Digital businesses and services are becoming more popular these days. Their reach across the world is increasing, and they try to target diverse audiences and consumer markets. And to be able to communicate effectively with people all around the world, marketers need to translate their content, but this comes with a big challenge, which involves the complex landscape of cultural differences.
One important aspect of translating advertisement and promotional content is preserving the intended message and cultural context. The cultural background of the translation is vital to know how to approach the audience of that specific country or region. However, only a few marketers have the necessary knowledge to translate their content, so they have to look for people who really understand the task.
In this article, we will explore the importance of cultural sensitivity while transferring a message from one language to another. And you can also understand some strategies to approach the challenge better and ensure successful marketing campaigns.
What is a Cultural Gap?
The cultural gap in marketing translation, and any other translation services, involves differences in cultural norms, beliefs, values, and idiomatic expressions coined in a region. If the translator doesn’t know how to transfer the information, this could lead to miscommunication or misunderstandings. A word-for-word translation may tell you the literal meaning of the message, but it could fail to resonate with the target audience.
For instance, cultural nuances, symbolism, humor, and references play a big role in marketing, and failing to take them into consideration could lead to a bad marketing campaign. If this happens, not only will the translation fail, but the company’s expansion opportunities will also suffer, and it is in this way that the target audience will be the one in charge of not giving the necessary attention to the services offered.
By acknowledging and respecting all the cultural differences that the languages and countries have, translators will be able to build trust, establish meaningful connections, and enhance brand perception. And in order to accomplish that, translators and marketing specialists could use the following strategies.
Strategies to Bridge the Cultural Gap in Marketing Translation
Collaborate With Local Experts
One of the best ways to bridge the cultural gap while translating marketing content is by working with local experts. The experts, who are native speakers of the target language, possess deep knowledge of the culture and can play a crucial role in sensitivity to approach the target audience in the best possible way.
Their linguistic accuracy can help to identify the nuances of their own language. They can also provide explanations of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms that can impact the final result of the translation. And another perk of this strategy is that the experts can provide valuable insights into the target market, like what people like, what expressions would attract more attention, etc.
Adapt the Message
Adapting the message is a very good translation strategy to avoid cultural gaps. If you want to try a word-by-word translation, you can do so, but be sure to analyze the final version in order to adapt the message to the target language. For that, you can hire a native editor or proofreader, who will take into account the language style, the values, the visual elements, and the humor.
Remember that many jokes and idiomatic expressions don’t work the same in English as in Spanish, for example. So, if you focus on delivering an adapted version of your marketing content, you will show respect for the cultural aspect of the country and create a deeper connection between the brand and your audience.
Consider the Consumer Insights
Consumer insights can provide valuable information regarding age, gender, income level, and educational background as well. These factors can influence consumer behavior and preferences, things that can also play a role in translation, because they can help match the messages with the specific characteristics of the target audience.
By aligning the translations with cultural preferences, marketers and translators can improve the connection between the brand and the audience. This allows a meaningful and relevant product/service option for them and their needs. And also, emphasizing the benefits of what is being offered can create engagement and conversion.
Localization Services Instead of Translation
Translation converts information from one language to another by maintaining the meaning and essence of the source text. However, localization goes beyond just translating, considering cultural, linguistic, and regional factors that could negatively affect the reception of the message.
Many people think that localization and translation are the same thing, but they are wrong. Localization provides expertise when adapting the message to a specific region, not only language. Because of that, the content can be more accurate for the target audience of a brand.
Testing and Iterating
If a marketer wants to know if the message is effectively reaching the target audience, and also wants to know what could be causing a negative impact, they should test the translated message. This can give the opportunity to make the necessary changes to ensure that the message will resonate.
You can conduct surveys with members of the target audience to gather as much information as possible and use it in the marketing strategy. Remember that data provides valuable insights into how well the content, and translation, are being understood. And you can do this whenever you want to fine-tune the message to bridge the cultural gap effectively.
Bridging the cultural gap in marketing translation is essential for effective communication and a successful marketing campaign. However, you have to address every nuance that can be found in culture and language, depending on the region. All this can be solved using a correct translation strategy that allows a better connection between the audience and the brand.
So next time you have to translate content from one language to another, take into consideration the localization services available in the market, keep in mind that you can do testing and allow your message to be better by working with natives of the language. If you do all that, the business will thrive in diverse global markets.
