Marketing Strategy
Social media localization: Mastering the art of content translationJanuary 24, 2025
March 21, 2024
Entering new territories without a localization strategy is a wasted effort. Keep reading to learn why translating your social media content is pivotal for global reach and how to make content translation swift and impactful, setting you up for success in the diverse and dynamic world of social media.
Social media localization involves tailoring your social media content and strategies to meet the cultural and linguistic preferences of different regions. This practice is crucial for brands striving for global reach, ensuring that your content resonates with people across various cultural contexts.
For example, a SaaS company selling email marketing software would benefit from translating their social media campaigns into Spanish to target Spanish-speaking markets. By providing content in the local language, they can effectively communicate the benefits of their product to a wider audience and increase engagement among Spanish-speaking users.
Localized content significantly boosts engagement, reach, and market effectiveness on a global scale. Here are key reasons why it's vital for businesses:
In summary, tailoring your content to different linguistic and cultural contexts is not just strategic; it's a necessity in today's global market.
For example, SKF, the world’s largest bearing manufacturer, localizes their social media content into over 12 languages for brand building purposes, to maintain a strong relationship with their customers, to attract new workforce, and to reach out to new potential customers.
Now that you understand the critical importance of translating your content for different markets, the next step is figuring out how to do this efficiently and in a way that maximizes value.
To make localization more effective, focus on the content that works best on social platforms, such as video. Video outperforms plain text on almost all social platforms. So, by putting resources into translating video content, you're concentrating on what works best, which makes your localization efforts more impactful.
However, localizing video content presents several challenges, including:
Achieving harmony between the visuals and the translated text can be particularly challenging, especially when using traditional editing software. This may result in the feeling of creating an entirely new video, which is not efficient.
This is why it is so important to have the right tools on hand to successfully navigate the localization process.
Enter Storykit, a game-changer in simplifying the localization of social media video content.
Here’s how it works.
Once you've crafted your video in your native language in Storykit, simply click on the "translate script" option.
Storykit instantly generates a new script in your target language, seamlessly integrating the translated text with the right timing, appropriate length assets, and correct formatting in the generated video.
It's a hassle-free process that eliminates the need for manual editing. See how easy it is below.
Understanding the importance of localizing social media content and achieving success is best illustrated through real-world examples, such as SKF's localization journey.
Faced with the challenge of making an impact across 130 markets in 10-12 languages, Sarah Larsson Bernhardt, Head of Social at SKF, realized the power of video to stand out on social media. However, the prospect of localizing this content seemed daunting.
“It used to be hard to localize our video content. It was just too difficult and tedious. We tried using agencies for translations, mainly for subtitles in different languages. It was both expensive and time-consuming, and therefore we only produced a few videos that could be used in several markets.” says Sarah.
Sarah and her team initially toyed with the idea of keeping all their social content in English, considering it an easier route. However, they quickly grasped the necessity of catering to local languages.
“In Latin America, for example, the audience is mainly Hispanic, and therefore the content needs to be in Spanish. The same goes for countries like France and the Czech Republic because they want videos in their native languages.”
Moreover, SKF understood the value of adapting visual assets to resonate with diverse cultural contexts. For instance, when creating a Christmas greeting for all markets, they noticed the Brazilian office swapping snowy images for more suitable visuals, given the lack of snow during Christmas in Brazil.
Customizing content in this manner significantly enhances engagement and with the adoption of Storykit, SKF can do this and more. In fact, with Storykit, SKF was able to churn out 300 localized videos in just a year.
This case study highlights the importance of adapting content to meet the linguistic and cultural preferences of diverse markets, showcasing how SKF's localization journey has led to enhanced engagement and global reach.
For more insights, dive into the full case study detailing SKF's localization success or book a demo with one of our experts and discover how easy it is to localize your own content.
Marketing Strategy
Easy event promotion ideas you can do with these 4 video AI templatesJanuary 24, 2025
March 15, 2024
In a world where attention is the currency, how do you capture those elusive eyeballs? The answer lies in the digital marketplace of our time: social media. And what's the golden key to social media's heart? Video.
In this article, we'll show you how to leverage the power of video to promote your event successfully in this new digital age, equipping you with the innovative tools and strategies needed to turn viewers into attendees and make your event the must-attend occasion of the season.
At its core, event promotion is all about generating excitement and building anticipation around your event with the goal of attracting attendees. Whether you're planning a music festival, a business conference, or a webinar, event promotion is about capturing people's attention and convincing them that your event is the place to be.
The best way to promote an event is through social media—no surprise there, especially considering that over 3.6 billion people use social media worldwide, offering unmatched reach and engagement opportunities.
The platform you choose can, however, vary based on the nature of your event: LinkedIn for a business webinar, Instagram for a music festival, and perhaps all of the above for a TED Talk-style event.
And, as mentioned before, the key to capturing attention on these platforms is through video content. Social media platforms have a big appetite for video, and for a good reason. Not only do social platforms boost videos because they keep users on the feeds for longer, but they also have the unique ability to convey emotion, information, and a call to action all within a few engaging moments.
Promoting an event effectively on social media can be approached through a multi-layered strategy, combining organic content with strategic paid ads to maximize reach and engagement.
Start by crafting and sharing a series of organic posts that highlight the unique aspects of your event. This content can range from teaser videos, speaker quotes, behind-the-scenes looks, or user-generated content from past events. The aim is to tell a compelling story about your event that resonates with your audience, making them interested in learning more. Organic content helps in building a community around your event, fostering engagement through likes, comments, and shares.
Expand your reach by crafting intriguing paid ads aimed at cold audiences who haven’t interacted with your brand yet. Utilize eye-catching visuals, compelling headlines, and a clear call-to-action to spark interest among potential attendees. Target these ads based on interests and demographics relevant to your event, ensuring your message reaches those most likely to be intrigued by what you have to offer.
Once you've captured the interest of your audience through organic and paid content, leverage retargeting ads to stay at the forefront of their minds. Retargeting ads are a powerful tool to re-engage individuals who have interacted with your content but haven't taken the next step of registering or expressing direct interest. By targeting these ads based on previous interactions, you ensure that your event remains visible to a warmed-up audience, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Consistency is key in keeping your event top of mind. Regular updates, countdowns to the event date, and sneak peeks keep the momentum going. This approach ensures that your event stays relevant and continues to capture interest as the date approaches. Pairing consistent organic content with strategic retargeting ads creates a comprehensive promotion strategy that not only draws attention but also maintains it, guiding your audience from initial interest to actual attendance.
Now that you know how to promote an event on social media successfully, you need the videos to do it. Below, we've put together examples of event promotion videos using just event details and Storykit's AI templates.
Storykit has four AI video templates ready to turn your event info into engaging videos.
Want to make multiple videos quickly? Just enter your event information and use our multi-create feature. With one click, you can make all four videos simultaneously, each offering a unique angle to spotlight your event. Check out the examples below.
→ Storykit's text-to-video AI is free to start using now.
Dive into the heart of your event with an AI-crafted video that doesn't just list your agenda but brings it to life. This template smartly sifts through the entire program, spotlighting key themes, handpicking three standout speakers, and three engaging presentations or panels. But it doesn't stop there—it adds even more enticing details from your packed agenda to captivate your audience.
This succinct AI template shines the spotlight on the crème de la crème of your event—your main speakers. It delves into their unparalleled expertise, tying their insights directly to your audience's interests. Wrapped up with the essential when and where, and a clear call to action, this video is a beacon for those eager to learn from the best.
Zeroing in on the challenges your audience faces, this template speaks directly to their "pain-points", offering your event as the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a focused narrative that bypasses the agenda specifics, instead emphasizing the where and when, and inviting action with a simple yet effective call to join.
Begin with the promise your event holds and let this template guide your audience to the heart of the matter with a captivating introduction to your keynote speaker. Highlighting the event's theme and the speaker's unique perspective, this video weaves in crucial event details and wraps up with a straightforward call to action, setting the stage for an event not to be missed.
Now that you have your social media promotion under control, here are some creative ideas to take your event sign-ups to the next level.
Encourage people to register early for your event by offering a discounted rate or other incentives. This not only helps you generate revenue early on, but it also creates a sense of urgency and excitement around your event.
Use a unique hashtag for your event to make it easy for attendees to share photos, updates, and feedback on social media. This helps increase engagement and can even attract new attendees.
Use social media or email to run a contest for a chance to win a free ticket or other prize related to your event. This can be a fun and interactive way to build excitement and engagement leading up to your event.
Partner with social media influencers, bloggers, or other relevant personalities to promote your event to their followers. This can help you reach a new audience and generate buzz around your event.
Build an email list and send your awesome content as well as regular updates and reminders about your event to keep it top of mind for potential attendees. You can also use email to share valuable content and resources related to your event's theme or industry.
Secure sponsorships from companies and organizations in your industry to help promote your event. This not only helps with promotion, but it can also provide additional resources and support to enhance the attendee experience.
If you have hosted events in the past, consider promoting positive feedback and testimonials from previous attendees. You can share these testimonials on your social media channels, website, and email campaigns.
Not sure how to format your testimonials? Don’t overthink it. Just use the “I Was There” video template.
To keep your event fresh, exciting, and packed with enthusiastic attendees, you need to create a promotion strategy that's just as awesome as your event itself! By constantly promoting your brand and building a loyal following of fans, you'll create a buzz that lasts long after the event is over, so people will be counting down the days until the next one.
Marketing Strategy
LinkedIn video ads Q&A with Sofia ErikssonJanuary 24, 2025
March 14, 2024
Curious about conquering video campaigns on LinkedIn? From setup to creatives to results, we've got you covered.
Meet Sofia Eriksson, our go-to Performance Marketing Manager at Storykit. With years of hands-on experience running paid marketing for both Storykit and marketing agencies, Sofia is giving us her best answers to our most asked questions about running video ads on LinkedIn.
A: I primarily focus on two types of campaigns: video views and lead generation.
In addition to these, I also run website traffic campaigns to encourage sign-ups for webinars or other events. These can be considered conversion ads as they aim to direct people to a landing page to complete a specific action.
A: Yes, it's possible to run multiple campaigns targeting the same audience, provided they serve different purposes. For example, a video view campaign for brand awareness and a lead generation campaign can simultaneously target the same audience without issue. This strategy allows for layered marketing efforts, combining brand awareness with direct calls to action, like booking a demo.
A: On LinkedIn, you have to choose one format per campaign, either image ads or video ads, as combining different formats in a single campaign is not possible. For video campaigns, I aim to include at least four or five ad creatives to ensure diversity and engagement within the campaign.
A: LinkedIn might suggest having at least 50,000 people in your audience, but it's more important to ensure your audience isn't too broad. The key is understanding who you're targeting. Even campaigns targeted towards a very narrow audience, like a specific company with around 1,000 employees, can be effective if they're well-defined and the budget is adjusted accordingly.
A: Effective targeting requires a clear understanding of the audience. It's crucial to tailor content to the audience's interests and needs. Overly broad targeting is inefficient and can lead to wasted budget, as not everyone will be interested in or relevant to the offer.
A: Target audience size can vary greatly, but I often focus on targeting based on member skills, job functions, and company size (e.g., companies with 500+ employees). This approach allows me to reach professionals with relevant skills and roles within the desired company sizes. I find targeting by skills particularly effective because it captures the competencies of LinkedIn members, who are likely more active and engaged on the platform.
A: Ideally, it's best to dedicate one campaign to each market to tailor the content specifically for that audience, including using the local language. Consolidating multiple small markets into a single campaign can be done, but it compromises the ability to localize content, which is crucial for engagement. Different markets also vary in competitiveness and cost, with the US generally being the most expensive.
A: Yes, targeting is often based on company size to exclude smaller businesses or freelancers that do not fit our ideal customer profile (ICP). For account-based marketing (ABM) campaigns, targeting can be very specific, focusing on a curated list of companies, such as a selection of universities, with content tailored to their specific needs and challenges.
A: Yes, in ABM campaigns, we target specific job functions rather than titles, aiming to reach both potential users and decision-makers. This targeting is refined further by focusing on skills listed in their profiles, such as marketing, B2B marketing, lead generation, and content creation, to ensure we're reaching the most relevant professionals.
A: Video ads are particularly effective for top-of-funnel campaigns aimed at building brand awareness and delivering messages to cold audiences who might not be familiar with us. Videos engage viewers longer than static images, enhancing ad recall and brand recognition. Although images can capture attention, videos are superior for storytelling and establishing a brand presence.
A: Typically, I opt for static images in bottom-funnel campaigns, mainly due to the cost structure on LinkedIn, where video views are charged as engagements, which can deplete the budget faster. Static images tend to result in a lower cost per conversion. However, videos can still be eye-catching and effective, especially for webinars and events, provided they are kept short and to the point to avoid unnecessary charges.
Further reading: 4 top LinkedIn video ad examples and why they work
A: Determining the exact budget for a LinkedIn campaign isn't straightforward because there's no fixed amount that guarantees results. However, LinkedIn does have a minimum daily spend requirement, which was around 70 SEK (7 EUR) per day the last time I checked. The actual budget you allocate can depend on various factors, including your market, objectives, and whether you're experimenting with a new strategy. Generally, I recommend using 500 SEK (50 Euro) per day and running a campaign for at least 7 to 10 days to gauge some meaningful results.
A: I generally use daily budgets, especially for ongoing "always-on" campaigns that don't have a specific end date. This approach allows for better control over spending. Daily budgets can also be used alongside a set campaign duration to ensure consistent spending up to an event or deadline. Lifetime budgets are an option as well, particularly for campaigns tied to specific events with clear start and end dates, but there's a risk of the budget being exhausted before the campaign's intended conclusion.
A: The targeting method itself doesn't directly affect the cost. However, the cost can vary based on demand; targeting highly sought-after demographics, like C-level executives, can be more expensive due to higher competition among advertisers for this audience.
A: The budget significantly varies depending on your campaign's objective. For example, a video view campaign, where the cost is calculated per video view, tends to be cheaper. LinkedIn measures a video view as a 2-second play with the video occupying at least 50% of the screen. On the other hand, lead generation campaigns, where users are expected to fill out a form, can be considerably more expensive due to the higher level of user engagement required.
A: The budget should be tailored to the size and specificity of your audience. For smaller, more targeted campaigns, such as those aimed at a specific company, a smaller budget might suffice. In larger markets like the US, even after narrowing down your audience, you might still end up with a substantial audience size, requiring a larger budget. It's essential to refine your targeting criteria, including job functions, skills, company size, or recent job changes, to ensure your campaign is as effective as possible. Segmenting your campaign by job function or other criteria can also help manage the budget more efficiently by focusing on more precise audience groups.
A: Determining the success of a campaign can be challenging, especially for your first one. A good approach is to include multiple ads within a campaign, say five different videos on five different topics, and then analyze their performance. Key metrics to consider are the view-through rate and cost per view, which can help you identify which ads are performing better. For subsequent campaigns, you can compare the new results to these benchmarks to gauge improvement or decline.
A: While it's possible to observe how campaigns perform in different countries, direct comparison may not always be fair due to varying market costs. However, noting differences in performance can offer insights into content preferences and effectiveness across regions. For example, if a campaign performs well in Germany but not in France, it might prompt further analysis to understand market-specific content resonance.
A: Scaling a campaign involves increasing its budget based on positive performance indicators, suggesting good potential for further success. This doesn't necessarily mean doubling the budget immediately; a more cautious approach, like increasing by 15-20%, is advisable to maintain campaign stability and efficiency.
A: For top-of-funnel campaigns, metrics like Cost Per Click (CPC) and Cost Per Mille (CPM) are relevant because they reflect the efficiency of brand awareness and engagement efforts. We can also look at our brand searches in Google for example, to see if they increase in line with our brand awareness efforts. In bottom-funnel campaigns, where the objective is often conversion, the focus shifts to conversion rates, specifically looking at the performance of lead gen forms, including their completion rates and the click-through rates (CTR) to our website or other engagement actions.
Further reading: Winning strategies for full-funnel social media video ads
A: The view-through rate of video content is a critical metric for understanding how well a video resonates with the target audience. It shows whether the audience finds the video engaging enough to watch a significant portion of it. A low completion rate might indicate that the content isn't compelling to the audience, necessitating a content strategy reassessment.
A: While it's interesting to see which video ads prompt website visits, the primary goal of a video view campaign isn't necessarily to drive website traffic. Therefore, assessing a video campaign's success based on website click-through rates might not be fair. The main objective is to engage the audience with the video content itself.
A: While LinkedIn's benchmark data can provide a broad overview, it may not always be the most accurate measure of success due to variations across industries, markets, and advertisers. It's more beneficial to compare campaign performance against your own historical data or industry-specific benchmarks to determine what constitutes good performance for your specific context.
A: Although the primary focus is on view rates, I occasionally explore the click-through rates from video ads to gauge which ones are compelling enough to encourage website visits. However, this is considered a secondary metric and not the main criterion for evaluating the success of top-of-funnel video content.
A: LinkedIn's algorithm behaves differently from Meta's in this regard. Editing a campaign or adjusting its budget on LinkedIn does not trigger a new learning phase or reset the campaign, which provides more flexibility in making adjustments without negatively impacting campaign performance.
A: Managing ongoing campaigns involves being clear about what you're looking for in the data. When adjustments are needed, such as an ad not resonating well, I often duplicate the ad and make the desired changes. This way, I can track how the new version performs in comparison. If changes are made to audience settings, I note the date of the change to analyze its impact afterward. This systematic approach helps in isolating variables and understanding the effect of each adjustment.
A: Recently, our Swedish lead generation campaign was experiencing a slowdown in lead acquisition. The audience size was about 140,000, which is substantial for our market. However, adding a criterion to target individuals who had recently changed jobs or careers — assuming they might be more open to exploring new tools — resulted in a smaller, more focused audience. This adjustment led to an immediate increase in lead generation, demonstrating the importance of precise targeting.
A: Content or ads are switched out to prevent saturation and maintain campaign effectiveness. I monitor the frequency metric to understand how often an individual has been exposed to an ad and track the ad's performance over time. If the frequency becomes too high or the cost per result increases, indicating decreased performance, it's time to refresh the content. However, as long as an ad continues to perform well and resonate with the audience, there's no need to change it just for the sake of change.
A: While there are best practices in campaign management, rigid rules don't always apply. Every business and campaign can have unique requirements and goals, so it's essential to establish your own guidelines based on your specific context and experiences. Continual testing and adaptation are key, as what works well for one campaign or company might not be as effective for another.
A: Content and ads are refreshed based on their performance and exposure frequency to prevent audience fatigue. I monitor how often an average individual has seen an ad and the ad's overall performance. If the frequency is high or performance begins to decline, it's time to introduce new content.
A: A/B testing is crucial for optimizing campaign performance. I might test different ad copy texts, headlines, or call-to-actions with the same video to identify what resonates best with the audience. It's important to test one variable at a time to accurately determine what drives better results. Depending on the content's effectiveness, the testing duration can vary, aiming for significant, not just marginal, differences.
A: Once a winning ad variation is identified, I either continue running it as is or further refine and test other elements. The non-performing ad is paused to allocate the budget more efficiently towards the better-performing ad. LinkedIn doesn't require setting up a new campaign for this; adjustments can be made within the existing campaign framework.
A: While LinkedIn has A/B testing capabilities, conducting tests within the same campaign by comparing different ads is often sufficient. It's essential to set the campaign to rotate ads evenly to ensure each ad variation receives a similar level of exposure, enabling a fair comparison of performance. With that said, you can always A/B-test yourself by creating similar ads with one thing that differs, maybe the headline or the ad copy, to see what works best.
A: LinkedIn lead gen forms are highly effective for lowering the barrier to conversion. Keeping users on the platform and pre-filling their information simplifies the process, increasing the likelihood of conversion. Directing users to an external website introduces an additional step where potential leads might drop off. However, conversions on your own site might indicate higher intent, as those users have taken the extra step to engage with your content.
A: Yes, there can be a difference in intent. Users who complete the entire lead gen form on LinkedIn might do so out of curiosity, with potentially lower intent, since the process is more straightforward. In contrast, users who navigate to a website and convert there may demonstrate higher intent, as they've actively chosen to engage further with the brand and may have some curiosity in finding more information on the website.
A: Daily budgets are set to manage spending, with no specific bidding limits imposed. Campaign performance is monitored over set periods (e.g., 7 or 30 days) to gauge efficiency and adjust strategies accordingly. The lack of fixed bidding limits allows for flexibility in reaching desired outcomes within budget constraints.
Transform your ordinary information into extraordinary stories. With Storykit everything can be a video.
Skip the brand guidelines guesswork. Cut straight to stunning video that’s automatically on-brand for smooth approvals and faster publishing.
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