Language is one of the key challenges of sending emails to your international recipients. Email localization is a genius way in which global companies can reach all their email recipients without a barrier. It provides unparalleled functionality and ease of use.
It has also become a powerful tool with which global netizens and citizens are able to get accurate and timely emails — in a language they can perfectly understand and identify with.
Localization serves to bring the needed relevancy of your email to all your subscribers irrespective of native language or location. For instance, businesses operating in Saudi Arabia, Russia or Turkey get to easily understand what their international partners are communicating because the emails are written in their native language.
Localizing emails has also seen a higher ROI in ad campaigns. This is because subscribers understand and identify with the medium of communication, rather than if it was done say in foreign-to-them English or French, for example.
The most important consideration for email marketers is the ROI. Apart from that, before you embark on localization, check the actual benefits that come to your business with such a plan of action.
The clear advantage is that as you run your campaign on the international arena, localization gives you more accessibility.
Identify who your international audience is
Before starting to consider email localization, you need to conduct research into who your target audience is. For instance, you could be targeting a country where people speak Spanish or Chinese. If so, then you will have to tailor your localization toward these people while considering the spoken and written language of that state or locality. Also, make sure to factor in their cultural adaptations, use of simple words and especially how they address people according to gender, age and many other considerations.
Hire translation services
Accessing translation services that are professional and measure up to the work at hand is challenging. It requires that you to check out multiple possibilities until you find the translation company that fits perfectly with the job.
Another solution is to see if you can hire a trusted translator from the region you are localizing into. The advantage with local translators is that not only they are fluent in the language, but they also could be cheaper than translation companies.
If you go the route of translation apps, the question is how effective they are. Machine translation success is almost always questionable.
Guide your translator
Gather your initial research and give it to the translator for localization purposes. There needs to be continuous and close partnership with the translator to ensure that what you intended is what will be written in the target language. Things to be considered include the best ways of addressing readers based on gender, age and family name, among other things. How you address a person on the first contact can make or break future communication and partnership.
Avoid snafus
Email localization is indeed a good way to reach as many subscribers as possible. Companies may find it easier to run their campaigns and get in touch with their customers quickly.
Even so, it does come with its own type of challenges and restrictions. For instance, finding and hiring a professional translator is not as easy it might seem.
As you localize, you must consider sensitive factors such as culture, images used and even color. Despite that, with good teamwork, email localization is a good way some businesses can conquer the global market.
