As globalization and the global economy have progressed, so needs translation. Companies with a highly scalable business plan tend to quickly hit the ceiling, while tech businesses have continued to expand. Tech businesses’ rapid development ability has been primarily attributed to their globalization. Companies cannot expect their brand to be favorably received in international markets by just running their promotional materials through a machine translation.
Businesses begin to study and invest in initiatives to expand into international markets. The key is localization. You must comprehend the market before entering a new global market.
Localization is essential to the success of businesses looking to enter international markets. A brand gets localized when modified to match a particular area and culture. You should be ready to spend a little bit more funds for a higher quality result when using the excellent skills and experience of the best human translation services.
So, how does localization appear?
Below are the procedures for creating and carrying out a plan for brand localization.
- Market research: Businesses examine international markets to see which ones they should develop into. That calls for some testing and even looking into other businesses’ markets.
- They then choose which elements of their brand should be localized to be sold in other areas. To be appropriately welcomed by locals in international markets, websites, technological platforms, applications, content, videos, products, and services must all be translated and localized.
- Translating the information after it has been determined to be localized is necessary. Human translation is the best approach to ensure that information is translated by someone aware of the cultural differences between the two languages. It is essential to use linguists who are native to the market that a firm is entering, not simply any human translator.
The advantages of human translation
Compared to computer translation, this characteristic of human translation is a drawback. It takes longer and costs more. Nevertheless, an in-country human translator aware of the cultural distinctions between the two translated languages is required if a brand is to be appropriately portrayed.
These are some advantages of using human translators:
- Linguistic proficiency
Human translators may be familiar with particular business jargon. A pharmaceutical corporation would do better with a medically qualified translator than one unfamiliar with pharma jargon when translating crucial user warnings on products.
- Recognizing cultural distinctions
Human translators who are native speakers of the target language know the cultural distinctions between their home country and the predominantly English-speaking westernized culture.
Communication Differences Between Cultures
Language varies significantly from one culture to another. Not all languages have changed in the same way. Various cultures will express concepts differently, and many contemporary phrases and artifacts may not even be used in other nations.
Even the method by which ideas are exchanged varies between nations. While sharing opinions, individuals are more outspoken and forceful in Germany and the US. Asian nations like Japan have more subdued speech.
While discussing business, even colors and symbols might vary. In the US, an arrow going up and representing growth is often green, whereas an arrow pointing down and indicating a decrease is red. In Japan, the meaning is completely reversed: red denotes development, while green denotes descent.
As you would guess, a human translator must comprehend these distinctions when interpreting business messages to avoid humiliating translations.
Technology, politics, target audiences, and language limitations are other culturally complex issues that differ significantly worldwide.
Experts in Local Languages
A human translation by a subject-matter expert in the field will guarantee the accuracy of the content type, business jargon, and native culture of the translator.
Say, for instance, that a law school online is starting to market its courses to Japanese students and wants part of the course content translated. They would locate a translation company with a strong network of translators to help them discover the ideal translator. The best translation for this task would be someone who is native to Japan and is familiar with the cultural nuances as well as the legal jargon and terminology used in the source material.
Quality & Brand Voice
The best human translation service is the only way to localize content for international markets successfully. A branded style guide is also a wise option to guarantee brand voice, tone, and language. To convey one notion, numerous words are necessary. I need a couch, sofa, or ottoman—all of which refer to a comfortable chair-like object to sit in. Also, American English contains many terms that don’t entirely transfer to other languages. A brand may convey the same information consistently across all languages and cultures by developing a style guide for that particular language.
The agency can use its technology, translators, and style guides to translate and localize any content and deliver it back to the client, thoroughly formatted and prepared to serve global markets. After the company found a reliable translation agency, the agency provided suitable human translators that fit the company’s industry, creating a branded style guide.
Final thought
When you pick professional human translation services over machine translation, you will receive the highest-quality translation and bilingualism, creativity, and content that is attentive to the cultural norms and values of the language’s speakers. Your conversion rates are more likely to increase if you choose human translation. Choose human translators if your project requires a high conversion rate. Human translators can manipulate your material to capture the intangible elements. It connects more deeply during the localization process, which involves changing your messaging and applying it to a new and specialized demographic. It is beyond the reach of machine translation. You now have the decision to make.