Expand Your Reach with Video Marketing: Tap into a Global Audience

Sick and tired of just scraping by in business? Want to double your revenues and reach 80% of potential customers you have never even considered before? The key to unlocking massive growth and expanding your brand’s influence is video marketing, and if you’re only creating videos in English, you’re leaving billions of people out of the conversation.

Think about this: approximately 400 million people in the world are native English speakers, and about 1.5 billion people can speak or understand English to some degree. But the world’s total population is over 7 billion. This means that nearly 80% of people don’t speak or understand English!

So why are you ignoring the 1 billion Mandarin speakers in the world? Or the 500 million Spanish speakers? Or the millions of potential customers who speak French, Portuguese, or Arabic?

The reality is that most businesses put operating in a Language Other Than English (LOTE) in the ‘too hard’ basket. But when most businesses ignore an opportunity, it creates a golden chance for you to capitalize on this untapped market. Many Australian, American, and UK businesses have a myopic view of the world, focusing solely on English-speaking audiences. By embracing video marketing strategies tailored to a global audience, you can outperform competitors and maximize engagement.

How Video Marketing Helps You Overcome Language Barriers

Video marketing has become one of the most effective tools for reaching international audiences because it combines visuals, storytelling, and audio to convey messages in ways that words alone cannot. Studies show that viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to just 10% when reading text.

But here’s the real game-changer: you don’t need to create a different video for every language. With the right strategies, you can repurpose your existing videos and make them work for multiple audiences. Here are some powerful video marketing strategies to help you break language barriers and reach new customers worldwide.

1. Good Animation Breaks Down Language Barriers

One of the biggest challenges in global marketing is overcoming language and cultural barriers. However, animation is a universal storytelling tool that can communicate messages effectively without relying on extensive dialogue.

A perfect example is Chipotle’s animated short film, “Back to the Start.” The video, which tells the story of sustainable farming, has been viewed by over 13 million people worldwide—even though it features almost no dialogue and minimal on-screen English text.

Watch the video here: Chipotle’s “Back to the Start”

The success of this video proves that strong visuals, compelling storytelling, and a well-chosen soundtrack can create an emotional connection with audiences regardless of language. If your business can leverage animation in its video marketing strategy, you can create content that resonates with diverse audiences worldwide.

Tips for Creating Global-Ready Animated Videos:

• Minimise reliance on dialogue – Focus on strong visual storytelling.
• Use universal themes – Love, success, challenge, and triumph are understood worldwide.
• Pair animation with music – A well-composed score adds emotional depth to your message.
• Avoid excessive text – If necessary, keep on-screen text minimal and easy to translate.

2. Reusing Videos with Foreign Language Subtitles

If you’ve already created video content with an English script, you don’t have to start from scratch to reach a global audience. Adding foreign-language subtitles is an easy and cost-effective way to expand your reach.

Platforms like YouTube and Vimeo allow you to upload subtitle files, letting users choose the language they prefer. This small tweak can help your video marketing efforts penetrate new international markets.

Why Subtitles Matter for Video Marketing:

• 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound—subtitles make your message clear.
• Subtitles help SEO – YouTube ranks videos higher when they include subtitles and closed captions.
• Accessible content – Subtitles improve engagement among the hearing impaired and non-native speakers.

How to Add Subtitles to Your Videos:

1. Get your script translated by professional translators into multiple languages.
2. Use video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or Kapwing to add subtitles.
3. Upload subtitle files (SRT format) to YouTube, Facebook, or Vimeo.
4. Enable auto-translation on YouTube to reach even more viewers.

This simple step multiplies your audience and makes your video marketing truly global.

3. Foreign Language Dubbing: Make Your Videos Speak Any Language

For businesses looking to fully localise their video marketing, foreign-language dubbing is an excellent strategy. Instead of using subtitles, you can replace the English voiceover with a professional voice actor speaking a different language.

For example, if you have a marketing video in English, you can create multiple versions where a voice actor dubs it into Mandarin, Spanish, French, or Arabic. This allows native speakers to experience your video as if it were made for them, rather than just being an English video with subtitles.

Why Dubbing is Effective:

• Feels more natural – Viewers prefer hearing content in their native language.
• Boosts engagement – Increases watch time and audience retention.
• Enhances credibility – Makes your brand appear more committed to international markets.

How to Add Foreign Language Dubbing to Your Videos:

1. Get your script translated by a professional translator.
2. Hire native speakers to record the new voiceover.
3. Use a video editor to sync the new audio with your existing video.
4. Upload the dubbed version separately or as an alternative audio track.

This strategy is particularly effective for promotional videos, explainer videos, and customer testimonials, where audio plays a crucial role in delivering the message.

Final Thoughts: Make Video Marketing Your Global Growth Strategy

If you want to unlock massive business growth, you can’t afford to limit yourself to English-speaking audiences. Video marketing is one of the most powerful tools available today, and by implementing global-friendly strategies, you can expand your reach, engage with international markets, and boost your revenue.

Key Takeaways:

• Use animation to tell compelling stories without language barriers.
• Add subtitles to your videos to reach more viewers.
• Use foreign language dubbing to create a native experience.
• Leverage YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo to maximize your global reach.

With the right approach, video marketing can transform your business and help you tap into the billions of non-English-speaking consumers worldwide. Don’t let language barriers hold you back—start expanding your audience today!

 Costa Vasili is the founder and CEO of EthnoLink 
Language Services – Australia’s third largest language 
services provider in 2014 according to Common Sense 
Advisory. With over 5 years of experience in the language
 services industry, Costa has worked with some of 
Australia’s largest businesses to develop and execute 
successful international marketing campaigns