Tips for Effective Cross Cultural Communication

In Marketing by Melissa Meschke

Usually when we find ourselves posting to Facebook or Twitter, we have an ideal audience in mind that we want to reach, impact, and connect with. As social media marketers, it’s a goal to captivate an audience full of diversity to effectively share your product or idea. The largest social media outlets may be global, but at times its difficult for us to remember that they are still global platforms. However, it’s common for all of us to only reach so far in our cultural spectrum.  Here on some tips that will not only make your post more effective but bridge your way over to diverse audiences.

  1. Listen Before You Type: Before you launch that perfectly crafted status, check to see how the audience in that area interacts with each, and how they spread knowledge throughout their own community. Learn what expressions, jargon, and language structure are appropriate to the audience.

  2. Try New Things: Sometimes you have to really have to look up, down, outside and around the box when it comes to trying something new. The message or process that may have been so effective for one audience may need significant tweaking when it comes to more diverse audience. Don’t be afraid be afraid to experiment. Try to relate your product to things that are unique to that area.

  3. Know What’s Acceptable for the Culture: Some posts that are acceptable where you are, may be totally taboo in a location that you are trying to reach. Make sure you don’t accidentally offend when you attempt humor or even when posting pictures. Make sure the content isn’t doing the opposite.