Why translating newsletters is a good idea

Translating newsletters is a necessary step in an international email marketing strategy. Thanks to landing pages in other languages, we get leads: potential client contacts. But what do we do with these leads? Once we have international subscribers, it’s time to provide them with value and maintain contact.

Therefore, a well translated newsletter by professional translators containing rich and valuable content should be part of an effective globalisation strategy. Here are some tips to consider when translating newsletters.

 

What is a newsletter?

A newsletter is an informative email sent periodically to our leads and involves sharing content. It’s not about explaining the benefits of our product or service, nor in which we say who we are or how great we’re doing.

For example, if our sector is tourism, we could make a newsletter about the best hidden gems for Easter, summer and Christmas holidays. If we sell food products, we could send recipes or facts about the benefits of including certain foods in your diet.

 

Keep in mind who you’re targeting

Before translating email campaigns, we must consider certain points so that we know which themes or styles to use. Consider the following questions:

Are the leads I have enough to translate a newsletter into another language?

Maybe you’ve launched a marketing campaign in another country, but it’s not having much effect. Before investing in the following steps, analyse what is happening with your brand in the country or countries that speak your language.

Maybe you have to resort to a zero investment, something that requires a lot of effort: it’s called patience. If you don’t have enough, it’s best to keep investing your efforts in getting potential subscribers.

What information do I have about my audience?

Depending on the type of campaign you have launched, you may have some information about your audience. This is a decision that you should make when creating a call to action: ask more questions or just get the lead and find out?

 

There are other tools that allow you to analyse the profiles of your visitors, if you’ve not launched a specific campaign in another market. Through Google Analytics, you can find out a lot about your visitors.

If we know who they are, can we define their profile or are they too diverse?

If in your marketing actions (contact forms, subscriptions, downloading of resources) you requested information, you will be able to segment your audience. We’re not going to get into why it’s important to segment your subscribers. If you haven’t already, do it now!

If you managed to segment them, you will have to assess whether your global audience has common characteristics. Do they match with your buyer persona? If so, try to include resources that connect with them in your newsletter.

 

Trust experts who know how to engage with the public

Once we know who our audience are, where they are and what their preferences are, it’s time to get to work on your international newsletter. In doing so, don’t just stick to words, translate the message.

To do this, it’s best to rely on a professional translation agency that considers the cultural differences that exist between your local content and your global content.

Speaking about the benefits of healthy food could be useful for UK citizens (over 60% of adults in the UK are classes as overweight) but maybe in another market it wouldn’t have as much effect. Or maybe such a holiday is key in one culture but insignificant in another.

Translating your newsletter will often mean redoing it or doing a transcreation. That’s why it’s important to have professional native translators who know what issues need to be changed, adapted or directly removed from your international newsletter. Don’t skip this point, as it will depend on whether your communication is effective or not.

 

To translate a newsletter, first ask yourself: what, who and how?

It’s about finding out what kind of content works on email marketing campaigns and who your audience is. When you find out, rely on expert translators who know the market and communicate with the context in mind.

And remember that thanks to translation, you’ll be able to sell your products or services in other countries.

Shall we talk?