Know what content marketing tools to localize and why

Depending on your specific industry, you may be spending the majority of your time and resources on translating product packaging and FDA-required copy. While these are important when entering a new country, they shouldn’t be your sole focus. Keep in mind that your new market needs to know about your existence and how to find you. This is where marketing comes into play, and making it a component of your translation process is essential.

That being said, some companies believe that the only marketing content that requires translation is their website. This misnomer is far from the truth. When entering a new region, a successful marketing campaign is required, and this means including an array of marketing tools in your arsenal.

But translation is just half the story. To properly market to your new audience localization needs to be a key component of your entrance strategy.

Why marketing material requires localization

Consider your disappointment if you pick up a medical product from a pharmacy, and after getting home realize that you don’t have a clear understanding as to its usage. Naturally, the first place you will go is online for more information. Unfortunately, the blog isn’t in English, and neither are the YouTube videos. Not only are you still unsure of how to use the product, but feel that the manufacturer of the device isn’t considering you as a potential client it wants to cater to. To avoid this in the future, you switch to a product that is manufactured in your country.

The potential pitfalls of ignoring buyers that reside in another country are clear. By not localizing your marketing content you put yourself at risk of losing consumers that could become long-term, profitable customers.

But, isn’t it enough to just translate marketing materials into the local language?

No, most of the time translation isn’t sufficient. In addition to translating your material into the language spoken within that country, you need to also localize the content so that cultural considerations are being met. To successfully market on an international level, understanding the country’s culture is key. Not only does it enable you to effectively communicate with your target audience, it ensures that you aren’t inadvertently using words, tone, imagery, colors that may be offensive. Think about it… Would an American video that uses a light tone and humor have the same success in China?

Know what you should localize

Before you launch your product in another country, consider adding the following to your list of items to localize.

Web Copy

We’re sure this is already on your list for translation, but take it one step further by localizing your copy. Keep your audience in mind and partner with a language service provider (LSP) who knows how to market to them to rewrite your copy to better capture their attention.

Videos

If you use video marketing to reach your audience, be sure to do your research to see how effective this medium is in the market you want to enter. What if your plan is to enter a developing country? Should you even consider video? Before making that decision, take a look at the numbers for how Internet growth continues to skyrocket globally. The majority of people, regardless of the country, access the Internet through their mobile phones and other handheld devices. Video is becoming a primary marketing tool and is highly popular with users across the globe.

Consider creating new videos or tweaking existing ones to take cultural differences into consideration. Regardless of whether you create new or modify existing videos, you’ll need to include a translated transcription, description and keywords to reach potential customers.

SEO Tags

When building out your localized web content, don’t forget about behind-the-scenes copy. Search engine optimization (SEO) tags and descriptions are what help people find your website. To boost your ranking, you’ll want these to be in the local language of the country that you’re selling your product.

Blog Posts

Blogs continue to be one of the first places people go to when looking for information on a product. But what happens if the blog isn’t in the language they speak? If you’re building out separate sites for each market, hire a writer who knows that audience and can write engaging and intelligent blog posts for your brand.

Emails

Often overlooked, localizing your email newsletters and promotional emails are essential to keep your marketing efforts consistent. Again, remember culture and write in the tone that your audience prefers, as well as provide the type of content that they want.

Summary

When you focus on your target market, regardless of the country, you’ll be able to gain the trust you need to be a success in your new market. Remember, the more resources and content you localize, the better you can engage any audience.

If you’d like to learn more about how BURG Translations helps you ensure high quality translations, contact us today.