Quick Tips for Creating Translation-Ready Content

In today’s increasingly connected business world, more and more companies find themselves pressed to increase their global footprints. To effectively reach an international audience, companies must speak to each locale in a way they understand.

Look at McDonald's for example. The fast-food chain is found in 119 countries throughout the world. Each location changes its menu and product offerings to match the country in which it resides. To relate to their Australian audience, Australian McDonalds locations have added Vegemite to their menus. Taking a trip to India? Hindus believe that killing cows and eating beef is against their religious rules. Therefore, you’ll find the McVeggie at your local Indian McDonald's.

So, you’re probably asking yourself, “What does this have to do with translation?” McDonald's represents a company that adapts and speaks to each audience in a way they can understand. Adapting your approach, your offerings, or even your content to your target international audience is one of the easiest ways to increase your brand’s footprint in the international market.

When setting out to translate your content, the following tips can help you reduce the costs associated with translation by shortening the time it takes for the translation to occur.

Research, Research, Research

Before setting out to create content, think about what countries you anticipate your content to reach. Put yourself in the position of someone in that culture. Pretend you are someone reading your content. You want to ensure what you are writing about isn’t offensive or isn’t a topic that wouldn’t be understood in the respective culture. This is where working with a top localization company like SimulTrans helps. Your localization partner should have an understanding of the cultures for which they translate.

Keep it Simple

We often take for granted our knowledge of our own language. When you create content that you intend to have translated, write as if you are talking to someone just learning English. Therefore, avoid run-on sentences. Try to stick to one thought per sentence. Stay away from slang that only we would know (e.g., raining cats and dogs, sweating buckets, etc.). If you must use marketing or technical buzz, be sure to define what it means for the translator so he/she can translate it in a way that will be meaningful for the target audience. Finally, international audiences don’t necessarily understand passive voice. Be sure to keep your writing in an active voice.

Pro tip: if you can end a sentence with by my grandma, it is a passive voice (e.g. The house was built ‘by my grandma’).

Technology Tips

800 numbers do not work outside of North America. Keep this in mind if you are translating for outside of the US, Mexico, or Canada. You will want your target audience to have a means of contacting you if they want.

Think About Your Layout

In the US, a 10-point font is perfectly acceptable for a brochure. However, when translated, generally, the result will be longer than the submission. For example, when translating English into French or Spanish, the translation will generally be about 15 to 30% longer than the original. For German or Dutch, it can even be up to 35% or more. Technical texts, especially about mathematics, physics, or also about legal or economic issues, usually extend a translation much less than, say, a literary translation. Thus, when creating your content, remember that just because it fits into two pages in English does not necessarily mean it will fit the same size once it’s been translated. Be flexible with your layout. Chances are you will have to adjust it once you get your translated content back.

Think About Your Color Choices

Not all color is created equal. The chart below shares what some different colors mean to different cultures.