The Need for Translation Services:

As soon as humans developed different languages, they needed translation services to understand each other. Without linguistic assistance, all of us would have had to live without being able to communicate effectively with those who speak a language different than us. But fortunately, we have translation services that make it easier for people to communicate despite the language barrier. From website translation to document translation, the language industry is helping us in so many ways. But there are different kinds of services available these days. There are Google Translate and other online services. Then there are the linguistic services offered by human experts. What makes one better than the other?

What is the Target Audience?

For businesses, the people who they want to turn into their loyal customers make up their target audience. A target market, on the other hand, is a broader term. It is the general market that a company is targeting. But the target audience is who the advertisements will be aimed at.

When a research paper is written, the author doesn’t try to keep the language simple. They know that the research paper will be read by students and other researchers. The language does not have to be simplified for them. Whenever a business in the United States wishes to expand into Canada, it will have to do some research about their target audience. It is not just the English of the two countries that is different. The demographics analysis of the Canadian population will tell the business what kind of content to create for marketing purposes.

Knowing Your Audience:

When a translation project is assigned to an expert, they receive basic information about the target audience from their client. They are given this information so they can make sure that the translated content will be easier to understand for the target audience. Brand awareness cannot be created if you don’t have the right content. If the translated content does not make sense to the audience, they won’t be able to relate to it or enjoy it.

Marketing has been divided into multiple branches these days. Social media plays an important role in connecting businesses with a general audience. It has given brands direct access to the target audience. By using social media and other digital tools to connect with the audience, brands can get closer to achieving their goals. They can hire a native speaker to communicate with the audience in their native language. Website translation is another option through which businesses can get access to the digital world. But a site visitor will leave within minutes if they don’t find relevant content.

The Importance of Knowing Your Target Audience in Translation:

There are many reasons why human translation is better than a translation software. You cannot access the excellent translation you need through translation software, Google Translate, or the Chrome browser. If you have ever tried to see the automatic translation on websites like Twitter and Facebook then you know how inaccurate they often are. One of the reasons why human translation is better is the fact that linguistic expert know the audience. Knowing the audience in translation is the only way to get the best possible results.

Here’s why it is important to know your target audience in translation:

• Your marketing material can attract the audience members only if it is designed for them. If it includes complex terms that the general audience isn’t familiar with, then it won’t be able to attract site visitors.
• Knowing the audience can help the linguistic expert in coming up with the right type of translation. Project managers can assign each project to the right expert when they know everything about the international audience.
• The reason why native experts are hired for translating into the target language is the fact that they know the audience and its culture. They can help companies conquer global markets by using their knowledge of a culture.
• When the detailed information about the audience is provided to the linguistic expert, they manage to deliver better quality results.
• If technical terms are used for technical communications, it will make the content clearer for the audience.
• Some countries have more than one official language. Knowing the right spoken language is not enough. If the translator is familiar with the audience and their preferences, they will be able to write for them specifically.
• Even the best writing style will fail without a great level of detail information about the people who will be reading the content. Successful presentation is only possible when linguistic experts know important details about the group they are writing for.
• A literal translation is only successful when it is written for a specific audience. Translating a book in English without knowing anything about the people who will be reading it is not a good idea.

How to Write the Perfect Translation?

Machine translation has been around for quite some time now. Although it has been beneficial in some ways, it had made people think that don’t need human translation. In truth, there is a translation process that has to be followed to create the best results. Machine translation cannot deliver accurate results because it knows nothing about the audience interest. But sometimes, mistakes are made even in human translation. However, they can be avoided by following simple rule.

Here’s how you can provide the best linguistic solutions to your clients:

1. Only work with your native language. So, translate into English if you are a native American or into Hindi if you are from India.
2. Don’t treat website content the same way you would treat a document. Understand that a web site will have a different intended audience than books and magazines.
3.  Use simple words when writing for the general public. For instance, documents about public health should be simple enough for everyone.
4. Develop a writing process. It will help you build your writing style and also get better at your job.
5. Get complete information about the audience either from the client or from other sources. Learning the audience demographics will help you in creating the best content.
6. Don’t work with multiple languages. It is better to stick with your first and second languages.
7. Be open with your product managers. If you let them know what kind of translation work you life, they will send the right projects your way.
8. Use CAT tools so you can get help from your previous translations.
9. Provide the best customer support to your clients at all times, but specially when you are working on their project.
10. Always write in active voice, but specially when you are working with academic or official documents like public health care announcements, public policy papers, and systems research reports.

Why knowing your customer matters for translation and business?

A company that ignores the needs of its customers cannot create quality products. When they don’t know the intended audience of a product, they wouldn’t know what preparation method to use. They may also end up ignoring the language needs of their customers. For instance, forgetting that audience members speak multiple languages and only providing customer service in English can eliminate the chances of getting valuable feedback. You can’t post labels on products in Portuguese for your American audience.

The situation is no different when it comes to translation. Knowing the name of the official language of a country is not enough. Even Google Translate and social media websites like Facebook and Twitter know which official language is spoken where. Every audience has unique needs and only by learning about them can a linguistic expert provide the best quality translations for them.