The Need for Translating and Localizing Marketing Campaigns in Global Business

What is the difference between a firm that manages to merely run a business and a company that has reached the pinnacle of successes in a foreign land? It all boils down to communication, say experts.

Yes, anyone who has the slightest understanding of how marketing works will appreciate the fact that brands that use effective marketing campaigns to connect with customers, end up being the ultimate winners. But accomplishing this is easier said than done. For instance, consider a country like India where there are more than 100 major languages. The only way to tap customers in a country as huge and diverse as this, is by translating and localizing your marketing campaigns, so that your brand’s messaging reaches the masses in the way they understand the best.

In spite of the advantages most companies are tentative committing themselves to translating and localizing their marketing campaigns. This is completely understandable. The cost and complexities involved in a foreign language translation and localization can be a hurdle to entry for even the most established payers in the market. However, companies can afford to adopt a wait-and-watch approach, only at their own peril. They need to be proactive and execute their translation and localization strategy. This is because as per a recent survey, approximately 86% of the localized campaigns clearly outclassed the English campaigns in both customer visits and conversions. And as per another study, while ads in English had a typical CTR of 2.35% and a conversion rate of 7.47%, the localized versions witnessed customer visit rates of 3.34% – an increase by more than 40%, and 9.08% conversion rates – a 22% rise compared to the English campaign. These figures are a pointer to the fact that translation of marketing campaigns opens up huge opportunity to build brand awareness as well as drive customer acquisition.

To get closer to their customers in 2015 and beyond, companies should develop thoughtful translation and localization strategies that integrate with broader marketing and branding strategies. And in case you have neither the resources nor the expertise to successfully translate and localize your marketing strategies, opt to outsource the task to a professional translation service provider. This will give you a chance to enjoy the benefits of translation without any significant cost overheads and thus give you the freedom to focus on other critical administrative tasks.