Do you know what it takes to translate marketing materials from English or any other language into Italian? Well, there is a standard procedure that even the Italian to English translation service providers employ. However, some translators tweak the process to accommodate different translation requirements.
To shed more insights on this translation process, Future Trans, a language service provider (LSP), identified the following steps:
Verify the Accuracy and Relevancy of the Source Text
Typically, every translation process starts with the identification of the source text. However, this is not enough. To get accurate and precise translated content, you must verify that the source document is accurate and relevant.
How do you verify the credibility of the source text? All you need to do is ensure that the original text’s content is clear, concise, and in the appropriate source language. Also, the source text must be complete. In other words, it should feature all information that needs translation.
The following are some qualities of the credible source text:
- Precise language: The source text should not contain any ambiguity. In other words, translators should not guess the meaning of some words, sentences, or phrases. So, the source text should be concise and clear.
- No humor, slang, duplicated meaning, and idioms:One joke cannot be funny to all. For this reason, your source text should be free from elements peculiar to the host community. Such elements can be offensive to another community. Fortis reason, the source text should feature neutral and plain language.
- Spacious: The original text should have ample room to accommodate multiple words that translators can use to bring out the meaning of the text. Remember, translation is not an exchange of words for a word. Rather, translators can use multiple words to bring out the meaning of one word.
- Consistency: One marketing copy of the original text should feature in multiple translated copies. This aspect promotes the consistency of the marketing message. If you use different original copies, you will end up developing a multiple-faceted marketing message. Such a message can be confusing, especially if you target a single set of audiences.
- Finality: You must verify whether all the information that the original text copy features are complete. In other words, the information should suffice the translation of a full message. If you fail to provide full information on the original text, you can face delays in completing the translation process.
Identify the Cultural Aspects of the Target Language
Notably, translated marketing materials for the universal audience differ from those for a specific audience. One of the differences appears in the cultural context of the translated content. Often, universally-accepted cultural elements are not similar to exclusive cultural elements that a specific audience values.
For this reason, you must identify the cultural elements that your translated content should have. Some of the strategies that you can employ to achieve this objective are:
- Localization: If you are translating your content into the Italian language, you must identify the locale of your target audience. The Italian culture features several subcultures. Also, what is appropriate for one subculture is offensive to the other. For this reason, you should globalize your brand name but localize your marketing content.
- Use appropriate visuals: Notably, the translation goes beyond words. It considers the acceptability of the visuals appearing on your marketing materials. For this reason, you should apply visuals that align with the cultural settings of your target audience. For example, you should use a Middle East model, but not a Western model, when translating content for the Middle East market.
- Apply appropriate colors:Different cultures have different associations of colors. For this reason, your translated materials should feature the appropriate color that matches the intended message. To achieve this objective, you must research on color associations of your target audience before undertaking the translation process.
- Borrow words:If you are not certain about the meaning of some words, you can borrow them in their original form. Afterward, you can explain what they mean in their native form. This strategy makes the target audience shift their focus from their meaning to what others use the word to mean.
Find a Credible Translation Agency
If you do not want the hustle of verifying the original text and understanding the cultural norms of your target audience, engage a translation agency. This move connects you with professionals that understand the requirements of translating for an Italian audience.
The agency also goes the extra mile to identify the needs and wants of the target customers. Remember, not everyone in your target audience will buy from you, even after translating your marketing materials. For this reason, you must identify potential customers, and this is the point where a translation agency comes in.
If you engage a translation agency, you tap into high-quality experience in aligning your marketing materials with what your target audience wants to hear and understand.
Give Translators Ample Time
A translation process involves complex stages and processes. The translation of marketing materials is not similar to the translation of technical documents. One of the differences is that the language used on the technical documents is plain, while the one used on the marketing materials is persuasive.
The high demands of writing in a persuasive language compel translators to make several rounds when translating marketing materials. For this reason, give them ample time to complete the process.
Review
After receiving the first batch of the translated content, engage a native translator to review it. The translator you can engage should be a third party rather than a translator from a translating agency. But, be ready to hear different opinions because the marketing message’s interpretation varies.
Nevertheless, the review will ensure that the translation process is as effective as possible.
Launch
Launch your translated content if you do not find any errors or omissions. This stage is exciting because it marks the end of a successful translation process. However, you should ask for a revision from the translators if you find any contextual, grammatical, or any other form of error in the translated content.
Tips to Remember When Translating Marketing Materials Into Italian
Before you undertake an Italian translation of your marketing materials, there are a few tips that you should remember:
- Italians love their language: All Italians love their language, regardless of its dialect. For this reason, you should be careful with words whenever undertaking an Italian translation.
- Get an expert: An effective Italian translation of marketing materials requires an expert. Such an expert should be a native Italian with marketing expertise. Engaging such an expert ensures that the translated content is in the appropriate language with a marketing appeal.
Failure to engage an expert can result in spelling and other mistakes in your translated content. In return, the lovers of the target Italian dialect can find your marketing materials unappealing, given that they are also attached to their language.
- Never use automated translation software: Given that Italian features several dialects, using automated software can result in generally translated content. In return, you can fail to add a marketing appeal to your content. For this reason, engage an in-person translator with a comprehensive understanding of the Italian marketing language.
Benefits of Translating Your Marketing Materials Into Italian
What are you expecting to achieve now that you are about to translate your marketing materials into Italian? Some of the benefits include:
- Tapping into a broad market: Notably, the global Italian speakers are approximately 60 million. If you translate your marketing content into Italian, you are opening your business to millions of people. In return, you will draw several new customers and make high sales.
- Specialization: Italian translation is complex because the language has several sublanguages. For this reason, it is impossible to develop a standard translation that can effectively convey your marketing message. If you engage an expert Italian translator, you will manage to narrow down your marketing efforts to a specific Italian audience.
- Aligning your products and services with the Italian culture: Everyone loves to consume local products. If you translate your marketing content into Italian, it shows that you appreciate the Italian people. This respect reciprocates with an appreciation of your products and services by the Italians.
Remember, some Italian subcultural groups hold their cultural values close at heart. This set of Italians identifies with products and services that incorporate their values. How do you win their trust? It is by translating your marketing content.
- Increase your local brand visibility: If an Italian living in rural Italy searches for a product or service, search engines first provide the locally available options. In other words, the search results that appear first are the ones in a local dialect.
Translating your marketing materials into Italian will be among the first your local target audience sees on the search results. Such online visibility translates to potential leads that can become actual sales.
The Bottom Line
The translation of marketing materials into Italian follows the standard translation procedure. However, the diverse dialects within the Italian language call for extra efforts during the translation process. Now that you understand what to do when translating your marketing materials into Italian, it is time to start your translation process.
