How to Make Facebook Ads Show in Vietnamese to Vietnamese Customers: 3 Ways and Which One to Pick

You can run one Facebook ad that shows Vietnamese text to Vietnamese customers and English text to everyone else. Facebook gives you three ways to do it: let the machine translate, write each language yourself, or build a separate ad just for Vietnamese speakers. For most shops the second way is the right one, and this post explains why.

Why do big Canadian brands show up in Vietnamese on your feed?

You have probably seen it. A paint brand or a tool company runs an ad where the picture is all in English, but the caption above it is in Vietnamese. You can understand it, but it reads a little stiff.

They did not hire a Vietnamese writer. Facebook translated the ad automatically into the viewer's language.

Facebook knows which language you use from two things: the language set on your phone, and the posts you usually read and like. Think of a sharp shop owner who hears a customer speak Vietnamese at the door and greets them in Vietnamese.

The good news is your shop can use the same feature. And you can do it better than those big brands, because you can write real Vietnamese instead of machine Vietnamese.

Option 1: Let Facebook translate for you (Translate text)

This is what those big brands are using.

How to turn it on: when you create an ad in Ads Manager (Facebook's ad control panel), the Advantage+ creative section has a switch called Translate text. Flip it on and you are done.

What it does: Facebook's AI translates your main caption and headline into the languages your audience tends to use.

The downsides:

• •You cannot choose which languages it translates into.
• •You cannot edit the translation. Whatever the machine writes is what customers see.
• •It only works on ads with a single image or a single video.

Honestly, this is like asking Google Translate to write your shop sign. People get the meaning, but a Vietnamese customer can tell right away that no Vietnamese person wrote it. For businesses built on trust, like nail salons, spas and restaurants, awkward wording costs you.

Option 2: Write each language yourself (Add languages)

This is the one I recommend.

How to turn it on: in the same ad setup screen, find the Languages section and click Add languages. Set English as the main version and add Vietnamese as the second.

What it does: you type the wording for each language. Facebook then decides who sees which version. Vietnamese speakers get the Vietnamese one, everyone else gets English.

The upsides:

• •The Vietnamese is yours, so it sounds natural and warm, like talking to a regular.
• •One ad, one budget. You do not split your money in two.
• •Each version can link to a different page, so Vietnamese customers land on your Vietnamese page.

The downside: the image or video is shared across all languages. If the picture has English words on it, Vietnamese viewers still see those English words.

A small tip: pick an image with very little text, or just your shop name and a price. That way it works for everyone.

One note: this option does not always appear. It depends on the campaign goal you chose and where the ad is shown. If you cannot find Add languages, try switching the campaign goal to Traffic or Sales.

Option 3: Build a separate ad just for Vietnamese customers

This gives you the most control and takes the most work.

How to do it: create a separate ad group (Facebook calls it an ad set). In the audience settings, under Languages, choose Vietnamese. Then make the image, video and wording fully in Vietnamese.

The upsides:

• •Everything is made for Vietnamese customers: the picture, the video, the offer, the landing page.
• •You can see exactly how many calls and bookings came from Vietnamese customers.

The downsides:

• •There are only so many Vietnamese speakers near your shop. When the audience is too small, Facebook struggles to find enough people and your ad costs tend to climb.
• •You have to split your budget. On a few hundred dollars a month, each side ends up with very little.

This option makes sense when you have a video made for Vietnamese customers, for example the owner speaking Vietnamese on camera.

The three options side by side

What should your shop do next?

Step 1. Open your current ad and check the Translate text switch. If it is on and you have never read the translation, turn it off.

Step 2. Use Add languages, add a Vietnamese version and write it yourself. Write it the way you would text a regular customer. Do not translate the English word for word.

Step 3. Point the Vietnamese version to your Vietnamese page, if you have one.

Step 4. Once you have a good Vietnamese video, try Option 3 with a small budget and compare the results after two weeks.

If these steps feel like too much, message Wizy. We do this every day for Vietnamese-owned shops in Ontario, and the first 15-minute consultation is free.

Reference: Translate Text Feature, Jon Loomer and Dynamic Language Optimization, Meta for Developers

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✍️ About the author: Do Ngoc Hoan Founder of Wizy.ca, a marketing agency for Vietnamese businesses in Ontario. I write to make marketing simple for busy shop owners — no confusing jargon. More at dongochoan.com.