positioning of our product or website in the target market… because words SELL!

Finally, in our title we mentioned “the word as a strategic instrument” since we are not only talking about words, but about everything that is concealed behind the words, in our case, the target market. Because successful sales depend on the words we use.

The power is in how we persuade, giving the exact meaning to each word, whatever the language used, because it is not only WHAT we transmit, but HOW we transmit. Be very aware of how powerful words are, they can create reality.