THE BENEFITS OF LOCALIZATION (Freelance Translator)

Summary

This video script explores the significance of localization for freelancers and businesses, emphasizing its role in expanding market reach and enhancing customer experience. Localization involves adapting content, products, and services to fit the language and culture of the target audience, going beyond mere translation. The script outlines five key benefits, including increased market research, improved customer experience, competitive advantage, higher conversion rates, and an enhanced brand image. It also provides practical steps for effective localization, such as researching the target market, hiring professional translators, and continuously improving the localization process. Examples of successful localization by Airbnb and Spotify are highlighted, showcasing seamless and culturally relevant experiences for users worldwide.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Localization is the process of adapting content, products, or services to a specific language and culture, going beyond simple translation.
• 📈 Good localization can increase market reach, improve customer experience, provide a competitive advantage, boost conversion rates, and enhance brand image.
• 🔍 Increased market research through localization helps businesses to understand and sell in new markets more effectively.
• 🛍️ Improved customer experience is crucial, especially in regions with strong cultural identities, as it can lead to higher customer retention.
• 🏆 Localization can give a business a competitive edge by differentiating it from competitors who may not invest as much in cultural adaptation.
• 💰 Higher conversion rates are likely when customers feel a product or service is tailored to their language and cultural preferences.
• 🏅 An enhanced brand image can result from seamless localization that makes consumers happy without them even realizing the effort behind it.
• 🔑 To begin localization, research the target market thoroughly and understand the local consumer behavior and preferences.
• 👥 Hire professional translators or localizers who can adapt content not just translate it, ensuring they understand the concept of localization.
• 🛠️ Utilize tools like Translation Management Systems (TMS) and CAT tools to facilitate the localization process and maintain consistency.
• 📝 Test localized material with native speakers to ensure cultural relevance and avoid embarrassing mistakes before launching a campaign.
• 🔄 Continuously improve localization efforts by reflecting on past projects and refining strategies based on what worked and what didn't.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the benefits of localization for freelancers and businesses, explaining what localization is and why it is important.

What does the term 'localization' refer to in the context of the video?

In the context of the video, 'localization' refers to the process of adapting content, products, or services into a language and culture that is representative of the target audience, going beyond simple translation.

What are the five key benefits of good localization mentioned in the script?

The five key benefits of good localization mentioned are increased market reach, improved customer experience, competitive advantage, higher conversion rates, and enhanced brand image.

How does localization help in opening up new markets for businesses?

Localization helps in opening up new markets by allowing businesses to reach a broader audience and engage more people and businesses in different regions by presenting content in their native language and adapting to their culture.

Why is customer experience important in the context of localization?

Customer experience is important because when customers can identify themselves with a product and feel satisfied, they are more likely to return, leading to better customer retention.

What is the significance of adapting currency and references in localization?

Adapting currency and references is significant in localization because it ensures that the content or product makes sense to the target audience and is not confusing, which is crucial for a positive customer experience and successful sales.

How can localization give a competitive advantage in a global marketplace?

Localization can give a competitive advantage by allowing a business to stand out in specific markets through tailored content and cultural adaptation, setting them apart from competitors who may not have invested as much in localization.

What steps should be taken to start the localization process for a brand or product?

The steps to start the localization process include researching the target market, hiring professional translators or localizers, using appropriate tools, testing the localized material, and continuously improving the localization efforts.

Why is it important to test localized material before launching a campaign?

Testing localized material is important to avoid embarrassing mistakes or misunderstandings that could arise from cultural or linguistic inaccuracies, ensuring the campaign resonates well with the target audience.

Can you provide examples of brands that excel in localization according to the script?

The script mentions Airbnb and Spotify as examples of brands that excel in localization, offering seamless experiences across different languages and cultures.

What is the role of a translator or localizer in the context of the script?

In the context of the script, a translator or localizer's role is to adapt content not just linguistically but also culturally, ensuring that it is appropriate and effective for the target audience.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 The Power of Localization for Global Reach

The video script introduces the concept of localization, emphasizing its importance for freelancers and businesses. Localization is defined as the process of adapting content, products, or services to fit the language and culture of the target audience, going beyond simple translation. The script outlines five key benefits of effective localization, including increased market reach, improved customer experience, competitive advantage, higher conversion rates, and enhanced brand image. The importance of cultural adaptation, such as currency and references, is highlighted, and the script suggests that understanding localization can unlock new opportunities for growth and engagement with a broader audience.

05:02

🛠 Steps to Successful Localization

This paragraph outlines the steps necessary to achieve successful localization. It starts with researching the target market to understand the local consumer behavior and culture. The second step is to hire professional translators or localizers who can adapt the content to resonate with the target audience. The use of translation management systems and CAT tools is recommended to facilitate the process. The script advises testing localized materials with native speakers to avoid cultural missteps and to ensure the content works well in the new market. Lastly, it emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement in localization efforts, suggesting that working with the same team can lead to better results over time.

10:03

🎯 Examples of Localization Excellence

The final paragraph provides examples of companies that excel in localization. Airbnb is highlighted for offering accommodations and experiences in multiple languages with seamless currency conversion and localized payment systems. The script commends Airbnb for maintaining a consistent user experience regardless of language settings. Spotify is another example, noted for its availability in over 180 countries with localized translations, currency adaptation, and image localization tailored to different cultures. The paragraph concludes by encouraging viewers to experience these services in their native languages to appreciate the subtlety and effectiveness of their localization strategies.

Keywords

💡Localization

Localization refers to the process of adapting content, products, or services to a specific language and culture, ensuring they resonate with the target audience. It's central to the video's theme, emphasizing that it's more than just translation—it includes adapting cultural references, currencies, and even humor to suit the local context. The script mentions that good localization can increase market reach, improve customer experience, and enhance brand image.

💡Freelancers

Freelancers are independent contractors who offer professional services, often in areas like translation or content creation. The video suggests that understanding localization is crucial for freelancers as it can open up more opportunities for them to work on diverse projects and cater to a global market.

💡Market Research

Increased market research is one of the five key benefits of good localization mentioned in the script. It involves understanding the target market's preferences, behaviors, and needs, which helps in tailoring the product or service to be more appealing to potential customers. The script implies that localization aids in conducting such research by making the product relatable to a broader audience.

💡Customer Experience

Improved customer experience is highlighted as a significant benefit of localization. It is about making customers feel that the product or service is designed with their preferences in mind. The script gives the example of adapting to strong regional identities, like in Catalonia, Spain, to ensure customers can identify with the product, potentially leading to higher customer retention.

💡Competitive Advantage

Localization can provide a competitive advantage by differentiating a product or service in a global market. The script mentions that a well-localized product can stand out from competitors who may not have invested as much in adapting their offerings to local markets, thus attracting more customers.

💡Conversion Rates

Higher conversion rates are a logical outcome of effective localization, as the script explains. When potential customers feel that a product is tailored to their language and culture, they are more likely to make a purchase. The video also refers to studies that show a significant boost in conversion rates due to localization.

💡Brand Image

An enhanced brand image is one of the benefits of good localization. The script discusses how seamless localization can make consumers happy without them even realizing why, which is ideal for building a positive brand image. It also suggests that localization can amplify an already strong brand image in different regions.

💡Professional Translators

The script emphasizes the importance of hiring professional translators or localizers for effective localization. These are individuals who not only translate content word-for-word but also adapt it to the cultural and contextual nuances of the target audience. The video suggests mentioning the need for localization when hiring to ensure the translator understands the depth of the task.

💡Translation Management System (TMS)

A Translation Management System (TMS) is a tool that helps manage the translation process, often used by professionals in the localization industry. The script suggests that using a TMS can facilitate the work of translators and localizers, allowing them to work more efficiently within the system and potentially include language workers directly in the design process.

💡Transcreation

Transcreation is a specialized form of translation that involves adapting the original message to resonate with the target audience's culture. The script mentions that in some cases, localization may require transcreation, which could involve a complete rewrite of the text to suit the local context, going beyond simple translation.

💡Testing

Testing localized material is a crucial step before launching a campaign, as emphasized in the script. It involves ensuring that the adapted content makes sense in the target language and culture, avoiding any embarrassing mistakes. The video suggests either having the translator test the material or doing it in-house with native speakers.

💡Continuous Improvement

The script stresses the importance of continuous improvement in localization. Each localization project should be evaluated to identify what worked well and what didn't, allowing for refinement of the process. It also suggests sticking with a successful team of translators or localizers, as familiarity with the brand can lead to better localization over time.

Highlights

Localization is a powerful tool for both freelancers and businesses, opening up opportunities by adapting content, products, and services to target cultures.

Localization goes beyond translation, including adapting currencies, references, and cultural jokes, to resonate with the target audience.

Five key benefits of good localization include increased market reach, improved customer experience, competitive advantage, higher conversion rates, and enhanced brand image.

Localization helps businesses reach a broader audience and engage potential clients more effectively through native language content.

Adapting to local cultures is crucial for customer satisfaction, especially in regions with strong cultural identities.

A global marketplace demands localization to stand out among competitors and avoid confusion with incorrect cultural references.

Good localization can set a brand apart by being more relatable and contextually appropriate for specific markets.

Higher conversion rates are linked to localization, as consumers are more likely to purchase when they identify with the product.

An enhanced brand image can be achieved through seamless localization that makes consumers feel the product is tailored for them.

Localization requires research of the target market to understand consumer behavior and adapt content accordingly.

Professional translators and localizers are essential for effective localization, ensuring cultural nuances are respected.

Utilizing tools like TMS and CAT can facilitate the localization process, allowing for more efficient collaboration.

Testing localized material with native speakers is critical to avoid embarrassing mistakes and ensure cultural relevance.

Continuous improvement is necessary for localization, learning from each project to refine and adapt strategies.

Airbnb exemplifies excellent localization with seamless experiences across languages, currencies, and local payment systems.

Spotify's localization includes image localization, adapting graphics and playlists to align with the target culture's preferences.

Localization should be invisible to the consumer, blending so well that it enhances the brand without drawing attention to the adaptation process.

Transcripts

what are the benefits of localization

coming

[Music]

up hello and welcome back to the

freelance verse today we're diving into

a topic that is super important for both

Freelancers and businesses alike the

benefits of localization localization is

a super powerful tool whether you're a

translator a content creator um a

business owner understanding

localization can really open up a whole

world of opportuni for you uh so let's

look into it to kick things off what is

localization localization basically

describes the process of adapting uh a

Content a product a service whatever you

want to adapt into a language a culture

that is that is representative of the

target of the target culture so it is

not just translation it goes way beyond

that right we're talking adapting

currencies adapting uh different

references jokes if there are some some

lyrics in there you have to adapt them

culture references mostly we do that

anyways in our profession even though we

might sell translation rather than

localization maybe you sell localization

that's also fine uh I often use it in my

negotiation as a negotiation tactic I

still say I'm selling translation but

then I I use all these benefits of

localization uh when I'm negotiating

with a potential client I put together

five key benefits of localization of

good localization it needs to be good uh

number one is increased market research

uh two is improved customer experience

three is a competitive Advantage four is

higher conversion rates and five is an

enhanced brand image so let's look at

these five key benefits more

specifically increased market research

localization definitely helps you to

open up the world in which you can sell

right it you can reach a broader

audience you can reach more people more

businesses if your content or if your

product is localized when people see

content in their native language or when

they see a product that is is

referencing other products that already

exist in their Target in their country

they're much more likely to engage in it

to to buy something uh which in turn of

course means more potential clients for

your product for your service right so

localization definitely broadens your

possible clientele improved customer

experience is a big one uh especially

for let's say countries or region that

are quite small and have a very strong

identity it's very important that you

take that into account right you can't

really sell with if a for example if a

language has a a standard in the whole

country and then one specific region has

a very different approach to it uh in

Spain we see that for example with

Catalonia right there it's very

important that you take that into

account if you want to sell in this

region customers want to identify

themselves with a product uh in order to

be satisfied to be happy and happy

customers are much more likely to come

back so if you can localize your product

properly your customer retention might

go up like I can't say it will go go up

cuz I don't want to make false promises

but I can definitely see how this can

have a huge effect in consumer

psychology today's Marketplace is

expanding rapidly right it's a very

Global Marketplace rarely companies say

specifically okay I just want to sell in

this very small uh Market that is also

an approach it can work right if you if

you have the identity with this Market

but generally the the marketplace is

global nowadays and it's very hard to

stand out if you're competing with

everyone and a good localization inic

specific markets can definitely make a

difference it can uh you know set you

apart from your comp competitors that

maybe don't put enough work into

localization and just have their copy

translated right and sometimes it just

doesn't make sense the currency is wrong

right if

you if you show a product to a Swiss

audience in Euros for example it's not a

good look right doesn't really make

sense it's confusing they know it's not

for them so um that that's something you

have to think about and if you just give

your your uh copy your website material

to a translator I don't know on Fiverr

or something and this person doesn't ask

a lot of questions they might not even

take that into account maybe you don't

know it if you're a global company

you're not aware of all the small in

intricacies of every country so a good

local localization approach that is done

in the Target country uh can be very

valuable for a brand higher conversion

rates is just logical based on all the

other points if people can identify with

a product if they think it's written for

them if it's marketed to to them they

they can they feel it's local it it's in

their native language they're much more

likely to to buy the product I mean

there are studies done actually I'm

going to link them down below that uh

show that localization significantly

boosts conversion rates which is a

really interesting insight and

definitely should be taken into into

account as a business owner and five

enhanced brand image the best brand

image is if the consumer is happy and

they don't even know why right if you

can if you can just make everything

seamless I'm going to show you a couple

of amazing examples of localization and

you're not even thinking about it

because it's done so well that is the

key right as a translator as a localizer

you you generally want to be in the

background you want to be invisible

because that's when you do your job well

if people recognize that it's a

translation that's a bad thing uh you

can argue with that if it's good to to

always be in the background you know but

I

mean in general that's the goal and a

good brand image doesn't really stand or

fall with a good localization but it can

definitely enhance if the image is

already good and the localization is

good on top in different regions in the

world that can make a major difference

in expanding so how do you get started

when you are watching this video maybe

you found your way through this video

you are in charge of a brand you're in

charge of a a product uh and you're

thinking of localization uh these are

the steps you should take research your

target market understand everything

there is about selling your product

product in the specific area or country

don't just think oh we need to expand to

this country you need someone on the

ground you need someone that understands

the people the consuming Behavior Uh

this will help you make an informed

decision uh on how to adapt your content

uh all of this is done before you're

even starting thinking about

localization this is the research step

that is the first step you have to do

number two hire professional translators

SL localizers you don't need to look for

localizers the term localizers it's not

very common that people Market

themselves like that but definitely if

you reach out to a translator through an

agency or directly it doesn't matter but

if you do definitely make sure that you

say you need a localization for this

translation right it's not a simple word

for word it needs to be uh possible to

to sell this or to Market this in the

target audience mention the word

localization so the translator is aware

that you know about this world right so

they can definitely apply so in some

places it may may be required to do a

trans Creation in some places a complete

re rewrite of the text uh then it's

copywriting more like so all of this

goes into effect and if you tell them

you need localization they are also more

likely to ask back right if if there is

for example a link and they see in this

link there is the the language code you

know hle en so the language code for an

English website that it's the

translator's job to ask back and say hey

do you have a German version of this

website you have a Spanish version of

this website where should this link lead

right if you have a a German text and

then it leads to an English website that

makes no sense uh that is our job but uh

just so you know if you ask uh your

translator for a localization they are

if they are good they will ask back use

tools that are available to you uh if

you are working with a TMS with a

translation management system that's

great you can just hire a translator and

let them work in there uh most likely

they work with cat tool so they use memo

Q STL tros whatever there is if you have

a graphic design program that's even

better you can potentially add a

language worker to your project to your

team and they can work directly in in

design for example I've done that before

uh that can help because you then have

the whole context of the ad or of the

the brochure or whatever you want to

adapt Next Step super important test

your localized material either you can

ask the translator to test for you as an

additional service and they can charge

you for it that's perfectly fine or you

have to test it yourself before you

launch the the campaign it's super there

have been some embarrassing campaigns

because they were just rushed out by

really big Brands right and then

suddenly you realize that oh this this

name of this football doesn't make any

sense in this in this language right

it's even a bit rude or confusing so um

definitely test with native language

speakers with people that know about the

culture if this ad works and last step

continuously improve localization is not

a one fit all solution right every time

you do a localization project you have

to rethink how what went well what went

not so well can I still work with this

person uh if you're happy with the

translator or with the group of

translators that you worked with

definitely stick with them because it

will only get better the more they know

your brand right uh so if you have a

winning team definitely don't don't

change anything it's going to work it's

going to improve every time uh that's

always my favorite clients when they

come back and I can actually get into it

I can learn about the company about The

Branding for a for a one-time project

you you do your research of course but

you can only do so much within the price

right so uh localization is same as

trans creation I mentioned that in the

trans creation video you can click up

here if you're interested the more you

do it with the same workflow with the

same team the better it gets so now let

me show you briefly some great examples

of localization I'm going to Overlay

them over here on my face Airbnb is

often named when it comes to brand that

does localization well they are offering

accommodation experiences in I think 26

languages and the translations are done

really well uh they stay true to their

brand anywhere in the world the user

gets the same experience no matter you

know what language settings they have or

where they want to go what experience

they want to have um the currency is

always perfectly localized uh converted

as well you can use local Payment

Systems uh the reviews are shown from

people speaking your language and not

just randomly translated and even the

listings can be done in local language

all of these things are fantastic

localization hacks I did some research

on good brands that does localization

well and Airbnb was consistently on the

top in every article I've seen and uh

it's definitely true on the app on the

website I've never even thought about it

because it's just so seamless and I

honestly I wasn't even sure if my Airbnb

is in German or in English so I looked

and it is in German and it never even

clicked because it's so smooth it feels

the user experience is perfect so

definitely kudos for their localization

team and another fantastic example is

Spotify uh Spotify is a music streaming

service as most of you know they are

available in over 180 countries across

the world uh they have fantastic

translations their currency is always

adapted uh the recommendations are are

based on the location same as with

Airbnb so you see the the the

recommendations and the reviews in your

own language another very unique

localization approach from spot Spotify

is that they do uh image localization

which means they use different images

for different playlists in different

countries you know uh or different like

Graphics when you open the app in

different countries according to their

marketing team Spotify needs to look

just right no matter where it appears

it's a quote from them which I love it's

it's a perfect uh phrase from the

marketing team so well done this

probably went a lot into formulating

this this one sentence that would by the

way be perfect example of trans creation

if a translator is tsed with with

translat think this uh phrase Spotify

needs to look just right no matter where

it appears you don't want to be paid by

the word because you will spend a lot of

time in in trans creating this Logan and

uh so you need to be paid by the hour

side note anyways the hero image the

banner the playlist images they are

really based on the target cultures it's

done really well image localization is

something I've not worked it before it's

it was a new thing when I researched for

this video and uh I have to say I really

like it I went immediately on my Spotify

to check it out I didn't really see it

but maybe that's again it's transparent

so it's it's just feels seamless I mean

I've always been happy with my Spotify

app uh and again it's in German without

me knowing I think that's connected to

the to the Play Store the language that

it set or to the phone language um so

two perfect examples Airbnb and Spotify

check them out in your language and you

should be also pleasantly surprised

there you go this is why localization is

important I hope enjoyed this video if

you're a translation buyer next time you

need localization tell your service

provider that you need that and then the

the whole interaction will become much

more on an expert level if you are a

language service provider you can send

this video to your clients probably or I

don't know maybe don't do that but just

take the information from the video and

send it to the client and use that for

negotiating per purposes localization is

a super powerful tool process that can

help you expand your reach

uh find new clients improve customer

experience as well and boost your

conversion rates that's very important

and statistically proven as always let

me know in the comments if you enjoyed

this episode and what you would like to

see next I see you next Monday not sure

with what with what it is because I'm

currently on vacation when you see that

but I will be here next Monday see you

there bye-bye