We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kimberly Martinez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimberly, thanks for joining us today. Do you manage your own social media?

Social media has been an important tool for my business. Most of my clients find my services through LinkedIn, so I have dedicated a big part of my business strategy to this platform, posting regular content and connecting with potential clients and colleagues.

I don’t hire a team to manage my social media. I do it myself because I believe in authenticity. And the result I’ve seen so far is having an engaged audience that knows me better and connects with me on a more personal level.

I strongly recommend that business owners manage their own social media accounts rather than hiring a team. While it may seem convenient at first, there are several reasons to manage your accounts personally. For example, your unique voice and perspective are aspects that an external group cannot replicate.

Instead, you can directly engage with your followers, building trust, growing loyalty, and creating a stronger sense of community around your brand. Managing your social media gives you more control over your online presence, and you can ensure that your messaging aligns with your overall business strategy. You just need to choose the right platforms to find clients and increase your audience, and more importantly, focus on high-quality content that offers value to your followers.

Kimberly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Translations have been one of my best skills since I was young. After studying Spanish and English grammar after college, I knew that was something I was really good at, but I had no idea how to turn that skill into a business until I met my partner ten years ago. He guided me through the right steps to start a translation business that helps people with their translation needs in English and Spanish.

Now Bright Translation provides excellent service and experience to everyone. Our main expertise is in the legal, medical, and educational fields, translating different documents for school districts, hospitals, companies, and anyone who needs a translation service. We’re known for going the extra mile for our clients, giving them a well-translated file where we consider the subtle differences that make each culture unique so they can understand and feel related to the final document.

When it comes to our brand, what makes me most proud is seeing our clients happy and satisfied with our work! Knowing we helped someone with their translations, whether a business deal or a personal message, is truly rewarding. So, if you’re looking for English and Spanish translations, we offer an outstanding service that meets your needs.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’ve read many books during my career as a freelance translator, but two have made a huge impact on my life and business.

One of the books is Company of One by Paul Jarvis. This book helped me rethink how I wanted to grow my business. I read it when I wasn’t sure how to take the next step, and it showed me that growth doesn’t always mean getting significantly bigger. Instead, there is value in staying small and focused. This way, you can maintain control over your work, set the pace that works for you, and build deeper relationships with your clients.

The second book that changed my life is Good Power by Ginni Rometty. This book taught me how important it is to lead with empathy, responsibility, and trust. Ginni’s story of guiding IBM through big changes showed me that being a leader isn’t just about giving orders but supporting others and creating opportunities. I realized that as a freelance translator, I can also be a leader by helping others grow, sharing my knowledge, and supporting other translators or clients when they need guidance. It’s about showing others how to succeed, too.

At the end of the day, we all have different needs for our business. So identify what you need and find the best books in that specific area, such as marketing, selling, etc. Finally, don’t just read the book. Put its knowledge to work!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My most effective strategy to grow my clientele has been giving them an excellent service with high-quality translations. Once you simplify the process for a client and deliver a professional result, then they become an advocate for your services, leading to a lot of positive word of mouth. At the end of the day, word of mouth brings more clients to my business and helps to build a strong reputation based on trust and satisfaction.

Another strategy that has worked great for my business has been using social media. LinkedIn is my favorite platform, allowing me to connect directly with potential clients and get more people to know about my work. I can share my services there, engage with people who are interested in what I offer, and build trust by sharing valuable content.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brighttranslation.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brighttranslator/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-martinez-english-spanish-translator/