Sending a document away for translation can be a nerve racking experience especially when the perception of your product or brand are at stake and hang on each any every choice that the translator may make. Here are my top tips on how to achieve a successful translation:
1. Make sure your translator is a native speaker:
When it comes to creative texts only a native speaker knows their language well enough to create a text which sounds right to native ears. You want your message to shine through and not distract your audience with clumsily written English, this will not instil confidence in your brand.
2. Find a specialist:
It is a misconception that a cosmetics translation can be done justice by a generalist translator. Make sure that your translator knows your industry inside out and is up-to-date with current trends, otherwise your translation could end up sounding like it was written in the 1980s.
3. Don't be afraid to communicate with your translator:
A good translator will be interested in your brand and your product, so don't be afraid to give them as much background information about your product as possible and let them know what you want out of the translation - a translator should be your partner and is there to add value to your business.
4. Give your translator enough time
It is a common misconception that a marketing brochure that takes months to produce can be translated in a matter of days. Give your translator enough time so that they can create a text that is just as magnificent and well written as the original. Many translation agencies will quote you very quick turnaround times but it is important to realise that this is because they will often split the text up and divide it between many translators, and the result of course is an inconsistent text both in terms of vocabulary and style.
5. Collaborate with you translator
As when working with any creative professional it is important to keep the dialogue open. The best translation solutions occur when client and translator come together to develop the language that is right for your brand.
6. Take control
One of the most frustrating part of buying translation services is that you sometimes feel like the text is whipped out of your hands and is now beyond your control. Take control of the direction which your document takes - why not provide your translator with a brief. Remember your translator is there as a linguistic specialist who can advise you on cultural and linguisic differences and adapt your text for a different market, but that the translation process should ultimately be a collaborative one.
7. Sit back and relax..
Now it's time to sit back and relax and reap the benefits of a successful translation, safe in the knowledge that your customers (existing and potential) will have confidence in your brand. Communicating with your customers in a different language can be scary, but if you work with your translator you will find the translation process a lot less stressful and find yourself back in the driving seat.
When it comes to creative texts only a native speaker knows their language well enough to create a text which sounds right to native ears. You want your message to shine through and not distract your audience with clumsily written English, this will not instil confidence in your brand.
2. Find a specialist:
It is a misconception that a cosmetics translation can be done justice by a generalist translator. Make sure that your translator knows your industry inside out and is up-to-date with current trends, otherwise your translation could end up sounding like it was written in the 1980s.
3. Don't be afraid to communicate with your translator:
A good translator will be interested in your brand and your product, so don't be afraid to give them as much background information about your product as possible and let them know what you want out of the translation - a translator should be your partner and is there to add value to your business.
4. Give your translator enough time
It is a common misconception that a marketing brochure that takes months to produce can be translated in a matter of days. Give your translator enough time so that they can create a text that is just as magnificent and well written as the original. Many translation agencies will quote you very quick turnaround times but it is important to realise that this is because they will often split the text up and divide it between many translators, and the result of course is an inconsistent text both in terms of vocabulary and style.
5. Collaborate with you translator
As when working with any creative professional it is important to keep the dialogue open. The best translation solutions occur when client and translator come together to develop the language that is right for your brand.
6. Take control
One of the most frustrating part of buying translation services is that you sometimes feel like the text is whipped out of your hands and is now beyond your control. Take control of the direction which your document takes - why not provide your translator with a brief. Remember your translator is there as a linguistic specialist who can advise you on cultural and linguisic differences and adapt your text for a different market, but that the translation process should ultimately be a collaborative one.
7. Sit back and relax..
Now it's time to sit back and relax and reap the benefits of a successful translation, safe in the knowledge that your customers (existing and potential) will have confidence in your brand. Communicating with your customers in a different language can be scary, but if you work with your translator you will find the translation process a lot less stressful and find yourself back in the driving seat.
RSS Feed