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I recently listed to an episode of the Advancing Sustainable Solutions podcast called Storytelling for Sustainability and, as a translator, the perspective of how we can use stories to inspire and connect emotionally resonated with me. I regularly work with clients who use stories, either through blogs, articles, videos or their websites – to connect. Using a narrative to communicate can more powerfully capture the reader or listener’s attention and cut through the information overwhelm we all face today.

So what makes a good story?

Think of any timeless story or movie classic. It more than likely has a Setting, Characters, a Plot, a Conflict and a Resolution. More recently, Jeff Leinaweaver, author of Storytelling for Sustainability: Deepening the Case for Change argues that a sixth characteristic of storytelling should be taken into account – Memory. How we recall our past affects how we perceive and configure the different components of a story.

Taking a storytelling approach rather than just presenting the facts can be a powerful tool to transition to a more sustainable future. Stories have a way of sparking emotional understanding that facts don’t. Facts on their own are not necessarily inspiring but wrapping facts in an engaging and compelling way can inspire action, activate more of our brain and create connection.

Understanding what climate neutral cities might look like

In his role helping Swedish cities become carbon neutral, Per Grankvist, Chief Storyteller of Viable Cities says storytelling can enable people to change their behaviour, allow them engage, to envision and make sense of a different future. It is a way of seeing what is possible. For example, showing people how life would be different in a low carbon world can give people hope. He also advises that sustainability stories need to be told in a local context. Storytelling can help communicate knowledge about climate change, but these stories cannot necessarily be universally translated, they need to speak to the emotions and connections people have with their own cities.

This also reflects the important human dimension of a translator’s work; understanding context and localising content so that it speaks to the heart of the target audience and elicits a response. A machine may be able to translate numbers and facts but only a human translator can convey the meaning of stories in a way that truly resonates with others.

Are you thinking of expanding internationally or entering a new market? One of the first things you are likely to do is to have your marketing materials translated. So how do you get your message and call to action across effectively in a different language?

1. Choose a translator specialised in marketing

Take the time to find a translator who is experienced in marketing and who understands your business. Think about it. You wouldn’t want a financial translator translating your highly creative marketing copy, you can give them a call to translate your annual report but not your website or brochure. Translating marketing documents requires creativity, cultural competency and an ability to convey ideas whilst at the same time retaining meaning and eliciting a desired emotional response.

2. Make sure your company name and tagline are appropriate

Your company name, slogan, logo or tagline all feature prominently on your website and marketing materials. I’m sure you’re familiar with some of the more well-known marketing translation fails such as ‘Come alive with Pepsi’ which was rendered in Chinese as ‘Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead’. Beware: a brand name or slogan doesn’t always translate well into other languages and cultures. Getting it right the first time around avoids costly corrective action and damaging your reputation.

3. Provide style guides and glossaries for your marketing materials

Recurring words or phrases are important to your company’s identity and were originally created to make your marketing content memorable and compelling. It’s therefore important to communicate these to help your translator keep these same qualities and style for materials in another language. Your goal should be to maintain brand coherence as much as possible within any cultural limitations.

4. Educate translators about your brand

The more informed translators are about your brand, the more accurate and effective their work will be. The translator’s role as a linguist is to take on board your brand voice and personality. They do this in order to convey these to your target audience in such a way that the message really speaks to them personally. It’s important for you to be able to present your company’s unique value to your desired target audience through culturally relevant communication.

In summary, when you are looking to translate your marketing materials for a new market, it’s important to choose a specialised translator, check the cultural relevance of your brand name and tagline, provide or develop a style guide and educate translators about your brand. Putting these recommendations in place will go a long way to ensuring that your translated marketing content retains its original compelling message and stand-out qualities.

If your product or service is only promoted in one language on your website, non-native speakers of that language may have difficulty understanding it fully. The nuanced features and benefits of your product or service may go unnoticed, resulting in reduced engagement with your brand. For many companies, time and budget limitations can be obstacles to not getting a website translated. Too many companies rely on English being the so-called “language of business”. Don’t forget that SEO can only work in another market if your content is translated.

Can’t read, won’t buy

According to  Common Sense Advisory, 72% of consumers spend most of their time online on websites in their own language. Even though many people around the world understand English to some extent, it is estimated that half of these do not have a good enough command of English to successfully navigate a website. 55% of respondents only buy from websites where information is presented in their own language. As a result there is a reduction in browsing rates for English sites, non-consideration of a product or service and a limited desire to buy. Put simply, people prefer to purchase from a site that is in their native language.

Continue reading “3 reasons why you should translate your website”

So you’re going global and need a translation into English but you have to choose between Australian or British and American English. This will of course be dependent on your audience and where you are selling your product or service. I’m going to focus here on Australian English as I live in Australia! Let’s have a look at the main linguistic differences between the two.

The 4 main differences are:

• Spelling
• Dates and times
• Vocabulary
• Punctuation

Continue reading “What makes Australian English and American English different?”