We all know that LinkedIn is undoubtedly the biggest professional network out there.

 

Reaching 3 billion users in 2017, LinkedIn has become a crucial platform to showcase yourself and your business to gain more visibility and find clients or employers interested in your professional profile.

[Tweet “But do we know how to maximise our efforts in LinkedIn?”]

 

One of the most underrated features in LinkedIn is the possibility of getting both your professional profile and your company page translated in a different language to reach more users.

 

I’ve been discussing this feature with a few colleagues, and very few people knew it was possible to translate your content on LinkedIn. Also, I’ve attended quite a few talks on LinkedIn and speakers kept forgetting about mentioning this feature, which could help many professional to make a bigger impact.

 

And the thing is that you can translate your LinkedIn profile and company page into as many languages as you want. No restrictions.

But why would you want your LinkedIn profile or company page in different language? Let’s analyse all the benefits.

 

Translate your LinkedIn profile and company page: benefits

 

• Grow your network and reach more potential clients and employers

When we search on the Internet, we normally use our native languages. The same applies to our potential clients and employers. If you’re looking for job opportunities in a different country and target international clients, having your profile and business page translated into their native language is great strategy to be more visible among them.

 

• Position yourself in search engines for the different languages

One of the best things about LinkedIn is their impact on search engines. If you spend some time optimising your profile, you can easily reach the top position in search engines for your name and job title.

Also, if you translate your profile and company page, search engines will index both of them in every language you got them translated into. Wouldn’t it be great to be the first search result on Google for different languages?

 

• Align your marketing to an internationalisation strategy

Maybe you’re working on expanding your business in a foreign country. Well, if you want to become more visible for potential clients in that specific country, your profile should speak the language of your new audience.

You can make them interested in you business and convey your message by translating your profile and company page into their native language.

 

• Pitch to international clients and employers

Having your profile translated in different languages will help you connect with people. I personally don’t often connect with people whose profiles are written in a language I can’t understand. I like to know what people in my network do, what’s the point to connect with someone if you don’t even know what s/he is doing?

If you’re connecting with people in a different country, you will be able to refer them to your profile, and they’ll be able to understand what you do.

 

How to translate your LinkedIn profile and company page

 

1// Your LinkedIn profile

 

You just need to go to your profile and in the left column you’ll see the language you’re profile is displayed in. Then you’ll have to select “Add another language”.

Select the language that you want to translate your profile into, and start translating!

 

2// Your company page

Go to the Edit section in your company page, and under the “Optimise your Company Name and Description for” area, you’ll be able to select the language you want to use for your Company page.

Once you’ve got your company page translated into different languages, you’ll be able to choose which one you want to select as your default language.

 

Easy enough, isn’t it?

 

Questions to bear in mind to translate your LinkedIn profile and company page

 

• Are you offering the same services for the new audience you’re targeting?

Sometimes the services you’re offering may vary when you target different segments in the market. For example, I offer copywriting services in Spanish, but not in English. Then I’ll have to adapt my offer depending the clients I’m targeting.

 

• Is your new audience using the same key words to search for the services you’re offering?

I have already mentioned how important is to analyse key words when you translate a piece of text that is going to be indexed by search engines. That can make a big impact on how many people are going to find your translated profile or company page.

Make sure you use keywords that your potential clients and employers are using to look for similar services or employees.

 

• Is your job title the same in your new targeted culture?

Job titles may vary from one culture to another. Make sure you find the equivalent job title when translating your LinkedIn profile, or potential clients and employers may not find you. (And that’s why you should avoid using Google Translate!)

 

• Should you adapt your services and products to your new audience?

Maybe you are offering the same services or products for both audiences, but should you adapt them? Localisation play an important role when targeting different cultures, make sure you know how to adapt your products and services for a new audience when translating the content of your profile and company page.

 

• Can you communicate in that language? Have you got a linguistic strategy in mind to communicate with your new audience?

There’s no use to get your profile and company page translating into a different language if you can’t communicate with your audience in that language. Make sure you’ve got a linguistic strategy in place to communicate with potential clients or employers who may find the translated version f your profile. You should be able to follow up and have a professional conversation with them.

 

Remember, when you’re translating content for a different audience, focusing on translating words isn’t enough. You also need to bear in mind cultural differences and the scope of your business.

 

Have you ever used this LinkedIn feature? Has it worked for you? Have you managed to land a project through LinkedIn? I’d love to hear your opinions and experiences!