YouTube and Translation: Everything You Need to Know
Each day, YouTube has an estimated 122 million users. They come from a variety of companies and backgrounds. More than 500 hours of content get uploaded every hour on YouTube. For content creators, that means a constant battle to ensure their content rises to the top of the list and is consistently seen by those needing it most. Furthermore, it means translating content into languages that people use.
Knowing Your Viewers
On average, two-thirds of content creators' views will come from outside their area. YouTube is localized for use in 91 countries, with more than 80 different languages. That can mean the potential to reach users from a wide range of other areas. Unfortunately, it may also mean that users quickly leave behind content outside their preferred language. While it is only sometimes possible for users to localize all the content they create for all audiences, content focusing on translation services can make a massive difference in the users you can attract.
Who Watches Your Content?
To reach your target audience effectively, have a solid idea of who watches your content. Check out your analytics to determine what countries your viewers are from, including who engages with your content most frequently. The "Top Countries" panel will provide more information about who is engaging with your content.
Who Is in Your Target Audience?
When you consider who is watching your content, you also want to know who you want to watch your content. For many reasons, many content creators on YouTube want to ensure a global audience, and you should ensure you can reach people worldwide with content for a globally marketed business. If your website routinely has visitors from outside your country or you interact with those users on social media, your YouTube content must have a similar reach. Check out your website analytics to better understand who will most likely need and engage with that content.
Translation Options for YouTube
When translating your content on YouTube, you may have several options.
Subtitles
Captions on your video translated into the viewer's native language can make that content much more accessible to global viewers. You may find it easier than anticipated to reach that wider audience when you provide translated captions. Remember that captions are also ideal for a hard-of-hearing audience, who may prefer to read rather than listen to video content. Furthermore, 69% of video viewers in public places will watch videos without sound—and 25% of viewers in private locations may also choose not to utilize sound when consuming video content.
Metadata
Translated metadata can make it much easier for users to determine what content they connect with when they check out your videos. In addition, translated metadata can let viewers know that they can expect to get translated content when they check out your videos, increasing the likelihood that they will click through and visit your page.
YouTube allows you to add translations to video content or use automatic captions. Remember that while AI-generated content may translate what you're saying, it may only sometimes offer a better transcription, making interpretation more difficult for some users.
Set Your Language
YouTube allows you to set the language you use when creating your content. Selecting your language lets users sort by their preferred language to view that content. This can give them a more authentic experience and allow you to attract more potential viewers.
The Benefits of Translating YouTube Videos
Translating YouTube videos for your viewers can have many benefits for your brand.
1. Improve your marketing efforts as you reach out to people from different backgrounds
Whether you are a local business or a global one, it is vital to consider the demographics of your target market as you create your marketing materials and reach out to your users. For example, suppose you come from an area with many Spanish speakers or where French and English speakers live. You may want to produce content that all types of users within your local area can connect with in their native language.
Your global marketing efforts will also improve when you reach out to people in their native languages. If you connect with people worldwide who visit your brand and purchase your content, you should also provide content to customers in those languages. Do not simply assume your users will speak and understand your native language.
2. Reach a global audience where they are
Even though many global viewers may speak more than one language, many prefer viewing content created in their native language. When you provide translation services, whether that means uploading videos directly in the target language or creating subtitles geared toward the needs of your audience, you can more effectively reach out to that audience.
3. Increase connection to your brand
When you create translated content designed to reach your target audience, you will find that you make a more profound sense of connection with those viewers. Viewers are naturally more likely to feel a sense of connection when you are producing content in their native language in a way that speaks specifically to them. By designing that translated content, you show that you genuinely care about the global members of that audience, which means that you are more likely to build a connection with them.
4. Create educational content for all viewers
You have diverse global users interested in connecting with your brand. They may already be using your products and services, but they may still need complete insight into all the benefits of those products or even everything you offer. Translating your videos ensures that your content is accessible to all your users.
5. Increase your search ranking in different countries and areas.
Most viewers prefer content in their target language. Typically, you will not appear in search results for people who do not speak the language your video was created in—and those viewers would have a relatively poor understanding of much of your content. By offering translation services, on the other hand, you ensure that your content is more accessible to a wider variety of users.
Get Help with Your Translation Efforts
Do you need help translating your videos, metadata, and other content? Contact us today to learn more about translation and localization, not just for YouTube but for your website and other content platforms. With those efforts, you can more effectively expand your reach and connect with a global audience.