Grow 1%: Go Global

Pick one of these newsletters every day, spend 2 minutes reading and 8 minutes implementing the lesson (1% of your waking day) and your socials will get 1% better.

Don't buy growth hacking classes. Save your money. Do this instead.

Are you reaching out to the rest of the world?

Only 17% of the world speaks English.

The USA makes up only 4.2% of the world's population.

Yet Facebook reaches 3 billion people monthly, or 37.5% of the world's population.

So it's important to ask yourself: is my content global, national, local, or hyper-local?

There isn't a wrong answer here. It depends on your goals.

If you manage the social media account for a sandwich shop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, you may just want to solely reach Michiganders.

But if you're a creator whose goal is to reach as many people as possible globally, there are some important factors to keep in mind:

??? Subtitles translate, embedded text and speech don't (yet). Some amazing AI tools can translate voice into any language, but if someone is watching your English-language content as a non-English speaker the odds are very good that they're reading subtitles. That means any English text on screen or in thumbnails won't be understood, and if subtitles are incorrect, it will be a poor experience. One of the key reasons Khaby Lame is the top TikTok account in the world is the strong 'sound off' experience of his physical comedy.

?? Physical comedy is an international language. There's a reason so many top YouTube Shorts accounts by monthly views involve physical comedy. Whether you speak English or Japanese, a pie in the face or a funny fall is wildly satisfying. No need to change your content strategy to slip on more banana peels, but keep in mind that big physical actions internationalize well.

?? Funnel international audiences appropriately. If you have an English-language podcast, you probably don't care if Spanish speakers are listening. But if it's about travel and you have an Instagram with beautiful travel images, you may want to funnel Spanish language speakers to that profile. Don't be afraid to use popular Spanish hashtags or connect with other travel creators who speak Spanish on that platform and ignore the others.

?? Collab beyond your borders. Are you a musician? Music reaches out internationally! Find a way to collab with a Brazilian or Indonesian band. You're not likely to have a lot of audience overlap, so you'll be reaching a lot of new potential followers who are unlikely to know you yet.

?? Know what platforms are strong internationally and which aren't. Facebook is an incredible place to reach audiences in other countries. Twitch...far less. If you're trying to reach out to a global audience, make sure you're not fishing in empty waters.

My mission for you: look at your social media platforms and think about what regions you want to reach, then think about strategies to reach out a bit further.

If you want the largest audience possible regardless of country, it's time to leave your comfort zone and think of the experience of a viewer in another language!

That took 2 minutes. You have 8 minutes left. I'm glad the algorithm showed you this newsletter! Now go grow 1% right now!

Thank you to our sponsor BrandArmy!

About the Author

Phil Ranta, is the CEO of Spree a curated shoppable video media company and platform focused on the health and wellness space. A 2021 LinkedIn Top Voice in Innovation & Tech, Phil has been creating content for the internet and building internet businesses professionally for nearly 20 years, starting on MySpace and riding trends to the present. He was the Head of Gaming Creators, North America at Facebook, the first network lead at Fullscreen, the COO at Studio71, and spent 10 years as a working comedian (including 2 years on cruise ships). He's a husband, a dad of two littles, and an insufferable digital media wonk.

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