You want to boost your business and have decided to offer your services to the Italian market. That’s great! But now… what should you do first? If you’re thinking, “Well, my brochures, catalogues, and websites are in English so I’ll be fine”, let me explain why you should consider hiring an Italian marketing translator.
A handful of European countries, in fact, pride themselves on being almost bilingual but this is not true everywhere. What’s more, did you know that a study on the issue of translated marketing content revealed that more than 50% of the polled consumers would rather pay more for a service provided in their language?
This is particularly true for Italians, who even have a saying about it: “Parla come mangi”, or “Speak the way you eat”. And we all know how serious Italians are about food.
Italian translation of marketing content
Italian people are very attached to their language (and local dialects!) and have a profound love for everything written, so it’s very important to offer your contents in a way that can be immediately appreciated.
If you want to make sure your marketing materials really speak to your Italian audience, you need two things in order to translate them from English into Italian: a native Italian translator and a marketing expert. All combined in a single person – living in Italy.
Let’s break down these requirements, shall we?
First of all, a professional translator only translates into their native language. In fact, only a mother-tongue specialist can really convey the multifaceted aspects of a single word in another language, making it sound as if it were conceived in that same language. A good, effective translation sounds effortless.
So, why should you only trust someone living in Italy for your translation? Language is fluid and ever-evolving: some words acquire new meanings over time, others are abandoned or even banned. It’s very important to always be current in your use of language because the risk of sounding outdated – or even rude – is always high.
So, why should you hire an Italian marketing translator for your content?
The recipe for disastrous marketing communication is easy and is usually based on very common mistakes, as all language professionals know.
These mistakes can range from basic linguistic typos to a huge diplomatic faux pas with an entire country.
If you are now completely stuck and have no idea what to do in order to translate your marketing materials from English into Italian and reach new Italian consumers, please follow these three steps.
1) Rely on an Italian marketing translator
Choosing just anybody to translate your content is a sure-fire way to invite disaster. Translation and grammar mistakes are just bound to happen and once they are printed out for your clients, there is no way to avoid a “figuraccia” – which is what Italians call a very bad impression.
You should also keep in mind that there are a lot – a lot! – of stereotypes regarding Italy, Italians, and the Italian language. Some of them are just so widespread, they are now assumed to be true. It’s very important to choose an Italian marketing translator to steer clear of trite old jokes and avoid offending your potential customers!
2) Don’t underestimate the complexity of a marketing translation
Every type of content has its own rules, context, and specific language. Would you ever ask someone with language skills but no legal understanding to translate your mortgage papers? No? Then, why should your marketing materials be treated differently?
To add another layer of complexity, translation is not always enough: this is particularly true when your marketing materials are involved, so much that this discipline is often called “Transcreation”. Just think about how much creativity goes into writing your original contents, how every page of your website, of your catalogues and brochures has been crafted just right. Your translations deserve the same kind of attention: slogans, catchphrases, and puns should not fall flat but feel natural to the reader.
3) Don’t use Google Translate
Maybe you’ve been told that machine translation is the future: this is old news. It’s all in the name: machine translation. Your business is your passion, it has a beating heart: how could a machine help you communicate it? There might be some accepted uses of Google Translate and its robot friends but, trust me, the translation of your brand message is not one of them.
You don’t want to be included in this list of (admittedly funny) hilarious-translations-from around-the-world blog posts, do you?
If your marketing materials are ready to be translated into one of the richest languages in the world, I can definitely help you. Send me an email and tell me everything about your English to Italian translation needs, and I will send you a customized, non-binding quote.
