The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/1056743
28 The Linguist Vol/57 No/6 2018 ciol.org.uk/tl OPINION & COMMENT Links online VASILIKI PRESTIDGE Translator Vasiliki Prestidge MCIL CL handles social media for CIOL's Business Professions and Government Division. She offers advice on how to use a blog as part of your social media strategy. Blogging is big business. Websites with blogs have 434% more indexed pages in search engines than those that don't; 23% of internet time is spent reading blogs; 6.7 million people blog; and B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads than competitors that don't. Ideally, you should not only have a blog, but a blog that sits on your website. But what do you blog about? It all depends on who you are blogging for. If you want to see a higher return on investment, then write for your clients. Find their pain points and burning questions, then address them. If three customers ask you the same question, put the answer in a blog post. This way, you offer value and generate trust as the true expert in your field. If you're out of ideas, check answerthepublic.com – a platform where you can search for a specific word and see what people ask about it. Given that there are so many bloggers out there, readers can feel overwhelmed; 8 out of 10 will read your headline but only 2 out of 10 will click on your article. So how can you engage more readers? Be clear and direct. Use the pronouns 'you' and 'I' to generate a sense of conversation. Keep your posts to a maximum of 500 words, use subheadings, and limit each paragraph to 5-6 lines to increase readability and engage skim-readers. Always finish with a conclusion, use relevant photos and cite the sources to increase credibility. Ask readers to leave their thoughts in the comments and don't forget to include your author bio at the bottom of every post, making sure you use keywords relevant to your business. High-value posts improve search engine optimisation (SEO) and that means more customer emails in your inbox. For further advice, I've found these websites very useful: neilpatel.com and writtent.com. Share your thoughts @Linguist_CIOL using #TheLinguist. Q Why did you choose to study Business Management and Modern Languages? A I moved to Spain aged 9, learnt Spanish and Catalan during the ten years I lived there, and worked as a freelance translator aged 14- 23. When I returned to the UK, I wanted to learn more about translating and interpreting, so I decided to study languages at university. Q What opportunities have your language studies given you? A They opened up a whole new world. During my Erasmus year, I worked in the Internationalisation Department at the Universitat de Vic, Barcelona. They took me on due to my exposure to different cultures, interest in marketing and because I am trilingual. The internship gave me the skills I needed to land a job at the University of Roehampton's Study Abroad department, which turned into a full-time role the day I completed my final exam. Q When did you decide to go into marketing? A I've been interested in marketing since How management and languages graduate Samuel O'Connell launched a career in marketing Just the job I was a teenager. I am fascinated by communication and how certain words or phrases can give people similar or distinct feelings and emotions. I believe this interest came from my days translating. The difference between the split-second decisions involved in interpreting and the longer, more time-consuming translation of documents applies to marketing, where an email blast takes time because every word matters, but social media channels involve more instantaneous and reactive communication. Q How did you get the position at GovNet Events? A After leaving Roehampton, I worked for Worldwide Business Research and then got a job as Marketing Manager at GovNet Communications. My Head of Division moved from the training forum part of the business to the conferencing division, and approached me to join him as Senior Marketing Manager. My language skills weren't essential to the role but they did make it easier, as other members of the team are international. I've just been promoted to Head of Marketing. Q Describe an average day… A My day mostly consists of managing a team of four, writing content for our events, liaising with potential delegates and working on strategies for future conferences. Unfortunately, I do not get the chance to use my languages on a day-to-day basis but due to my senior position, I am often tasked with duties that don't feature in my daily routine. Q What do you see as the next steps in your career? A My five-year plan consists of moving to Barcelona and finding a role aimed at brand reputation or product marketing. My girlfriend is Italian and I am currently learning Italian, so I would also consider moving to Italy and searching for a marketing job there.