A multi-cultural perspective on social media

Looking for advice on how to make social media work for your company? Here’s the first of four articles. This time, find out from Eye for Image’s Cultural Advisor, Angel Vidal, how to make sure your social media fits a global audience.

“We need to learn how to communicate in this changing world,” says Angel Vidal, Cultural Advisor, Eye for Image. “And it’s even more complicated in a world where social media are gaining importance.” Angel’s advice to multi-national companies: English as a global language is not good enough. You must also consider:

• Cultural understanding and respect for differences
• Body language and non-verbal communication
• Spoken and written language skills
• Capacity to decode the message

“Social media is close communication with real people using fewer non-verbal tools,” Angel states. Let’s take a look at the specifics.

With cultural understanding and respect for differences comes realizing that social media is NOT the same worldwide. Not only are there different platforms, there are also variations in internet use and speed, online habits, and the speed of social media growth by region.

Angel says, “Depending on your strategic communications goals, you may be using hundreds of social media platforms in order to reach your target audiences around the world.” And according to Angel, social media should not be your only bet. “It’s critically important to combine social media with your other communications tools to reach your goals.”

Non-verbal communication in a social media context is about the use of photos and video. What works well in one country may be a cultural taboo in another. “For some Asian cultures, the use of photos of faces, for example,” says Angel, “is sometimes seen as inappropriate.”

When it comes to language skills, Angel recommends using the simplest form of English possible in your social media. “This is not the time to show off all the big words you know in English. Your goal is to create understanding. You can do that by creating a simple, clear message.” Word choice is also important to consider. The word “måske” in Danish (which means possibly/probably) is thrown in quite casually in conversations in Denmark. In many cultures, this word means you are not sure. This is probably not what you want your target group to think about you.

And after you get all those things right, put some thought into how you design your videos, photos and written messages. “Can your audience decode your messages? What does it mean for them? Does it mean the same for them as it does for you? You must look at these things from another perspective. Use your team worldwide to help you. And social media are bi-directional; therefore, you need to also be able to decode the message that you are receiving back from clients, providers, agents and co-workers.”

Angel concludes that in order to get social media right across cultures, you need to do your homework. English is not enough, investing in technology is not enough. Find out what social media your target audience is using, find out their habits and cultural norms. Check to make sure your messages are appropriate and easy to understand. And remember diversity in a world of social media is an asset.

Co-hosted by Eye for Image and Horten Law Firm, Think International III brought together 50 international marketing and communications managers in Copenhagen in December 2010 to learn more about how to make social media work for their companies. Social media experts presented their experiences and tips in four areas:

1. A multi-cultural perspective on social media
2. Building a social media machine in 20 countries
3. Legal perspectives on international social media
4. Managing a social media power brand in a global context