Email Translation: A Key Part of a Global Marketing Strategy

Internet Marketing is an inclusive and vague term, though it essentially encompasses virtually any means of marketing online. This is generally accomplished through the creation of a website for the purpose, though such is not always the case. 

Efforts are then made to promote the website at the same time as announcing the specific interests of the business. One of the most popular means of conducting online marketing is the use of email marketing campaigns. 

Email marketing consists of a wide range of marketing campaigns for both online and offline or "real-world" businesses. From generating business leads to creating a list of customers who will routinely purchase the products being sold, email marketing is one of the most popular internet marketing niches. 

One thing that is often overlooked, however, is the ability to take the email marketing campaign to the next level through translation services or other ways to translate an email into any number of relevant languages. 

How Many People Use Email?

According to a 2018 study by the Radicati Group, a technology market research group, "Email remains the most pervasive form of communication, while other technologies such as social networking, instant messaging (IM), chat, mobile IM, and others are also taking hold, Email is still the most ubiquitous form of business communication. 

In addition, Email is integral to the overall Internet experience as an email account (i.e., email address) is required to sign up for any online activity, including social networking sites, instant messaging and any other kind of account or presence on the Internet." 

It should be considered that the actual number of email accounts does exceed the number of email users, as indicated in this article. Still, this shows that more than one-half of the world's population currently uses Email as one of their primary resources for exchanging information. 

In short, more than one-half of the world is open and likely responsive to a well-directed and managed email marketing campaign, but not all of those people speak English.

Table of Contents

1. Professional Translation Services vs. Machine Translation or Automated Email Translation

How do I translate an Email?

This question is often asked, but there is no simple answer. Email translation may be as simple as using the email translator for Outlook or hiring a company that provides professional translation services for Email. (Note: The email translator works a little differently when using the Outlook App in Windows 10) 

Sometimes, using a universal translator or other automated language translators may be perfectly viable. This is generally held to be true when the scope of the email translation is more limited in nature and serves an equally limited purpose.

It should also be noted that those machine translations are primarily limited to quite literal translations, so it may be prudent or even necessary to utilize someone still to edit the email translation to ensure that it is appropriate for the intended audience.

There are cases where a native speaker may fit this bill nicely and be fully capable of ensuring the accuracy of the email translations. However, consideration must still be given to the local idiomatic differences in language, colloquialisms, vernacular and even slang terms.

What is appropriate in one variant of a language may have negative connotations in other areas, even when the same language is the native tongue for both locations.  

Translating Dutch to English or English to Dutch may seem simple enough. However, consideration should be given to the local quirks as well. The modern variation of Dutch spoken by the Dutch in South Africa will be substantially different from those in the Dutch Netherlands. 

Even among native English speakers, local variations may seem so great as to be different languages seemingly. For example, English spoken by the Scots with their heavily accented Scottish brogue will often have difficulty understanding someone from the United States but may be fully capable of understanding an English email translation written for an American audience.

In cases where the emails are more involved, the product or service being promoted is more complex. In other types of email marketing campaigns, the use of a professional translation company may very well be a better option and create a substantially better ROI or Return On Investment, offsetting the relatively minor costs initially involved. 

A Professional email translation service is far better suited to the more advanced email marketing campaigns. In addition, the professional translator will most likely be certified in some form, having met specific qualification standards for the translation company. 

In most cases, turnaround times for the email translations are generally particular and quick. This is especially important when dealing with holidays and other time-sensitive marketing techniques. However, as seen here, even without email translation involved, their Black Friday email marketing campaign alone was challenging.

Email translations can also be more localized, ensuring that the local variant of the mother language will be utilized for more specific targeting of potential customers and clients for the business being promoted. This is especially important when working on localizing a global email marketing campaign, as will be demonstrated here. 

2. Localizing A Global Email Market Through Translation

There are as many different ways to translate Email as there are reasons for doing so. However, for the email marketing campaign to be truly effective, it should actively seek to target local audiences in a local voice. This often means more than just the professional translation into a native mother language, but specifics that locals will recognize and react to accordingly. 

This is just as true when targeting a specific industry with specific language among those who are an integral part of that industry as it will in emotional appeals that may rely on more particular translations and the inclusion of local references that will induce an emotional response in the reader. Learn how to avoid emails going to "Spam" here. 

The best translator for industry-specific email marketing campaigns will be someone who is at least familiar with the industry and the industry-specific language. Some examples of this can be readily observed in medical and legal translation, where even minor translation errors can result in irreversible harm or liability. 

A "Kant Hook" (or "Can't Hook" more accurately) will not be a recognized term to an oil driller but would be readily recognized by anyone who has worked in the logging of timber industries. It is merely a tool to roll large logs, manufactured so that it cannot hook onto the record, taking the person moving the form along with it, risking injury or even death.

Adding such subtle inclusions unique to the intended markets for an email marketing campaign is likely to generate a much larger and more proactive response from the readers. 

Likewise, when targeting specific geographical locations in an email marketing campaign, referring to local features, especially ones that are not primarily known to outsiders, will also help to generate a more positive response. The ability to make people feel as if they are being spoken to directly is one of the critical aspects of any marketing and sales campaign and should not be overlooked by the internet marketer. 

When generating leads for an email marketing campaign or building up an email list for internet marketing purposes, there is what is commonly known as an "Opt-In Form" to capture the relevant information from the individual signing up for an email marketing list.

The simple inclusion of a section for the location should never be left out of this form, as it will allow for the list to be broken down and used more efficiently for a more successful email marketing campaign.

The general knowledge about what country the individuals are responding from will allow the savvy email marketer to have the emails for that nation translated into the local language. This practice alone will again help improve proactive responses from the email recipients. 

A further breakdown for anyone serious about building their online marketing campaign will allow for this list to be broken down even further to include local regions. For example, a wine producer in the Burgundy region of France will probably not be impressed with references to producers of White Burgundy in Northern California but may respond very favorably to rare and largely unexplored treats from their local vineyards. 

3. Expanding Beyond Email Translations into Full Internet Marketing Globalization With Professional Translation Services

When expanding the email marketing campaign to a more global scale using email translation, there should be at least some consideration given to the potential to expand the rest of the online venture into the international markets. This can be equally true for localized markets as well, though, and that should not be unnoticed either. 

According to the US Census Bureau, nearly four million families speak more than two hundred languages besides English in their homes. 

A company marketing locally in Los Angeles alone would greatly benefit from the use of professional translation services, but translating the emails may not be enough on its own. 

There are many facets to running a business, including customer service and support, customer support representatives who may or may not work directly with the customers or clientele, and other means of marketing and customer interaction that may be best served with a professional translator or someone fully fluent in more than one language. 

Websites should be made available in as many different languages as will be reflected in the local and global (or online) marketplace being targeted.

Again, localization through professional translation services can make the difference between failure and success, depending on the targeted market. For example, how much of the marketplace remains untapped because of an easily overcome language barrier? 

One of the most common forms of digital marketing is the sales of informational products. These are often accomplished through affiliate marketing tactics, including email marketing campaigns and email lists that have been built up, in some cases, over the years. 

Many affiliate marketers also include very gracious rewards for their top affiliates. In such cases, what better way to reach the top of the hill than to gain exclusive resale rights in additional languages? 

Most digital marketers always look for ambitious internet marketers to help increase sales and income. The professional translation of informational materials into additional languages is a minimal investment, and the savvy internet marketer can then gain exclusive rights to informational products in that language with a bit of bargaining. 

Internet marketing campaigns, whether conducted via a website, an email marketing campaign, or any other means, will always stand to benefit from further expansion into an increasingly global marketplace and economy. In addition, the use of professional translation services makes the transition much quicker and easier. 

4. The Importance of Long-Term Strategies for Email Marketing Campaigns

When venturing into the realm of Internet Marketing, whether for a local retailer or an avid Internet Marketer trying to earn money from home, the importance of the Email Marketing aspect cannot be overstated.

Email marketing should be one of the first steps in any internet marketing campaign. It should continue for as long as the internet marketer is in business, no matter the industry.  

Email is currently a prevalent means of communication for more than half of the population of the world. As time goes on and as technology progresses, these numbers will only increase. This means that email marketing campaigns are one of the best means of reaching a larger, more global audience. Discover other ways besides Email to communicate more effectively with clients here. 

A universal translator or translation services online may be adequate for many of the more simple requirements of an email-based internet marketing campaign, though, like any business decision, this should be constantly evaluated and updated as necessary. 

As the internet marketer seeks to expand its customer base and increase its ability to earn a living online, the business must be built piece by piece, the same as any other. However, there may come a day when machine translations are sufficient for most internet marketers' needs, especially given the speed with which technology is progressing. 

For the time being, however, there is still a vital role for the professional translator in internet marketing and, most notably, those all-important global email marketing campaigns.

Author: Shiela Pulido

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