The previous article Vol.38 – How to Remake Global Content to Meet Local Needs was about remaking global content to meet local situation and needs based on target buyer persona.
This article is about localizing global content focusing on language perspective, i.e. how much translation is required for target audience to understand when the content is originally made in the language not understood by the target audience.
1. Do everything of all content need to be translated in content localization?
The author would say no. It is true that translation is the first thing to do in localizing contents, the author would say that it does not necessarily mean that all headlines, texts, captions etc. need to be translated at all times.
This is because there are a few exceptional cases in which target audiences understand the core message and find the content interesting even if the content is not all translated into the language they understand.
2. What kind of contents could do without translation yet target audiences find the contents interesting?
They are mostly of rich contents focusing on visuals. This does not mean that such contents are all that leverages web 2.0 technologies with movies. Web 1.0 content also could be such contents yet web 2.0 content of movies could not be of such contents.
Non-texts such as photo and movies convey sufficient information to local audience even though the text and/narration is not translated from English into local language or vice versa. That is to say global audience understands the message even though the text and/or narration is not translated from local language to English and the audience actually find the content interesting.
3. What are some of the examples of contents which can do without translation yet target audience can enjoy?
1) Blogs articles with photos that can be like an album
It is often said that pictures equals hundred words, which is quite true. Target audience may enjoy blog articles with many photos even though the blog is of much text probably because series of photos are like an album.
When the author wrote a blog article in Japanese about her business trip to Switzerland and posted photos and tweeted with a link to the article page, it attracted attention of global audience and to her surprise, was retweeted, with comment about the photos.
Participated in Global Diversity & Inclusion Meeting held in Global HQ! (the author’s translation)
http://ameblo.jp/meg-oyanagi/entry-10555640784.html
Also, the author had a feedback from which she understood that other online people used the online translation service to read the long blog article text. Although the translation quality might not be perfect, it was understandable and the readers did enjoy the article. This incident means that if target audience is once attracted to the content, he/she would self-service to translate utilizing online translation services and is satisfied with it.
2) Blog article with charts and/or (YouTube) videos
Blog articles of texts with charts and/or videos can make target audiences understand the core message and enjoyed even if the texts and narrations are not translated. If it is a 2 hour movie, interpreted dubbed version or telop translation version are inevitable to help audience understand the story and message. However, in the case of blog articles with easy-to-understand, illustrative chart and/or video, such localization is not necessarily required for the audiences to understand the main message.
Some examples of such articles include the below.
20 #Facebook Tips/Tricks You Might Not Know
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/20-facebook-tipstricks-you-might-not-know/
How to Build a Facebook Community (14 “Levers” You Need to be Pulling)
http://www.johnhaydon.com/2009/10/howto-build-facebook-community/
These 2 blog articles were tweeted by the author, to global audience in English and to Japanese audience with a simple comment in Japanese then the English article title and link. Surprisingly, they were retweeted with a simple appreciation comment by a Japanese tweet.
There are many factors for it such as the fact that the tweep has always been attentive to advanced social media trend regardless of the location of source and the content met his needs. The author also feels that the fact that the blog articles included easy-to-understand visualized chart and video that help the non-bilingual Japanese tweep understand the main message is also an important factor that made him satisfied with the content although it is in English. Also, similarly to the blog posts with pictures mentioned above, if the reader is extremely curious of the content, he/she would likely to self-service for translation leveraging online web service.
3) Video content focusing on visual with good tempo
Surprisingly Video contents without been translated or translated telop can make target audience understand the core message, interested in the content and enjoy even if it is not translated into the language of the target audience. Such contents are with easy-to-understand, illustrative visuals/moving pictures, preferably with appropriate BGM. Thus, video in which a person makes narration and the movie is only the narrator talking is no good.
A few example of such content are as below.
What motivates us? [video]
http://holykaw.alltop.com/what-motivates-us-video
Evolution Web 1.0, Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 (VID)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsNcjya56v8&feature=related
The 2 contents have no translation telop and narration is in English; however, when the author tweeted introducing them with a link, a non-bilingual Japanese tweep retweeted with a comment saying that this content is of good tempo and of interesting and impressive way of presenting message through visual/movie. It is apparent that the retweeter was very interested in how the content was made and the information was presented to the audience, not found in Japan.
For the similar reason, some videos in English are often shown as it is to Japanese employees (who cannot understand English) at the company the author works in. In doing so, the author always makes sure that core message of such videos are understandable for non-bilingual employees from moving pictures and BGM. According to the feedback, the employees did understand the core message and enjoyed the content.
4. What are the final thoughts of the author?
Interesting photos and illustrative charts/movies attract attention of audience. They are extremely helpful for the audience to understand who are satisfied, regardless of which language the content is made in and which language the audience can understand. It is not about the language and translation. It is all about the value of the content and how the content is created and shown from customer perspective.
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