Being able to reach a large and diverse audience is the key for most brands’ chances of success. A wide number of opportunities exist within each niche; on a global scale, even small areas of interest can be home to the whims and wishes of millions of people. Yet being able to reach all of these individuals effectively isn’t as easy as it might seem.

Language is arguably the biggest divider between different audiences that have similar interests. Brands and businesses often want to reach these audiences through multi-language content creation strategies, but there is a lot that goes into properly translating such content.

Today, we’ll take a look at the basics of what it takes to properly translate your content for a variety of unique markets.

Use Native Speakers

Regardless of your particular level of fluency or that of your writers, enlisting the services of those who are not native speakers and writers of a particular language is not recommended. While there are some situations where pinging servers with translated content by professionals who have mastered the language is acceptable, using native speakers is more likely to ensure the vocabulary, syntax and flow of the content is on-point.

If no in-house services exist, there are many translation services online that offer competitive prices for well-written content in virtually any language. You’ll likely even find writers with a particular regional or local focus in the language, meaning you can target even more precise segments of your target audience based on culture and dialect.

Translate and Transcreate

Translating a message or piece of content from one language to another often isn’t enough. As alluded to above, being able to make the content in question resonate with the audience it is for requires a variety of considerations.

Many brands that utilize translation services understand the importance of transcreation. In short, this involves not only translating the content, but making sure that its tone, dialect, narrative and overall messaging connect with a more specific audience. English-written content for instance may not resonate equally in both New Zealand and the United States: there are different words, phrases and cultural variables that can impact its effect. As such, transcreation is an immensely important piece of the translation effort.

Stick to the Simple

For the most part, keeping things simple when translating content is the best strategy. Depending on exact what type of content you’re translating, this may be easier said than done. Regardless, more complexities – even for native speakers when translating – arise when transforming longer sentences from one language to another.

Besides the fact that most audiences appreciate content that flows easily and uses shorter sentences, it can also make it much easier to translate. If you are paying for translation services by the hour rather than by the word, this can also make the process more cost-effective in the long run.

Breaking the language barrier can be a challenging feat that intimidates many brands and businesses. When done properly, however, pinging servers with content in a wide variety of languages can exponentially grow your reach and influence within a niche.