5 Ways to Use Video Content to Market Your Translation or Interpreting Business

For the past several years, it’s been said that video is the future of marketing. I think it’s safe to say that video is definitely the present and the future at this point.

But video isn't just for large corporations or the creative influencers you find on Instagram. Freelance professional service providers can also use video to market to clients in an effective way.

You may be thinking, Ha! My clients would never care if I used video in my marketing or communications. And I'd challenge you to think again. 

So much of the information we consume these days is video-based; people are already used to content in video format. Done right, you can pack a lot of information into a more digestible format by utilizing video to communicate.

Here are five ways that you can use video to market your freelance translation or interpreting business and communicate your value to clients.

1. Include a video on your website.

Very few people want to read long-form text online anymore unless it’s in the form of an article or blog post. When someone lands on your website, you can welcome them and grab their attention with a brief paragraph or two, or you can opt to do something similar with a video.

A video can be a great way to walk clients through the process of what it’s like to work with you. By choosing to speak directly to your clients through a video of yourself, you can effectively stand out among others who provide similar services. This way of communicating value can be especially useful for interpreters since clients really care about how you speak and deliver verbal messages.

Consider including a brief video on your Home or About page that showcases who you are and what clients will gain from working with you. Make sure to optimize your site as well so the video doesn’t slow your page-load times too much!

Our colleague, Carlie Sitzman, has a few videos that share relevant topics with her customers. You can find them by visiting her site and scrolling to the bottom of the Home page. 

2. Incorporate video into your LinkedIn posts.

Original content is king these days. If you’d rather speak than write when it comes to your marketing, perhaps you could create a video post to share on LinkedIn. Not only can video feel more personable to those watching, since they feel they are really getting to know you a little better, you can also say a lot more than people might be willing to read. In addition, video is a great way to catch someone's eye while they're scrolling through posts on LinkedIn. 

A colleague who does this incredibly well is Marina Ilari. When watching her videos, you can see that she is a friendly, approachable professional who knows her stuff. Who doesn’t want to work with someone like that?

Another great reason to create video content and share it directly on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook (if your clients happen to be there) is that these platforms show preference to posts that keep people on their platforms rather than encouraging them to click to another page or site. Many platforms are even prioritizing video over other types of media. Instagram's recent push to show people more Reels is a great example of this.

Don't want to compete with those unpredictable algorithms? Create original video content that is more likely to be seen by more of the people you are targeting. Make sure to use hashtags that your clients would use or search for as an added bonus!

3. Respond to an email or website inquiry with a video response.

When most clients reach out to you through your website or directly via email, they probably expect a written email response back. But, there are times when something like a phone call can make it easier to explain certain things than typing out a long email. That said, so many people would prefer not to be called unexpectedly these days. In fact, most translators I know, prefer to handle client interactions by email as much as possible.

The next time someone reaches out to you, consider sending a video response back to them. I do this with my coaching clients, and I find it very effective for explaining processes and next steps. Check out tools like Loom, Voxer, or Vidyard to see how they might work for you. Most of these tools allow you a free trial before upgrading to a paid plan.

Because so few people respond to messages with a video these days, your messages will probably be an unexpected but welcome surprise in your clients' inboxes. Many will also appreciate that they can reply to you with a video message as well. You’ll be amazed how effective this form of communicating is and how well received it is by many people.

4. Tap into your creative side with a YouTube channel.

As the largest, free video-streaming platform in the world, YouTube is an excellent place to market your services and share valuable content, especially if you already know your clients are hanging out there.

Not only is YouTube a tool that most people are familiar with, but because Google owns YouTube, videos with content that relate to specific searches are more likely to show up higher on SERPs (search engine results pages) than video content from other platforms. 

YouTube videos can be very effective for communicating your professionalism and value because so many people prefer to watch short videos when they need to find information or learn something these days. I really enjoy what our colleague Shizuka Otake is doing these days with her YouTube channel. Dubbed her "One-Bite English channel," Shizuka's content teaches English words and phrases to Japanese viewers related to specific themes. She adds value beyond the translation and interpreting services she provides, and her videos are so much fun to watch (and I don't even speak Japanese!).

5. Use video marketing where it’s expected.

Some platforms are meant and mostly used for sharing video-based content. Whether your clients are C-suite executives or small business owners, there’s a video platform out there that's bound to appeal to them.

Here are two fairly opposite examples to demonstrate this point. For translators and interpreters who work with marketing agencies, cosmetics companies, interior designers, etc., I can definitely see how a platform like Instagram could be effective to market their services. However, for those who work with clients in areas like healthcare, law, manufacturing, etc., you might find that sharing a short, one- to two-minute video on LinkedIn could help you spread the message about your business and give your clients a better idea of your expertise and professionalism.

If you're thinking about ways to incorporate video into your marketing efforts, consider who your clients are first. Try your best to appeal to their tastes and preferences and keep your videos brief but packed with helpful information. Be creative and consistent so clients can really see who you are and how open you are to sharing your value with them. 

Does the idea of creating short videos to market your business overwhelm you? Start with something small and build your content from there. When someone reaches out to you with a question, perhaps you could create a brief video to respond. In fact, if you don't call the client out by name, you could hang onto this video and use it over and over again with new clients. Talk about getting more mileage out of your content!

Do you have questions about what direction to take to reach the right clients for you? I'd love to help you with this. Check out my One-on-One and All-Access coaching options.