Transcription has many well-known applications in the business world, from preserving the contents of a conference to archiving corporate presentations — but there are less formal uses for transcription, too. Take brainstorming sessions, for instance. Those hodgepodge meetings where people bounce ideas around the room are potential gold mines of information, and therefore worth recording and transcribing.

From public relations firms to advertising agencies to healthcare facilities, all types of businesses can reap these five benefits if they transcribe their brainstorming sessions.

1. Keep Thoughts from Slipping Through the Cracks

When you gather a group of individuals together in one room to tackle a problem, ideas can start flying pretty fast. As one suggestion spawns another, it’s common for some ideas to get sidelined or missed entirely.

A transcription of your business’s brainstorming meetings helps to keep rapidly-introduced ideas and concepts from falling through the cracks.

You don’t want to miss out on a great idea just because someone forgot it, didn’t get to finish a thought, or simply didn’t express a good concept eloquently enough to capture the group’s attention at the time.

2. Save Time Down the Line

Brainstorming sessions can be extremely productive, but they can also get hectic and disorganized. Sometimes what is scheduled to be a 15 minute briefing can turn into an hour long discussion — and not all of that discussion will necessarily be on topic.

By recording and then transcribing all the ideas introduced in an initial brainstorming session, you can skip subsequent meetings to rehash or recall the content of the first meeting. It’s easy to provide those involved with a handout of key points or send a quick email update. This saves the company time and allows new ideas to be enacted quickly.

What’s more, using professional business transcription services means the work is done for you, so your company doesn’t have to spend time and manpower on employees writing down all their ideas individually.

3. Have an Easy Format to Consult

By having brainstorming sessions not only recorded, but also transcribed, the company gains a hard copy of the brainstorming meeting that’s easily searchable.

Not only can this record be used to refresh the memories of those present during the initial brainstorming session, it can also be passed on to employees and/or supervisors not present at the time. They can provide feedback on what ideas look best and get the ball rolling on new projects.

Having a typed record also serves as an easy way to keep track of a project timeline. You can quickly see how brainstorming sessions are advancing a goal while also learning about potential pitfalls to avoid in future meetings.

4. Know Who Said What

When you gather together a bunch of staff members who are experts on a topic, product, or service, there are bound to be good ideas in the room. However, when ideas start flowing and suggestions are coming from all corners of the room, it can sometimes be difficult in hindsight to recall which employee advanced which idea.

Having a written transcript of what was said — and who said it — will allow you to immediately pinpoint the suggestions that matter most and pick the brains of your most valued employees.

5. Find the Best Ideas in a Snap

Sometimes we take a great idea that comes up in a brainstorming session and rework it and rework it until… it doesn’t sound so great anymore. If you make recordings and transcriptions of business meetings where ideas are first voiced, it’s possible to turn back to the original, spontaneous thought — and those ideas are often the best ones!

By rereading transcripts of brainstorming meetings, you can rediscover such thoughts and help your business strike conceptual gold.

How Accredited Language Can Help

At Accredited Language, we have more than 35 years of experience providing high-quality language solutions. Our  transcriptionists are known not only for their outstanding linguistic skills, but also for their expertise in specialized fields including business, advertising, and marketing. If you’re considering transcription services for your next brainstorming session, contact the professionals at Accredited today.

Call us at 1-800-322-0284 or simply fill out our free quote form.

As more companies expand across the globe, HR translation has become increasingly important.

After all, HR is often considered the backbone of most businesses, and from recruiting and culling new team members to making sure current employees understand and comply with company guidelines, human resource professionals need to be able to communicate effectively.

Whether your company exists in just a few other countries or has locations all over the world, it’s time to consider the benefits of HR translation for your business.

Appeal to Employees from Other Countries

The beauty of going global is that you have your pick of employees from all over the world. Of course, if you’re trying to recruit people from countries where the residents don’t speak much English, you’ll need some translation help.

This begins with job postings. The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure every job posting you currently have drafted in English is free from idioms and industry jargon. Copy that is straightforward and avoids any overly clever language will most easily be translated into your desired target language.

After you’ve posted your job listings and the resumes start rolling in, you’ll also need translation services from your target language back into English. You can then accurately evaluate each candidate to find the perfect match for your business’s open positions.

Lastly, once you’ve recruited your international employees, you’ll want to make sure they fully understand their job duties, the contracts they’re signing, and any immigration forms they have to fill out. Again, it’s best to hire a professional to carefully translate any forms you use during the recruiting process.

[Note: During the interview process you may also want to enlist the aid of a professional interpreter.]

Properly Submit & File Important Paperwork

Once you hire new employees, the paperwork has just begun. They might have their immigration documents, contracts, and similar forms all finished and filed away, but that’s not all they’ll need.

There are several types of additional documentation you’re global employees with need to fill out during the on-boarding process. These documents may include paperwork related to:

• Benefits
• Health insurance
• User names & passwords
• Consent and agreement forms
• Emergency contact information

With professional HR translation you can rest easy knowing that your new international recruits are providing the correct information for all internal paperwork.

Make Sure Employees Understand Training Documents

After newly recruited employees are entered into the system, you’re bound to have a welcome packet full of important information that you’ll also want to ensure your employees can understand. These documents may include:

• Company guidelines
• Company policies
• Vacation and paid time off documents
• Position overviews

The translation of these documents is vital to a proper on-boarding experience. Otherwise, an employee might not understand concepts that include how to call in sick, take personal days off, or report problems to HR.

If you have training videos, you’ll also need to have these translated. If the video does not feature any written content, a professional translation service will also be able to provide you with subtitles or a voice over, where necessary.

When your employees are properly trained in a language they understand, it makes for an easy transition into the company.

Communicate Effectively with Employees

Even when employees are feeling comfortable in their new position, you need to continue to provide HR translation. This is important for when the HR department sends out emails or even writes quick notes to employees.

Similarly, the HR department should provide translation for:

• Newsletters
• Blog posts
• Important announcements
• Company event invites
• Other types of company communication

This way, you can be sure all of your employees are on the same page and cannot claim they did not understand the information given to them.

How Accredited Language Can Help

Professional HR translation makes for effective and efficient global business, and at Accredited Language, we have the experience and know-how to bridge any language barrier. From the translation of benefit booklets to company regulations, our experienced translation team offers professionally translated, localized copy adapted for your target audience on a budget and timeline that meets your needs.

Contact Accredited Language today to learn how we can assist you with your HR translation needs.

Call us at 1-800-322-0284 or simply fill out our free quote form.

When you need to organize conference audio equipment for a presentation, you may wonder whether you should buy the equipment you need or rent it. There are pros and cons for both options, but it can be hard to ignore all the noise and determine what best suits your needs.

When deciding whether to rent or buy conference audio equipment, you need to consider a number of factors, including cost, your technical capability, and your current and future needs.

Pros of Renting Conference Audio Equipment

Renting audio equipment can ultimately result in fewer hassles. By renting, you don’t have to worry about finding storage space for your equipment when not in use. And companies that rent equipment can usually transport it to the venue where it’s needed so you don’t have to worry about lugging heavy speakers around either. They may also be able to set up the equipment and operate it.

Renting audio equipment can also lead to fewer headaches in the long-term. You won’t be on the hook for any routine maintenance fees or stuck with a piece of out-of-date equipment that you’ll need to upgrade or replace later.

Cons of Renting Conference Audio Equipment

Of course, renting audio equipment can sometimes be prohibitive. Obviously, rental fees can add up, but there are other costs to consider. You may end up needing equipment for longer than what you originally planned, resulting in extra fees you might not have budgeted for.

Renting also means a bit less flexibility in staging events on short notice, since you’ll need time to arrange the services of your rental company. This can make trying to organize a quick meeting or presentation more difficult.

Pros of Buying Conference Audio Equipment

If you decide to buy audio equipment, you won’t have to worry about arranging rentals with outside providers and paying fees every time you need to make a presentation. Buying your own gear means only paying once up front and being able to use the equipment you need whenever it’s required.

This is especially true if you buy versatile items that can be reused and put to multiple purposes, such as microphones or PA systems. Assuming you use the equipment often enough, it will eventually pay for itself in the form of rental costs you no longer need to worry about.

Cons of Buying Conference Audio Equipment

Of course, if you buy audio equipment, it means you’re responsible for its storage and upkeep. And to make the most of your investment, you’re obligated to use that equipment. This is great when the gear is equal to the task at hand, but when your needs aren’t met by the equipment you’ve got, it hampers your flexibility.

This could be a problem if you have a guest speaker who’s accustomed to using equipment you don’t have, for instance, or if your equipment isn’t compatible with a potential venue.

So Should You Buy or Rent?

There’s no easy answer to whether you’re better served by a purchase or a rental. Take these factors into consideration before you decide whether to buy or rent audio equipment for your next conference:

• Versatility of the equipment — If it can be used for multiple projects, it may be worth buying. On the other hand, specialized, single-function equipment tends to be more suited to renting.
• Your future needs — If you’re certain you’ll be using the same piece of gear again and again, you should consider buying it. If it’s just going to gather dust on your warehouse shelf, it might be best to rent it only when you need it
• Your technical expertise — If you’re inexperienced in setting up and operating audio equipment and don’t have a technician readily available, you may be better off renting — the peace of mind that comes with an expert technician is highly valuable, and they can save you time when it comes to set up and take down.
• The equipment’s shelf-life — Some pieces of equipment stay useful for decades, while others need to be upgraded every few months or years. Consider the cost against the lifespan of the equipment — frequently-updated models might be worth renting as opposed to buying.

In many instances, you’ll be best served with a little bit of both: buy the gear you know you’ll use often, and rent what you need to fill in the gaps. By taking into account your current and future needs and capabilities, along with your budget, you’ll be able to determine whether you should rent or buy the audio equipment you require.

How Accredited Language Can Help

If you’re unsure what type of audio equipment you need and whether you’d be better served renting or buying, contact Accredited Language today. We’ll help you determine the best course of action and can provide you with not only the necessary audio equipment, but also trained interpreters and audio engineers where necessary.

Call us at 1-800-322-0284 or simply fill out our free quote form.

Advertising agencies and PR firms have specific and unique needs when it comes to translation. From press releases to ad copy, advertising translation requires a developed knowledge of not only a language, but also the cultural background behind the words.

Advertising translation can be a key way to expand your international client base — if you know the tricks of the trade.

Remember these tips when translating your advertising materials:

1) Know your audience.

Before you begin translating your copy, decide who you want to target. Who will be the most receptive audience for your message or product?

Be as specific and thorough as possible when choosing which audiences to target. For example, if you’re considering a Spanish translation, think about which Spanish market you’re aiming for: South America, North America, Europe? There are several different dialects within the Spanish language. You don’t want to be promoting the same ad in Spain that you would in Mexico.

Also, consider the age of your audience as this will likely affect the copy being translated. Maybe you want to invest in two separate translations; one for a younger audience and one for a more mature demographic.

The more you narrow down your focus and pinpoint your target market, the better the chances you’ll receive a translation that actually attracts buyers.

2) Expand your options.

There are dozens of ways to reach international audiences, so expand your advertising translation materials to cover new and varied channels of communication.

Print advertising and press releases are solid standbys, but translating your website content and publishing press releases or blogging about a product in other languages can be an immediate way to reach thousands of far-flung readers.

You might consider starting a profile on social networking sites like Twitter or Instagram specifically catering to speakers of another language. Or launch an email marketing campaign. Remember to include these newer forms of media in your advertising translation plans.

3) Focus on localization.

In the marketing industry, localization is the adaptation of all elements — from design to cultural references — for a specific audience. Little changes in an audience can mean big changes in response rates and sales numbers.

Even if two groups speak the same language, they might require different translations for advertising. Ads for a “torch” in the UK will leave American readers confused unless the word is changed to “flashlight.”

Localization can solve these issues, from common words to date formats and measurement conversions.

4) Consider the whole package.

There’s more to translation for advertising than just the text. Remember that graphics, layout, and design can be just as important to grabbing the attention of an international audience.

These changes not only affect the feel of any marketing material — sometimes they are also necessary for the translation’s legibility. You might need to make allowances for the direction in which the language is read, or the physical space that a different script or alphabet takes up.

The design specialists at Accredited Language can customize the look and feel of documents and websites for a specific audience to make the right statement in any language.

5) Keep an open mind.

If you’re looking into translation for advertising, chances are you already have an idea that works well in its original language and that you might be attached to.

It’s important to maintain a degree of consistency throughout any marketing campaign – that’s what makes your brand, company, or product recognizable in any language. But remember that what works in one language may not always be right in another.

Keep your target audience at the forefront of your mind in any advertising translation project. Staying open to new ideas will make sure your message isn’t lost in translation.

Have you recently run a new advertising campaign targeted towards non-English speaker? Are there any tips you think we missed? Let us know in the comments below!

How Accredited Language Can Help

If you’re ready to get the ball rolling on advertising translation for your company, contact us today and start reaching a whole new market!

Our experienced translators are fluent in not only the source and target languages, but also industry terminology. What’s more, we offer localization services to keep your brand image and message consistent across the globe.

Call us at 1-800-322-0284 or simply fill out our free quote form.

Training videos are valuable opportunities to welcome new hires — including bilingual employees — into your company and make them feel comfortable in their new work environment. If your new hires can’t understand the message behind your training video, however, then you have the makings of a very confused workforce.

The addition of subtitles to your training videos to communicate with your bilingual employees will go a long way toward developing a confident and competent workforce.

Subtitles for training videos will:

1) Make the Right First Impression

Training videos often serve as an introduction to your company to new employees, so it’s important to make the right impression. Subtitles can help clarify the critical points in your training video that may not be immediately clear to bilingual hires.

Technical details regarding safety hazards or emergency procedures, for example, could easily become confusing to someone not familiar with such specific terminology in another language. Accurate subtitles help ensure that such details will be communicated to the entire audience of your training video, helping to ensure the safety of your entire workforce.

2) Keep Your Message Consistent

When attempting to communicate with new employees at multiple locations across the country — or even around the world — it’s important to maintain a single message to get all new hires on the same page.

Subtitles for a company-wide training video allow you to create the single message that’s most effective for your company. By adding subtitles, you can extend the reach of your video without having to alter or compromise what you want to communicate to your employees.

3) Use Localized, Effective Language

Effective training videos should use language that’s familiar and immediately understood within the context of the workplace. Words often have different meanings in other languages and cultures, making bilingual training that much harder.

Adding subtitles can help by localizing the language used in your training videos. Subtitles help create a message that’s more familiar to your bilingual employees while maintaining your video’s meaning.

4) Help Improve Productivity and Efficiency

When new employees are well-trained at the start of their careers, they are more likely to feel confident in their work. This in turn should allow them to be more productive and efficient.

Subtitles for your training videos ensure everyone knows and understands their new roles within your company. This helps new workers become better equipped to handle their work. Possession of greater knowledge and confidence should allow new workers to perform their duties right away without constantly having to question what they are supposed to be doing.

How Accredited Language Can Help

Help your bilingual employees understand your message and feel welcome in your company by adding professional subtitles from Accredited Language to your training videos. Contact us today to learn more about our subtitling services, which are available in 200+ languages and dialects.

Call us at 1-800-322-0284 or simply fill out our free quote form.

So you’re hosting a multilingual conference. You’ve got your venue, your speakers, your attendees, your interpreters, and last, though certainly not least, your audio engineer who will provide audio services.

Though you may not know much about this last figure, there are a few things you should keep in mind to help your audio engineer provide the required services with ease and success.

It should be noted that you don’t necessarily have to perform all these steps yourself.

One of the advantages of using a full-spectrum provider of language and conference services is their ability to gather information and make the appropriate arrangements. By supplying some basic information, you can often step back and let your language and conference services provider take care of the relevant details.

1) Schedule Time to Set Up and Test Equipment

The amount of time you will need before the conference for the audio engineer to set up all of the equipment and make sure it is functioning properly depends on what equipment you will be using at the conference. For instance, if you are using a full interpreting booth, you will need more time to set it up than if you are using a half booth.

The set-up time also depends on how many receivers or headsets you are planning on using at the conference. If you are hosting a conference where 400 attendees will need receivers to listen to an interpreter, you will need to set aside more time to configure and distribute them than if your conference requires just 40 receivers.

At a minimum, plan to have your audio engineer arrive at least 90 minutes before the conference is scheduled to begin. Regardless of how little equipment you may be using, you want enough time for the engineer to test everything and make sure it is working properly. Leave time to fix audio levels and sound channels before the conference begins instead of scrambling to make adjustments during a presentation.

2) Find Out Where Audio Engineers Can Load in Equipment

Many conference venues — whether hotels or corporate offices — have rules about where and when you can load conference audio equipment into the building. Often, sites will not allow you to bring the equipment through the front door, so be sure to find out if there is a loading dock or alternative entrance prior to the day of the conference and let the audio engineer know this information in advance.

At some conference venues, the proper entrance to use for loading in equipment may vary depending on the time of day. For instance, you may be able to bring equipment through the main entrance during off-peak hours, but during prime traffic times (say, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.) you may be required to use an alternative door.

You also want to make sure that whatever entrance you plan on using is properly equipped for the items to be loaded through it. This may mean ensuring that the doorway’s dimensions are large enough to accommodate the equipment or checking to see if the loading dock has a lift gate to assist in loading it from the truck.

Every site has its own unique facilities and rules, so be sure to check in with facilities management in advance.

3) Determine the Facility’s A/V Capabilities

Before the conference, it would be wise to speak with an A/V representative (or similar authority) from the conference venue to ensure that your audio engineer is able to provide the required services without a hitch.

In this conversation, you will first want to ensure that there is a way to run a direct line from the conference room’s PA system to the equipment that the audio engineer will be bringing. This will enable the audio of the presenter(s) to be transmitted directly to the interpreting booth so the interpreters can carry out their jobs properly.

You will also want to determine the proper location for the interpreting booth, whether that’s in the back of the conference room or in a separate room altogether. This should ideally be decided well in advance of the audio engineer’s arrival, so that he or she can get right to work setting up and testing the equipment on the day of the conference, ensuring everything stays on schedule.

4) Anticipate and Prepare for Potential Issues

If you give your audio engineer enough time to set up and test the equipment properly, everything should work just fine during the conference — but there is always a chance that a problem will arise.

One of the attendees can’t hear the interpreter through the receiver? Don’t panic. The audio engineer will handle it — and the issue can usually be fixed by simply replacing the battery. But just to be sure, the audio engineer will quickly test the receiver and, on the off chance that it isn’t a matter of a drained battery, he or she can provide a replacement receiver.

How Accredited Language Can Help

Planning a multilingual conference is a lot of work, even without having to worry about the technical aspects of interpreting equipment. Luckily, with the help and services of a professional audio engineer — such as those provided by Accredited Language — you won’t have to worry about such things.

If you prepare yourself and the facilities for the audio engineer in advance, you should be free on the day of the event to focus on all the other pressing details that go into coordinating a conference.

For professional interpretation for an upcoming conference including interpreting equipment and audio engineers, contact the professionals at Accredited Language today. With more than 35 years of experience, we are the premier source of language support.

Call us at 1-800-322-0284 or simply fill out our free quote form.

Language localization involves adapting content to another market so that it resonates with people from a different culture. Translating the words is just a start, since graphics and videos also need to be modified for each different market.

Many large online businesses and corporations make a point of factoring localization into their marketing and content strategies, but they’re not the only ones who can benefit from this.

Any startup that plans on eventually going global should look into localization now rather than later. Take a look at the reasons for this and how to get started on your own localization efforts.

Why Localization for Startups is a Good Idea

Though they obviously start out small, the goal of most startups is to grow their membership fast, reaching as many people as possible. For many startups, especially in the tech world, globalization is a natural part of this process.

Even if your initial plan is to focus on US markets, there’s a high probability that you’ll want to expand your reach once you’ve established a strong footing in local markets. Localization from the get-go can ease your startup’s transition into these other markets — not to mention the myriad US multilingual markets you can reach.

Why not make things easier on your future self by preparing for this ahead of time?

Plus, investors like long-term plans, so if you need their support, planning ahead for globalization is a smart move. It shows not only that you intend to grow, but that you know exactly how you will do so through content and marketing localization.

After all, when you reach out to global markets – which more than half of US companies eventually do – people appreciate seeing marketing materials in their own language.

They also like to see graphics, colors, date formats, and other details that make sense to their culture, which is why localization is crucial if you want to get their attention.

How to Get Started with Localization for Startups

Localizing your content doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You can start small, especially if you’re new to the game.

Focus on Key Landing Pages & Languages

Instead of translating your entire website into dozens of different languages, start by translating the most important pages into the language of the first market you plan to reach. Popular pages to translate include product/order pages, about pages, and contact pages. Depending on your company and marketing goals, you may find that other pages are more or less important.

Once you have the time and money to spend on more advanced localization, you can begin to expand your efforts to include other targeted markets as well as additional site content such as your company blog or promotional videos.

[Quick tip: Wondering what languages are the most popular among internet users? We’ve got you covered.]

Keep Copy Simple & Translation-Friendly

If you want to make localization as easy and fast as possible for your startup, try to keep your messaging concise and easy for a global audience to understand. And avoid idioms that would be difficult to translate to a non-English speaking audience. This kind of translation friendly content can save you a lot of future headaches.

You should even keep localization in mind when naming your business.

Internationalize Website Software

Internationalizing website software is another way that many startups are able to keep the localization process simple. This means you should use software that can accommodate the unique characters and mix of text directions and sizes that you will need when you localize your content.

That way, you won’t have to start from scratch when you decide to expand your global reach. Instead, you can take the written content you have and hire a professional translation service like Accredited Language to both translate and localize it.

How ALS Can Help

When your company is ready to start localizing its content and marketing materials, contact the professionals at Accredited Language and discover how we can help you reach a wider audience. With more than 35 years of experience and linguists who specialize in 200+ languages and dialects, we are the premier source for translation and localization support.

Call us at 1-800-322-0284 or simply fill out our free quote form.

If you’re looking to expand the appeal of your website to multiple countries, you’ll need to translate the content into several different languages. But how exactly do you go about website translation? And how can you ensure that your translation will be successful?

As long as you pay attention to these four website translation best practices, you can be confident that you’ll end up with a site that is both accurate and effective in every language.

1) Choose a Quality Method of Website Translation

You have a few options when it comes to the translation method for your website. Many sites use machine translation because it’s fast and easy, but it’s also the least accurate. Companies that rely solely on machine translation frequently find themselves in embarrassing and often reputation damaging situations.

To ensure that your website translation is accurate and speaks directly to your targeted audience, you should work with an experienced translation company like Accredited Language. Yes, the overhead will be greater than if you simply used a free online service, however, the return in investment will more than make up for any initial costs.

If you’re a smaller company and on a very tight budget you should, at the very least, hire a professional translator to proofread the translations you get from any translation software you use.

2) Translate Content to the Right Languages

There are so many languages in this world that it’s impractical (if not impossible) to translate your website into all of them. Instead, pick a few key languages to focus on. Some of the most popular languages to start with include Spanish, French, Chinese, German, Japanese, Italian, and Portuguese.

Of course, there might be other languages that are more appropriate for you site — it all depends on your target audience. If you’re not sure which language is ideal for you, a great starting point is to take a look at where your current users are accessing your website. If people keep opening it in a specific country, you might have just discovered a new market.

3) Make It Easy for Readers to See Their Preferred Language

Your next step is to ensure that readers are quickly met with text in the language they can read. Make it easy for them by placing the language menu at the top of the page, where it’s clearly visible and easy to click on.

You can even set up your website so that it automatically detects each reader’s location and chooses the prevalent language for the area. Of course, you should still make it possible for readers to change the language in case they don’t speak the same language as the majority in their area.

Whichever option you choose, make sure your website remembers the language preferences. This way, readers will see content in their preferred language right away every time they visit your website.

4) Select the Right Format for Each Language

Lastly, when translating your website, make sure you pay attention to the different formatting requirements used in each language. For example, in French, the calendar date is listed with the day first followed by the month and year (i.e. day/month/year) as opposed to the customary month/day/year format used in the US.

You’ll also want to make sure phone numbers and addresses are properly formatted for each language. Otherwise, readers might not be able to contact you and you could loose out on potential sales.

Additionally, while English speaking countries read websites in an F-shape pattern, paying attention mostly to what’s located on the left side, this is not the case for countries where languages such as Arabic (which is read right to left) persist.

How Accredited Language Can Help with Website Translation

These four best practices will help you create the multilingual website your readers deserve, improving their chances of visiting it frequently and increasing your chances of forming lasting user relationships.

Contact the professionals at Accredited Language to learn more about our website translation services and how we can assist you. With more than 35 years of experience, we are a premier source of translation support.

Call us at 1-800-322-0284 or simply fill out our free quote form.

Any brand that’s targeting customers in multiple countries will need marketing translation in order to directly appeal to their new, multilingual consumers.

This process involves taking all kinds of marketing content – from ad copy and social media posts to video scripts and product descriptions – and translating it into local languages and dialects. However, translating for marketing purposes is more than just a simple direct translation, it is much more nuanced and involves everything from the words used to the colors chosen.

Before you hire a professional to translate your marketing copy, it’s helpful for you to understand just how it works.

Marketing Translation Is Different Than Document Translation

The process of translating marketing materials varies a bit from standard translation. This is because the translator needs to find a way to communicate the same business message in one or more languages.

This is crucial to your brand, because what appeals to one audience won’t always appeal to another audience in a different country. And if your content offends the people who speak a particular language, your brand image will suffer as a result.

Additionally, with marketing translation, a wide audience will see your content, whether it’s on a billboard or social media. Compare this to the content a medical office gives out only to patients, or the technical copy that a company only lets employees read.

In those situations, you have more control over who reads your content, while taglines, website content, and other marketing copy is all in the public eye. This is why your marketing translation needs to be accurate and why you should hire a professional with experience in marketing specifically, not just with translating legal, medical, or technical copy.

Idioms Don’t Travel Well

It’s not uncommon for a brand’s copy to feature idioms and metaphors. The problem is that while these are often appreciated by the audience in one area, they might fall flat in another country that doesn’t speak the same language.

The target audience has to understand the reference in order to comprehend an idiom, metaphor, or any type of play on words. Fortunately, marketing translators take this into consideration when preparing content for different languages.

The result is that they won’t translate the copy word-for-word. Instead, they will change the reference completely for each audience. This means that even if you translate a tagline from English to Spanish, for example, the translations won’t match. However, the message will remain the consistent.

A Brand’s Values and Voice Need to Shine Through in Every Language

The bottom line is that no matter which words you use in your marketing copy, they need to convey the same thing: your brand’s voice. So whether you’re marketing in China, France, or the US, the content should have a similar voice, even though the words and possibly the literal meanings may vary.

In addition, marketing copy should reflect brand values in every language. It might take different words to relay the quality of your brand in every country you’re targeting, but those words should add up to the same message.

How Accredited Language Can Help with Marketing Translation

Fortunately, there are professionals — like those at Accredited Language — who are experienced enough with marketing translation to know how the process works from beginning to end. This can help business owners feel confident that their message is being relayed correctly in every targeted language.

Contact us today to learn how our professional marketing translators can make your brand come alive in any language.

Call us at 1-800-322-0284 or simply fill out our free quote form.

You’ve taken the time to put together a professional, high-quality explainer video for your company’s newest product. Each graphic has been carefully selected and the on-screen text hits all the big points. But is it enough? Will consumers actually understand your product features and, more importantly, will they be moved to purchase it?

Many companies, when faced with the problem described above, find a solution in voiceover services. Voiceovers allow companies to go into greater depth when explaining products than using just images and on-screen text alone. However, incorporating a voiceover means more initial overhead.

Should you invest in a voiceover for your next explainer video? Read on to learn when your explainer video would most benefit from a voiceover, as well as some instances where you might be able to forgo it. Plus, we’ve also included some tips to help you select the right voice talent for your product and company.

The Benefits of Voiceovers for Explainer Videos

When evaluating the benefits of adding a voiceover to your explainer video, consider these three major advantages:

1. Build Brand Trust

When you meet someone new, you form an instant, automatic, subconscious impression of that individual. Visual cues play largely into this impression including what the person is wearing and how they are standing/what their overall body language is.

The other big indicator that factors into your initial impression is their voice. If you’re introduced to someone who speaks in a very high falsetto that grates on your ears, you may instantly form a somewhat negative impression. Similarly, if that person speaks in a faltering, uncertain way you probably won’t put a lot of stock in what they’re saying.

Of course, on the flip side of this, if the person speaks confidently, in a clear assured manner, you’re first impression is likely to be far more affable and trusting.

These same subconscious triggers are at work when consumers view your explainer videos. By incorporating the right voiceover into your explainer video, you can have an immediate positive effect on your target market.

What do we mean when we say, “the right voiceover”? When it comes to explainer videos, you want a voice artist that exudes confidence and authoritativeness while still sounding friendly and approachable. This sort of friendly expert instills a sense of trust in your viewers, which in turn leads them to trust your company, thus building brand confidence.

2. Help Viewers Connect Emotionally

The right voiceover also has the power to help your viewers connect emotionally with the product. In essence, a voice artist humanizes your product and brand. It’s much easier to relate to another human who’s excited about a product than it is to connect to just an image of a product, even when that image is expertly composed.

By utilizing a human voiceover in your explainer video, you help your audience feel an emotional connection to your product, which ultimately helps pull them towards your CTA.

3. Easily Disperse Dense Information

Lastly, a voiceover can prove immensely valuable when you need to convey somewhat complicated or more involved information. If your explainer video focuses on how to use your product and there’s more involved to it than just clicking a button, a voiceover may be the perfect solution.

After all, you don’t want to bog your viewers down with lots of on-screen text. Or leave them scratching their heads in confusion. You want your video to be snappy, informative, and approachable. Here’s where your voice talent can save the day.

Incorporating a voiceover allows you to disperse dense information in a quick and easily digestible manner. What may seem intimidating or bewildering when conveyed only through images and small bits of text, can suddenly become engaging, exciting, and easy to understand, which — in the end — is the whole point of an explainer video.

When Your Explainer Video Might Be Able to Skip a Voiceover

There are some instances when adding a voiceover may add very little or no real value to your explainer video. The two most common are:

1. Your Explainer Video is Easily Understood

One of the big draws of utilizing voiceovers in explainer videos, is to assist the images and on-screen text in explaining what your product does. However, if your product is simple, or your video’s images accurately convey your message without the need for further explanation, than you can probably skip the voiceover.

But if you do go this route, it’s important that you compensate by having high quality graphics and/or animation. A professional voiceover lends quality to your video, so if you’re not incorporating one, you need to make sure your video is well-produced and fully expresses your message through visuals and on-screen text.

2. You Want to Reach a Global Audience

One of the advantageous of having an explainer video devoid of a voiceover is that, theoretically, any viewer around the world would be able to watch your video and understand your product. This is a great advantage if you’re looking to market your product globally. Even if your video features text, you can more easily translate those segments than record an entire voiceover.

That being said, if you’re really interested in selling your product abroad, investing in a voiceover may still be the most beneficial and cost-effective method. After all, to truly connect with an international audience, you need to speak their language. And while having a short explainer video that showcases your product’s features through images may be useful in the short-term, as you grow that market you’ll want to create more and more content that is effectively localized.

Plus, a lot of images that are widely known and accepted here in the US, don’t translate properly in another language. For instance, the thumbs up may have a positive meaning in the states, but if you give a New Zealander the thumbs up, they’re likely to be very insulted.

What to Consider When Deciding Whether to Use a Voiceover in Your Explainer Video

As you debate whether or not to invest in a voiceover for your explainer video, take these factors into consideration:

• Product: We’ve mentioned this above, but we want to emphasize it one last time as this is a key deciding factor when it comes to voiceovers. If you have a very simple product that requires limited explanation in order to be understood, then a voiceover may not be necessary. But if your product requires more than 3 short phrases or images to describe, you’d be better off enlisting the aid of a professional voice talent.
• Audience: Who are you marketing this video to? Is it intended for an individual consumer or is it more business orientated? Depending on your marketing demographic, you may find a voiceover more or less necessary. For instance, if you’re reaching out to a young consumer, a simple animation without a voiceover may suffice. But if a large business deal hangs in the balance, you’ll want to communicate your product details as effectively as possible, and that entails a voiceover.
• Message: What exactly is the message of your explainer video? Are you simply introducing consumers to a new product and trying to create hype around it? Or are you issuing a how-to video intended to demonstrate the uses of your product? As with the product itself, if the message of the video is simple and straightforward, a voiceover is probably not needed. But if you’re trying to demonstrate to consumers how to (and how not to) use your product, then a voiceover will prove pivotal in educating your audience and avoiding any possible confusion.
• Type of video: The last thing you’ll want to bear in mind is the type of explainer video you’re promoting. Is it a stop motion video? Or an animated clip? Maybe it’s a whiteboard. Whatever style of video your producing, consider how a voiceover will feature into it and whether that voiceover will prove a helpful addition or an unwelcome distraction.

At the end of the day, the key thing to remember is that the whole point in producing and promoting an explainer video is to improve your target market’s understanding of the product in a meaningful way. If a voiceover is going to help you succeed in this goal, then invest in one! It may be more overhead at the onset, however, the returns it will yield will far out weigh any initial costs.

Tips for Selecting a Voiceover Artist

If you’ve decided your explainer video deserves a voiceover and are ready to begin your search for the right voice talent, put these tips to good use:

Seek out a professional

The number one thing you should look for in a voice actor is professional experience. With nearly everyone having easy access to quality recording equipment these days, it’s never been easier to make a home demo and promote yourself as a voice artist. However, what sets a true professional apart is experience within the industry. Look for a talent that’s already dipped their toe in the explainer video pool, and ideally has some great recommendations to boot. Otherwise, you run the risk of cheapening the quality of your video and product, rather than increasing trust.

Consider voice type

As mentioned earlier, for an explainer video, you’ll want a professional talent with a voice that comes across as both approachable and knowledgeable. It should be a compelling, friendly voice that leads viewers to take action. Take the time to listen to different voice demos until you find the right tone for your video.

Think long term

When selecting a voice artist for your next explainer video, don’t just think of it as a one and done experience. After all, it’s more than likely that you’ll be producing more videos down the line and in order to retain consumer brand trust, you’ll want to keep your marketing consistent — and this includes your voiceover! Determine how you want your company voice to sound moving forward and select a voice artist that captures this. Remember, when it comes to marketing, consistency is key.

Remember your target market

Speaking of marketing, think closely about who exactly comprises your audience. If you’re targeting a teenage demographic, you might want to opt for a younger, more energetic voiceover. However, if you’re more interested in reaching senior citizens, than you’ll want a voice that’s much more mature and level. Keep asking yourself: what type of voice will most resonate with your target market?

Write engaging scripts

When all is said and done and you finally sit down in the recording studio with your talent, if your script falls flat so will the voiceover. Even the most seasoned voice artists can’t make an overly complex or extremely passive script engage audiences.

Look for multilingual providers

The last thing you’ll want to keep in mind as you search for the right voice talent, is whether you want to expand your marketing to multilingual audiences. Even if global marketing isn’t your top priority at the moment, if it’s something you’re going to want to explore (or even think you might want to explore) down the line, then it’s helpful to factor that into your initial search.

If possible, look for a voice talent that speaks multiple languages and is comfortable providing voiceover in more than just English. Again, this will help you maintain brand consistency.

Alternatively, another great option is to work with a voiceover company — like Accredited Language — who has experience providing multilingual voiceovers. Not only will you be able to work with the same company for every future video you produce — ensuring they already have a strong sense of your brand and marketing goals — but they’ll also be able to provide translation services when it comes to translating and localizing your voiceover script.

Ready to start your voiceover search? Check out our easy-to-use online voice directory or contact us directly to learn how we can make your voiceover come alive in any language!

Call us at 1-800-322-0284 or simply fill out our free quote form.