Staff Interview with Tina Na

What led your path to joining the team at Wanderlust Exchange?

Wanderlust Exchange has the same values of sharing culture and exchanging languages. I love learning languages, with a particular interest in English. I have been practicing different Chinese cultures since I was six years old with the profound cultural influence from my family.

It can be sensed there is an increasing interest in Chinese culture with foreigners, especially among those youngsters, when I talk with foreign friends. This led me to having the idea that there should be something to let more young people from around the world learn more about our culture though the language I like. While I was having these thoughts, I met Wanderlust Exchange.

What does a typical week look like for you as the Marketing Executive?

A typical week normally starts with posting on all of our social media accounts, two to three times per week. If it is a program promotion season, updates are done more frequently. Then, I work on interacting with our followers. Sometimes, post reviews are necessary, which means contents of posts will be evaluated and changed to attract more engagement.

Apart from that, multiple career portals need to be maintained on a weekly basis and kept updated on the official site and company profile as well. Additionally, email marketing is also one of my weekly routines.

Why is Wanderlust Exchange unique and what makes the organization easy to market?

The way that the programs have been organized offer what I believe is a true cultural experience for adventurers. There are a wide range of cities with exclusive features to choose from, all of which provide monthly cultural immersion activities that really give participants opportunities not just to watch or listen, but to experience the whole thing in person.

Second, it is about reliability. From Chinese host families to foreign applicants, the selection process of each is careful and the matching process is done with great consideration. Our team takes the necessary time to choose the most appropriate candidate for both the Chinese host family and the au pair to ensure everyone participating in our program has the best experience.

Lastly, prompt and consistent support throughout the program is the top marketing point. Potential applicants are more likely to turn to us if they know there is always someone who can help if something goes wrong.

What challenges do you face in your role and how do you overcome them?

One of biggest challenges of marketing online is to reach as many people as possible and getting them to engage in what we post. To achieve this, I try to change the wording style of our posts, sometimes the posts will be a bit formal, while quirky at other times.

And then we compare the amount of people reacting to different posts to see which one works the best. That gives some clues about which tones may be more suitable to attract more attention. Also, various content has been promoted to help me look closer at topics that attract the majority of targeted audiences.

How does your love for languages influence your work today?

My love for languages led me into this work and it is one of the biggest motivating factors for me to do this job. Language is not merely a tool in my work, it is like a medium bridging me and the work I have been doing together. Through language, I am more willing to engage in my work and enjoy it.

Why is it important for individuals to travel and learn new languages?

Traveling is the best way to engage in societies, to get to know different cultures, and to see how other cultures differ from one’s own. And learning a new language is a great starting point for experiencing a foreign culture and also serves as a fundamental tool in understanding that culture.

Do you have any advice for people trying to learn a new language?

The best and most efficient way to learn languages is to go to the place where the language is spoken. By immersing in an authentic language environment, language learners are able to familiarize with the tongues of a language faster and are more likely to have an accurate accent.

Meanwhile, words and phrases can be practiced through constant conversation with natives. Further, with a real touch of a local culture, language learning can be more concrete and interesting, and the understanding of that culture will be enhanced in return.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

To get to know a world that is different from my own while also being closely related to the one I have been in. To enrich my experience not only through the culture, but the experience of me being a member of society, and to engage with other people from different backgrounds.

What hopes do you have for the future of Wanderlust Exchange?

Offer more opportunities not only for young people from around the world to come to China, but also opportunities for Chinese youngsters to experience a global culture.