7 Simple Marketing Translation Tips to Expand Your Small Business Globally


7 Simple Marketing Translation Tips to Expand Your Small Business Globally
Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy

12/1/2021

Have you come up with a product you’re proud of and are now aiming for global expansion? One obvious way of growing your small business is to reach out to foreign customers.

However, the biggest challenge to this is the language barrier. Marketing in English may not allow you to connect with the international market properly and can cause confusion.

As per recent research, 76% of customers prefer buying products in their native language. Several globally renowned brands interact with a foreign audience in their language. This includes creating product labels, customer service, and advertising in the target market’s local language.

This might be challenging, especially for small or medium-scale businesses that lack the resources of a larger enterprise.

However, the strategy of acquiring an international audience continues to be extremely effective, regardless of the business nature or size. The time, commitment, and hard work put into marketing efforts would reflect in growing revenue.

This article offers essential marketing translation tips needed for global business expansion.

1. Conduct extensive research

You need to plan well before going further with your marketing translation project. You can’t just provide source content and expect your professional translation service provider to get overnight results.

You need to resonate with the customer's language and regional norms and incorporate them into your marketing efforts.

You also need to understand some basic research aspects of the marketing translation endeavor. These include:

  • The media platforms used the most by your target customers
  • Know if your product delivery strategies are cost-efficient
  • Determine if you can overcome the legal and regulatory challenges of a different country
  • Determine the money and time needed for expanding in the market

2. Know your priorities

The first focus would be to overcome the language barrier. The more languages you target, the higher will be the cost.

It is advised to complete the translation in one language before proceeding to another one. Your target language or languages should be based on your target market, budget, and overall marketing objective.

See Also: 5 Major Reasons Why Businesses Need Translation

3. Determine the content to be translated

After the language, you zero in on the content that needs translation. Try focusing on the marketing content that is most vital for driving customer engagement.

For example, if your business has an online presence, your company website, which is usually the key source of information about your organization, might be the first thing that needs to be translated.

Based on your target audience, you also need to decide which marketing materials you have to translate first. For example, some audience groups might respond well to digital ads, while others might respond better to printed ones.

Your social media presence might also influence others. You’ll need to research well to match the audience group to the medium accurately.

4. Avoid any errors

Choosing a bad business translation service is worse than not translating at all. A poorly translated marketing campaign leaves a negative impression on customers.

They can become less likely to buy than they would if the materials were not translated in the first place.

Your business does not need a PR disaster due to poor marketing. An effective translation takes into account the target audience’s cultural sensitivities, and its language should sound similar to their natural speech.

See Also: What Gets Lost During Translation of Online Courses?

5. Stick to the deadlines

If you want quality results, the time frame will naturally follow. Many businesses do not care about hiring professional translation service providers until the end of the project. This hurts the output quality as delivery is done within quick deadlines.

If quality is not your concern, then the cost involved with hiring multiple translators should be.

That’s because multiple translators working within quick deadlines can get highly expensive with each passing day without giving the expected results. Therefore it is crucial to involve a focussed translation team early in the process.

6. Hire a renowned and reliable business translation service provider

Translation is all hard work and the outcome of intense skills, and therefore, you should be cautious as to which translation services provider you choose.

Many translation service providers have professional teams of experienced translators to meet all your business needs. Hiring a trusted translating firm means you have one less responsibility to handle and can shift your attention to other critical areas.

However, you will need to schedule some time to review the output and make revisions if needed. Depending on the complexity of the task, most translation organizations offer a timeline within which a translation job can be done. This can also help you decide the time needed to finish the project

See Also: 10 Industries That Can Benefit From Translation Services

7. Consider translation as an investment

Translation can bring unimaginable outcomes for the business. It entails strategic planning from beginning to end and should be considered a tool for bringing more traffic to your brand and converting this traffic into paying customers.

Getting your materials translated into an international language is the key to setting your image in the minds of target customers. Professional translators possess the power to match locally produced content to global sentiments. 

Looking for a professional translation service provider? GMR Transcription Services, Inc. is a human translation service provider. We offer expert document translation services at affordable prices within a quick turnaround time. Contact our team for further details.

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Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy is the Cofounder & President of GMR Transcription Services, Inc., a California-based company that has been providing accurate and fast transcription services since 2004. She has enjoyed nearly ten years of success at GMR, playing a pivotal role in the company's growth. Under Beth's leadership, GMR Transcription doubled its sales within two years, earning recognition as one of the OC Business Journal's fastest-growing private companies. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids.