In the ever-evolving realm of content creation, the opportunity to go global and reach diverse audiences is no longer a distant dream — it’s an achievable reality.
Prominent content creators like MrBeast, PewDiePie, and Kids Diana Show have successfully localized their content for various markets. The recent introduction of multi-audio tracks on YouTube has made this strategy more accessible and cost-effective for creators of all sizes.
If you’re eager to expand your reach, attract fresh audiences, and elevate your income through content localization, AIR Media-Tech is here to guide you through a comprehensive four-step process that revisits the essentials and dives deeper into the nuances of translation and localization.
Step 1: Understanding if you should go global
Before embarking on your localization journey, it’s crucial to determine if this path aligns with your channel’s trajectory. Here are the key considerations:
- Is your main channel successful enough?
An established presence in your local market is a strong indicator of readiness for global expansion. Look for consistent growth in views and subscribers to gauge potential benefits from localization.
- Does your content stay relevant for a long time?
Content that remains relevant over time, such as Entertainment, DIY, Kids, Vlogs, Teens, Gaming, Animation, Travel, Food, and Sports, is more likely to succeed in new markets. News or electronics review channels may face challenges due to rapid content obsolescence.
- Does your content have global appeal and is it already consumed by other countries?
Analyze the countries where your views originate. If you notice increasing viewership from other countries, consider these regions as starting points for localization.
Step 2: Defining the strategy
Once you step on your global journey, consider these three primary strategies for multilingual content:
- Subtitles: 57% of viewers prefer videos with subtitles, so this is a winning strategy. Remember to translate metadata for better discoverability.
- Multi-Language Tracks: This feature consolidates your global audience on one channel, boosting views and watch time. After its launch, multi-language dubbed videos witnessed a 15% increase in watch time compared to regular content, according to YouTube.
- Full Translation and Localization: The most comprehensive approach involves translating, dubbing, and localizing your channel for each new language. While promising for business scaling, it requires a solid promotion strategy for newly created translated channels.
The choice of strategy depends on your vision, revenue goals, accessibility of multilingual tools, and financial resources. Mixing and matching these strategies is encouraged to find what works best for your content.
Step 3: Allocating Efforts
Each strategy comes with specific tasks. For adding subtitles, you’ll have to get a correct text version of the original video and translate it into the target language. Adding to that, multi-language audios require finding a dubbing or a voiceover master to create the translated audio and synchronize it with the original video. For the successful development of separate localized channels, it is also important for you to choose the right promotion strategy – and then you can achieve significant results!
Consider what responsibilities you can handle and which ones might require assistance. Here are options to delegate tasks:
- Freelance Platforms: Websites like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer connect you with skilled translators and voiceover masters.
- AI tools: Emerging technology can assist with tasks like video transcription and dubbing with synthetic voices, though manual checks remain essential.
- Local YouTube Translators: They offer translation and voice acting. It may be pricier, but it offers convenience.
- Specialized Services for Content Creators: Companies offer end-to-end services, allowing you to focus on content creation. Research YouTube trusted vendors for successful partnerships.
Step 4: Analyzing Outcomes
Understanding the success of your localization efforts involves monitoring specific metrics. Keep these factors in mind:
- Geo. Who is watching your channel? This will help you understand whether you are reaching your target audience in a specific market.
- Audience retention. This will help you understand whether an audience in a specific country finds your videos interesting and engaging.
- Watchtime dynamics. Watch time is one of the most crucial metrics on YouTube. It is important for it to grow dynamically for the platform to recommend your content to a wider audience.
Note that YouTube may take time to recognize and promote your new channel, typically spanning 3-6 months, during which your content may have limited visibility among similar or recommended videos. However, with patience during this initial phase, you can potentially experience significant traffic growth once YouTube begins actively promoting your content.
An illustrative example of this journey is Watch Me, an entertaining teen YouTuber generating over 300 million monthly views on its main channel. With the assistance of AIR Media-Tech, Watch Me has successfully localized 11 channels in different languages, including the highly successful Arabic channel Watch me قصص with over 1 million subscribers. Although it didn’t achieve instant success, the channel’s viewership soared several months after its launch.
To date, the creator’s translated channels have garnered over 1.6 billion views and attracted over 4 million subscribers. The creator’s success story highlights the effectiveness of a combined approach, utilizing subtitles, multi-language tracks, and language-specific channels, to reach international audiences.
In Conclusion
Conquering new audiences through content localization is an achievable goal for content creators looking to expand their reach and income. By carefully evaluating your readiness, crafting a strategic approach, allocating tasks effectively, and patiently analyzing results, you can tap into the global market and connect with diverse audiences. With the right strategy and perseverance, your content can resonate with viewers worldwide, just as it did for the world’s largest YouTubers.
