One of the most common questions when it comes to marketing in countries like the Philippines is which language is best to use. English or Filipino?
It’s more difficult to answer for us, because we are one of the largest English-speaking countries in the world. 70% of our population is fluent in English. So what should we do? Should we be talking to them in English or Filipino?
The answer is not always so straightforward.
We'll talk about some of the more common things you need to think about before you send that marketing message.
Check Your Buyer Persona and Branding
Go back to one of the tried-and-tested tools when figuring out what will work for your customer: your buyer persona.
Find out if your customers are more comfortable reading and talking in their native language and dialect than in English. That could be English, Tagalog, Bisaya, Ilokano, or something else.
Don't forget that this isn't just a question of whether they will understand English or not, but also their own preference.
Many may feel that their own dialect is more approachable. Actually, 72% of customers are more likely to buy when they get product information in their own language.
Or perhaps, using English may make your business more professional and business-oriented, which might be something that is important to your customers if they’re looking for things for their business or educational materials.
Think of what your customer will likely prefer when it comes to English or their own dialect.
But don't forget that you may ultimately need to confirm if your guess is correct.
Customer Testing is Important
Try out multiple versions of your ads, one in English and one in your own dialect. Check which ad gets the most people clicking on it. Check which one results in more people buying your products. You can focus one over the other if you know what your customers prefer. 67% of the Philippines is on social media--make sure you're talking to them the way they would like you to.
If you have a chatbot, make sure it gives your customers an option if they’d like to use English or their own dialect, like Chatbuddy. You can get important information from your customers by checking which language they like. Maybe they prefer English when buying, but Filipino when it comes to fixing a problem with their order.
You’ll never know for sure until you try.
Take note of your findings and use that knowledge to adjust your marketing plans!
Do You Need a Wider Market Base
This is an important piece of the puzzle. If you are only catering to local customers, the answer is simpler. However, once you start planning to expand your market base, you may want to ramp up on English messaging.
You don't need to altogether drop your local language messaging--it's always better to have both available when needed. Look into making alternate versions of your site available, so that your customers can choose their own preference.
Don’t Leave Things to Chance
It’s easy to assume that your customers will prefer the same things you do. But that’s a mistake that many businesses need to correct later down the road.
Taking the time to build a solid buyer persona and testing your assumptions will make sure your business talks to your customers in the best way possible. If you provide multiple language options for your ads and you have a multilingual chatbot in place, you can maximize your chances to make a mark on your customer.