The Importance of Multilingual Content for Miami Businesses

The creation of multilingual content is going up, with statistics like, "Businesses with multilingual websites experience an average conversion rate increase of 70%," flooding online sources of advice. But when you run a local business, it can feel like those statistics aren't meant for you. After all, you might not sell to an international market where multilingual campaigns make the most sense, or you might run a major corporation with millions of marketing dollars to reach that 70% target with. But if you run a business in Miami, those statistics—and the general push to provide more inclusive messaging to reach a more diverse audience—do apply.

Miami is home to millions of shoppers who speak languages beyond English or might not speak English at all. But with multilingual content in your content marketing strategy, email marketing campaigns, and even built into your web design, you can reach them.

Breakdown of Languages Spoken in Miami

People speak dozens of languages across the Miami metroplex area. In fact, only 49.9% of households speak only English. So, while English might remain your default language, depending on your neighborhood, business, and clientele, it shouldn't be the only one. If you can, use market research and data from your buyers to rank the additional languages spoken by your shoppers, both in terms of their primary language and additional languages that might get their attention. If you don't have access to that information, consider these top languages in the general Miami area as of late 2022: 

1. Spanish (39% of the population)
2. Haitian (4% of the population)
3. Portuguese (1% of the population)
4. French (<1% of the population)
5. Chinese: Mandarin and Cantonese (<0.5% of the population)

Zero Into Past the City Limits—What Languages Matter Most in Your Core Neighborhoods?

But those numbers only give a light outline of what languages resonate with your unique shoppers. Some neighborhoods are much more likely to have residents who prefer English and French, while others may primarily prefer English and Russian. Some areas will also prefer different regional variations of Spanish, and the words, idioms, and expectations will not universally cross-apply.

If you want to invest in multilingual content without missing the mark, partnering with a local inbound marketing agency gives you access to deeper research based on your core areas and what your competitors are doing.

Benefits of Creating Multilingual Content

But before you take that step, you might be wondering about the real value in concrete terms. After all, creating content in multiple languages might be on your to-do list but not on your business-critical task list. If you've been putting it off or waiting for the value to become clear, consider these benefits: 

Speak to Shoppers the Way They Like to Be Spoken To

The silver rule, not the golden rule, applies to customer service: treat other people the way they want to be treated. If you serve a market that primarily speaks another language or is more comfortable with something besides English, then translating your content and even creating campaigns that originate in a different language will make your brand stand out.

You can secure greater customer loyalty, expand your customer base, and even make shoppers more interested in your products or services because you communicate their value more clearly.

Highlight Your Own Team's Diversity

Today, companies don't just need to advertise themselves as a business selling goods. They also need to market themselves as an employer or as a good business partner. One strategy for doing that is building your reputation as a great employer that celebrates diversity on your team, supports everyone in your community, and works hard to make jobs and opportunities accessible.

Creating social posts in different languages, making sure your job postings are available in different languages, and creating a website is different languages will help you achieve that gold standard in reputation.

Showcase Accessibility at Every Turn

Multilingual initiatives aren't just about increasing revenue. They're also about expanding accessibility. Translating your static web content and putting subtitles across your videos make your brand more accessible to people who don't speak English for myriad reasons. This is particularly vital if you:

• Serve older shoppers
• Want to reach multi-generation families where English may not be the first language of every speaker
• Serve local universities or university students
• Want to partner with government agencies and organizations

How to Do It: Build Multilingual Content Into Everything You Do Online

Creating a multilingual brand is important. But for businesses across Miami, it can seem like a complex, expensive, and time-intensive venture that's simply out of your reach. But getting started is easier than ever, whether you hire a local digital marketing agency, use AI to help get the ball rolling, or hire internal team members who speak multiple languages and want to lead the project. 

Start with these potential campaigns and changes. You can layer them one by one or use these ideas to prepare all of your campaigns for the holiday shopping season and 2025:

• Social media management: Start peppering your publishing calendar with multilingual posts or posts in different languages. Add translated subtitle options for all content.
• SEO optimization: Work with technical SEO experts to make sure your content and services show up when Miami shoppers put in a relevant query in Google—no matter what language they use.
• Videos: Invest in more robust closed caption and translation subtitles so all audiences can engage with your videos. For tutorials or educational content, consider creating videos in each primary language for your core markets.
• Email marketing campaigns: Segment your email list based on preferred language, and start filling in the gaps.
• Web design: Work with a web developer to create direct and contextual translations of your website so non-English users can freely interact with your store, menu, or other online resources. 
• Localize, localize, localize: Simple translation can easily lead your marketing efforts astray. Instead, make sure your projects are all about localization and contextual translation so you actually speak to what your audiences care about.

You can also partner with a digital marketing agency that can create a comprehensive strategy for adding multilingual content into your marketing and content production workflows. Professionals can help you prioritize different pieces, provide you with resources for accurate language use, and help you manage the additional work.

Make It Happen With Help From Decographic

Decographic is a local Miami inbound marketing agency, and we know first-hand how important it is to build a connection with a diverse audience of Miami shoppers. Our team helps local businesses create content strategies, implement new and efficient marketing workflows, and make sure they're maximizing every marketing dollar with comprehensive online marketing services. 

Reach out today to discuss what marketing projects are on the top of your to-do list.