Culturally Customized Content
When businesses embark on the creation of country specific websites, and culture specific content, they often need to set a budget.
And the budget for translation looms as vague and difficult to pin down.
This begins a whole series of questions…
- Can we get away with English content?
- Do we need to translate everything we have?
- What sort of translation budget do we need?
So when will you need translation?
In-Depth Market Research
In previous articles, I have shared my view that you should use free translation tools to jump into international market research. This can help you a lot. But sometimes you will need more accuracy.
Many companies will follow up key online market research with a human translation.
- They use the free translation tools to identify key resources.
- And then they follow up with human translations when necessary.
This depends largely on the business environment you are in.
Sales Communication
Yes, you must get all of your sales communications written by a human being.
But I have put this after market research…
Because…
You need to have sufficient international business intelligence to get your sales message right.
So you might want to look at creating sales communication in different stages.
The person most capable of writing your sales communication in a foreign language is a person who already does that in your target country.
You often need time to find this person. It is almost like searching for the “sheep with 5 legs” as they say here in France.
Give yourself time to find the right message and the right person to translate that message.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once you get your main communication translated, remember to provide a series of well thought out Frequently Asked Questions…and their answers.
This usually provides a good return on your investment.
If you have many different languages to deal with, you can test “before FAQ” results with “after FAQ” results to establish viability for one country.
Most businesses do get good results with FAQs in foreign languages.
A Balancing Act
Planning budgets for future translation needs can be tricky.
Keep the points above in mind.
Start early to look for the right person to translate your particular communication needs.
Do not jump into translating all of your current marketing and sales communication - you will probably end up with more targeted communication needs in 6-12 months.
Carefully plan the content you need to translate.
Culture customized content builds stronger connections.
Read more on Culturally Customized Content in these articles:
- Morphing Into A Foreign Culture
- Translations, Foreign Language Content and Culturally Customized Content
- Customize Your Content For Different Cultures
- What Is Your Culture On The Social Web?
- Who Should You Get To Write Your Foreign Language Web Content
- The 2 Main Reasons Why Companies Do Not Have Good Foreign Language Content
- Multicultural Marketing And Colors
- The Phases Of Cultural Communication You Go Through To Increase International Sales
- Info-Products - Writing For International Readers
Here are a few more Translation Tools articles:
- Translation Friendly International English
- Translation Software - It Is Time To Question Old Truths
- Over The Counter Translation Perfection Not Here Yet
- Translation Agencies’ Narrow Vision
- Translate Server Error
- How To Use Online Translation Tools
- Translation Widgets - A Small Step Towards Website Globalization
- Online Translations Tools Write Bad Sales Copy
And read even more in the…
Get International Clients International Sales Road Map
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Culture Customized Content Guide• What is the secret to effective international business development? |
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