As a business owner, you should be aware that not all translations are the same.  Marketing translation is very different from say, technical translation. Marketing materials can be very difficult to translate, and you want to make sure that the company you hire to do so is experienced in it.

Depending on the company you chose marketing material can tend to come out looking poor in quality. That’s because it is lumped in with general copy and they process it in bulk. The quality is poor because the marketing material is being printed on the low-quality basic paper stock. Poor marketing material can leave a bad impression on your customers.

The company you hire needs to be able to understand your brand to convey your message in another language.

You want your message strengthened all over the world, and your translator needs to understand how to do that if they don’t know they will provide you with a literal translation of your message that could hurt the brand.

What Makes Marketing Translation Different?

Marketing material is creative; it’s not the same as a technical manual. You need to have that creative message adapted into another language but still keeping true to your brand.

Your message needs to be conveyed in a powerful way to reach people from all over the world, that is the most important goal.

The translator needs to have creative license to work their magic but should also have strong writing skills. A marketing translator should be focused on the tone of voice, and brand values, not just what words are in front of him.

Some Marketing Traps to Avoid

Success and failure in translation can be a slippery road. These following traps can force you to slip into failure pretty quickly.

Humor

Humor can be tricky when it comes to having to translate marketing material. What one culture deems as funny may not be the same in another country. This can be a challenge to adapt humor into another language.

Puns and Metaphors

Puns are used pretty widely in the copywriting world. They use them in taglines and when writing headlines. These are the things that make advertisements memorable and cheeky. But again this is what is considered true to be in one culture; it may not be the same in another. Although it can be translated and sent to another country, the concept of it all may be lost in translation.

Colors and Images

Colors and images are important to marketing materials because it’s what makes a message pop or draws the eye of a customer. The right kind of image will deliver your message without a word being spoken; it will spark emotions within the customer without them even realizing that was your plan all along.

Images, however, can have different meanings if they are placed in different contexts. It’s good to keep in mind that one market can take a message positively while another market can take it negatively.