TikTok Shares New Research on the Benefits of Creating Ads in Multiple Languages

Given the projected rise in the Hispanic population in the U.S., it’s worth considering the language that you use in your ads, and whether you’re missing out on opportunities by failing to display your messages in multiple languages.

That’s the key message of TikTok’s latest research report, conducted in partnership with NRG, which looked at how TikTok users respond to bilingual ads, and the approaches that brands can take to help boost their promotions across language barriers.

As explained by TikTok:

“Bilingual audiences are the future of marketing on and off TikTok, as they are the drivers of US population growth. Already the youngest and largest ethnic group, Hispanics will become a third of the population by 2060. This growing population is highly engaged on social and digital platforms, utilizing them not just for personal connections but also as gateways to engaging with brands.”

In line with this, TikTok suggests that brands should invest in bilingual ad development, in order to reach broader and more diverse audiences with their campaigns.

“Brands can create long-lasting connections with this audience by incorporating Spanish language elements in ads, pushing beyond heritage months and speaking to their day-to-day lives year-round through authentic partnership with creators and celebrities from within their communities.”

TikTok’s research found that voiceovers had the greatest impact on upper- and mid-funnel metrics, including brand perception, connection, and consideration when compared to English-only ads.

The research also shows that, with Spanish-speaking audiences in the U.S., ads that use a mix of languages resonate most with bilingual speakers.

“An ad entirely in Spanish doesn’t speak to the dual sense of identity these audiences feel. Layering English and Spanish creative elements to create balance ensures that brands can speak to bilingual users in a way that feels true to their identity as well as appeal to a broader audience.”

Interestingly, the data also shows that English-speaking audiences appreciate brands that go to effort to be more inclusive by including other languages in their promotions.

“When seeing ads that incorporated Spanish, Millennials were 1.6x more likely to say the brand cares about its customers and 1.5x more likely to feel that brand is trustworthy.”

These are some interesting notes, and with the development of AI technology that will soon be able to replace the audio of content with alternative language translations (in sync with the speaker), you’ll soon have even more options to align with this, and create alternate or integrated versions of your promotions in various languages.

It could become a major part of your planning, and TikTok’s data shows that it can drive broad benefits.

You can check out the full report from TikTok here.