Language agencies in South Africa experienced a whirlwind growth spurt over the last decade. The biggest reason for this: A steady supply of volumes of educational publishing work. Periodic curriculum changes meant there was enough writing, editing, translation and proofreading work to fuel the growth of a myriad of agencies, big and small.
As 2014 begins, many of these agencies are faced with a challenge. Educational publishing work is down to a trickle. The new curriculum changes have been implemented and the new schoolbooks have been edited, translated, proofread and published. Small and large agencies alike find themselves having to find a new source of language work to keep their turnover up.
Agencies will have to market themselves creatively and expand to capture new clients and niche markets within the language services market in order to remain competitive. Among the future problems faced by the industry, opportunities abound.
Those with their finger on the marketing pulse, who take advantage of digital marketing and build up brand equity and presence and who rank high on Google search results for relevant keywords, will find many exciting work opportunities.
At Bangula we have been watching these trends carefully and formulated a marketing strategy to expand and take advantage of new work opportunities. We began by expanding our digital presence significantly. We launched a new, WordPress-based website, complete with a regularly updated and informative blog. (Well, we think so. You’re on it right now so send us your comments; we’d love to hear from you!)
We’ve concentrated on linking this site to social media platforms filled with interesting and relevant content, with a focus on increased public interaction. We’ve published an article in the Financial Mail Essentials Newsletter and worked to make sure our site is updated regularly with relevant content and keywords.
Being visible is all good and well, but if you aren’t offering what the market needs then all that marketing effort goes to waste. At Bangula we have added a full range of branding, design and website services to our complement of language services. Companies can now save time and money by outsourcing an entire supply chain to an agency like Bangula, who specialises in project managing and delivers turn-key services in translation, language and branding.
With increased visibility and an exciting new service offering, we’re welcoming the opportunities that 2014 brings in the language services sector of South Africa. Contact us now to find out more.