Your localisation provider will help you communicate with foreign-language speaking customers all over the world and ensure your brand is faithfully represented but achieving great results and getting the most out of your localisation provider will require your input.
Our latest article highlights some simple methods for getting the most out of your localisation provider and ensuring you achieve your objectives.
Why Use Localisation?
Language services are multifaceted, they don’t just include translation.
Most professional language service providers offer some or all of the following services:
Each of these services are available for different language pairs and can be used as standalone services or in conjunction with others.
Localisation is similar to translation but it is not a word-for-word conversion from one language to another.
Instead, it considers the overall message, objective and meaning implied within the document or text and renders it relatable to a ‘local’ audience.
For example, in an international marketing promotion, localisation would adapt the language, images, logo, taglines and more to fit within the cultural context of the intended audience.
This makes the promotion more relevant to the audience and more successful.
Localisation services often include adaption of the following factors:
• Language – humour, colloquial terms, and so on
• Images – flags, places, buildings, street signs, people, and more, are converted to fit local audiences
• Currency
• Weights and measures
• Phone numbers and addresses
• Text direction – left-to-right languages and right-to-left
• Fonts
• Sounds
• Subtitles
So, localisation is a positive step to take when aiming to target a particular market or region but it also ensures compatibility in areas such as, regulation and compliance.
However, much of the the success of localisation depends upon your localisation provider’s ability to understand your brand, products and services so that they can fully represent you in the best way.
They need to know as much as possible about your brand so they can do it justice.
They’ll be informing a new audience, so it is important they know about your firm, brand, products, services and overall objectives.
Your localisation provider will need to really understand you and they can do this through an in-depth localisation brief.
A good brief will also save time, money and effort during later stages as it can be referred to for answers to most of their questions.
Creating an In-depth Localisation Brief
Creating an effective localisation brief isn’t difficult, you just need to be able to map out your brand ethos, expectations, and predicted outcomes for the project.
The following points will help you create an in-depth localisation brief:
1. Explain Your Brand
Your brand, business, products and services are most intimately known by those who help create or form them so when it comes to explaining these to a third-party, use the people who really know.
Define your brand voice and how you want to engage with your target audiences so that your localisation provider will help send the right message.
Think about how you want your brand to be perceived – should the localised content be humorous, trendy, classic? What reaction do you want to create?
Once you’ve got a solid grasp on this, make notes on everything so you can pass them onto your localisation provider and discuss it.
2. Know your Audience
Your localisation provider will need to know all about your target audience.
Information centred around your audience such as, age, gender, education and so on, alongside information such as, what your audience already knows about your brand and products, will help your localisation provider create a finished product that best suits your requirements and your customers’ expectations.
3. Objectives of your Localisation Project
Pinpointing your objectives for the localisation project is key to meeting your expectations.
If your localisation provider does not understand your objectives, they can’t help you meet them!
Consider points such as, what do you hope to achieve with this project? If you are launching a new product/service, who is it aimed at and why? How do you hope to move your brand forward with this project?
The more information you can give your localisation provider about your aims and objectives, the better the end result will be.
4. Timescale and Budget
The localisation brief you compile will give you a clear idea of the scope and size of the project but it should also include elements linked to your available budget and potential timescales.
If you are looking for a fast turnaround time on your localisation project, you’ll need to be aware that this can impact quality and price so, if possible, allow sufficient time for creating a brief, engaging a professional localisation provider, discussing the project, performing the localisation and editing and checking once complete.
If you are likely to use ongoing localisation services, consider creating glossaries which can be localised and re-used in subsequent projects as this can save time and money.
For more advice on localisation services please check out our dedicated localisation page here, or contact us to discuss your requirements.
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