The ATA Chronicle - November/December 2020 - 13

Marketing your services on social media
doesn't mean you have to practice direct
sales tactics. After all, most translators
and interpreters I know don't want to be
confronted with a marketing campaign
that smacks of " salesy " copy or one-time
offers. And with so much information
flying around online these days, your
clients are probably also sensitive to this.

SHOULD I CONTINUE TO SPEND TIME
ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS WHERE
MY TRANSLATOR/INTERPRETER
COLLEAGUES HANG OUT?
There's a time and place for social media
platforms that are not where you would
typically find your clients or that are not
considered business-related. I said earlier
that I hang out on Twitter and that most
of my connections there are friends and
other translators or interpreters. And one
might ask, " But why would you spend
your time on Twitter if your clients are not
there? " Valid question.
I spend time connecting with colleagues
regularly for various reasons, but the main
ones are because I like my colleagues and
because I know that colleagues are the
basis of our referral networks. Who better
to refer you to a potential client than a
colleague who knows you, understands
your skill set, and can speak highly of
your professionalism?
I think it's safe to say that most of us
can make a list of all our clients, and
we'll find that a large number of them
have found us through referrals. Whether
your referrals usually come from
colleagues, friends, or acquaintances,
social media can help you grow your
network further. I can think of several
colleagues I interact with regularly on
social media. Because I see their names
and friendly faces often, I'm reminded of
them immediately when I come across
a project or client who could use their
services. So, I would say-continue to
engage with colleagues on social media!
And while you're probably not using
some of these platforms to pitch your
business to anyone, just the fact that
you're there and can provide helpful
information, engage with others in a
friendly way, and have an intelligent and
kind exchange, means you'll inevitably
www.atanet.org

If I'm going to create a social media marketing strategy for my
translation business, I should come up with a way to engage with
potential clients regularly.
build relationships and trust among those
who know you.

FOCUS ON ONE OR TWO PLATFORMS
AND MANAGE THEM REALLY WELL
It does take time to market your services
on social media, but so does anything
worth doing. If you have the time to
scroll through any social media feed
these days, you have time to market your
business on a social media platform. The
key is to choose one or two platforms
that will be worthwhile. See the first half
of this article to help you determine what
they might be.
Consider what type of content would
be most helpful to your clients. Is it
something you can post in a feed and use
specific hashtags to grab their attention?
Or would a direct message with some
useful information be more effective?
Perhaps there are a few ways you can
use the same platform to market to your
ideal clients.
Once you determine the platform and
the method(s) of engagement, commit
to 20 minutes a day. That's all you
really need to create a habit of engaging
with potential clients and growing
your referral network on social media.
If you're like me, maybe you need to
schedule this time. I would suggest

scheduling your 20 minutes during a
time block when your ideal clients might
also be on the platform. This means that
you'll have a better chance of reaching
them in real time. The more you show
up and the more authentically you
engage, the more you'll get out of the
social media platform(s) you choose for
your business.
What tips do you have for engaging on
social media platforms effectively to grow
your business and your referral network?
Please contact me and let me know.
Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo, CT
is ATA president-elect and
chairs the Governance and
Communications Committee.
She is the owner of Accessible
Translation Solutions
and a Spanish>English and ATA-certified
Portuguese>English translator. She served as chair
of ATA's Membership Committee (2018-2020),
Public Relations Committee (2014-2018), and
administrator of ATA's Medical Division (2011-
2015). She has a BA in Spanish from the University
of Southern Mississippi and an MA in Spanish from
the University of Louisville. She is also a consultant
for the University of Louisville Graduate Certificate
in Translation. You can read more of her articles
on her blog at www.madalenazampaulo.com/blog.
Contact: madalena@accessibletranslations.com.
American Translators Association

13


http://www.madalenazampaulo.com/blog http://www.atanet.org

The ATA Chronicle - November/December 2020

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