How To Succeed In Your Business Networking Though Multilingual Webinars In The New Normal

The pace at which businesses have had to change and flex their services in 2020 is simply staggering. For many companies, the COVID-19 pandemic meant needing to deliver services in new ways and reach out to new audiences, usually online. This is why so many businesses have turned to webinars, in some cases producing them in order to connect with customers who speak other languages. A multilingual webinar can be a powerful marketing tool, particularly with services such as Zoom interpretation available to make the delivery process so easy. Below, we’ll take a look at how to succeed in your business networking in the new normal by using Zoom language capabilities. 

Why business networking through a multilingual webinar is so important

Now more than ever businesses need to court as many customers as possible in order to survive and thrive. Business networking is the key to doing so. What is business networking? It is the forming of business relationships, usually as a means of creating sales opportunities. It can take place over the phone, at meetings and events, by email, through social media and, more recently, through webinars. 

Webinars are essentially web-based seminars. They allow businesses to connect with virtual audiences through delivering digital content. By including an interactive element, the producer of a webinar can use it as both a knowledge-sharing vehicle and a business networking tool. 

How interpretation services work and why they’re so essential to business networking

Multilingual webinar interpretation services work in slightly different ways, depending on the webinar platform in question. For example purposes, we’ll take a look at Zoom, one of the most popular online meeting and webinar providers. 

How does Zoom interpretation work? Incredibly easily. You’ll need a paid-for Zoom account to provide your multilingual webinar. Then it’s just a question of setting your Zoom language requirements by selecting those you need as part of the process of creating your webinar. Zoom interpretation is high quality and accurate, so you can trust that your audience will be able to participate in your webinar appropriately. 

From the attendee’s perspective, they simply select their language and then listen as it plays over the original. Ofer Tirosh, CEO of translation agency Tomedes, points out that this 20%/80% volume split between the original audio and the translated content is ideal, as it allows the viewer to still hear the tone of the original language, while also comprehending what’s being said in their native tongue. Like a lot of other language service providers, Tomedes provides those language interpretation services to their clients. Tirosh adds: 

“Demand for Zoom has increased hugely over the past few months. As increasing numbers of business users realise the software’s multilingual potential, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see user numbers continuing to climb over the months ahead as well.”

Zoom interpretation is important not just in facilitating the delivery of the multilingual webinar but also in enabling participation. The majority of webinar attendees – 92%, to be precise – want a live question and answer session at the end. For those who speak other languages, understanding the content in their native tongue will enable them to contribute to this session, albeit perhaps with the use of an online translation tool in order to pose their questions. 

The advantages of Zoom interpretation 

Using Zoom interpretation provides a number of benefits to businesses using it for multilingual webinars. The same applies to those using interpretation services through other video conferencing and webinar platforms. 

A multilingual webinar is not simply a means of getting by until the pandemic has been brought under control. Yes, it may have started off that way, but the distinct advantages of such events are not better understood. They include:

• Building brand authority – companies that get ahead are often those that excel at demonstrating their powerful thought leadership position. By creating webinars that showcase their knowledge, businesses can highlight their authority. And by producing multilingual webinars, that authority can extend to international locations as well as domestic ones. 
• Business networking – online events such as webinars allow business to connect with audiences at both a business to business level and a business to customer one. They can be used as both direct and indirect marketing tools across multiple regions and countries. 
• Connecting with consumers in the way that many are coming to expect as standard – consumers are increasingly engaging with brands online. As such, the more digital resources a brand can produce, the more likely they are to get ahead when it comes to connecting with tech-savvy consumers in multiple countries. 

Using Zoom interpretation also delivers a range of practical benefits. Not only can you use it to connect with international audiences, but you have the added advantage of being able to create audio transcripts in Zoom. Whether you need to train a new team in another language or simply want to offer an audio-only option to your customers, this service provides you with greater flexibility. 

How to get started with your business networking through your multilingual webinar 

If you plan to use a multilingual webinar, with Zoom language services helping you to pursue both B2B and B2C networking opportunities, then it’s important to have a clear strategy. Map out the languages you’re likely to need and why. It’s also a good idea to consider which other materials you will need translations for, if you’re serious about breaking into foreign markets. After all, what’s the point in getting international viewers all fired up with your webinar, if you can’t then take the conversation forward in any way due to a lack of translated materials? 

Obviously, you’ll need the webinar’s content, as well as your strategy, but with Zoom interpretation that’s about as difficult as it gets. The easy-to-use functionality means that you’ll be able to connect with new audiences around the world in no time.