AAA Translation - We'll Take You Global

60% of global marketers have no strategy for multilingual content marketing, according to a 2013 survey by Cloudworks. Rather than plan ahead, most delay thinking about translation and localization until after their content is produced. This approach, unfortunately, can create a painful, slow and expensive process that increases your chances of missing out on opportunities in emerging markets.

For those tasked with a company’s content marketing, it’s a challenge to produce and deliver all the content required in ONE language…let alone translating blogs, reports, collateral, websites and more into multiple languages. But those who do -- and approach multilingual content marketing with forward thinking and planning -- have a distinct advantage in the global marketplace, which is expected to grow significantly over the next ten years. By 2025, the number of global consumers in emerging economies is expected to reach 4.2 billion, with consumption reaching $30 trillion (McKinsey & Company). And these consumers will want and need information in their own language that also reflects their culture.

Tips for Success

1) First, define clear objectives for your content marketing strategy – overall and for each multilingual market.
2) Consult with your translation provider at the beginning of the planning process to avoid localization pitfalls and save time and money.
3) Create style guides to ensure brand consistency across the multiple languages and cultures. Global brands must not only speak to the different target cultures, but also must ensure a consistent brand message across them.
4) Approach graphic design with localization in mind. Select fonts that are compatible with the translated language and ensure that the graphics are designed with enough space for language expansion across various languages. The same phrase or sentence in one language can be shorter or longer in another when translated; you don’t want to have to recreate every graphic element for each foreign market. For example, Spanish text can grow by 30% in size and Asian text will shrink when translated.
5) Establish a clear review, editing and approval process for translated, localized content.
6) Select appropriate channels. Consumers in different countries use different channels. Google, for example, is far from the dominant search engine in China, Russia or South Korea. Similarly, dominant social media channels are different from region to region.

Need help localizing and translating your multilingual marketing content? We can help you through the jungle!  AAA Translation, now celebrating its 20th year, works with clients around the world in more than 150 languages. Contact us at toll-free at 844.293.3519 or learn more at www.aaatranslation.com.