How To Achieve Global Reach By Localising Your Corporate Video

Content localisation is the process of adapting or recreating your company’s existing content in order to make it more understandable and relatable to a specific region. Offering your video content in more languages means a broader audience (hello, new friends!).

This translates into more revenue, global recognition, and brand awareness. There’s really no reason any brand shouldn’t leverage a localised video strategy in 2023 and beyond. 

That said, to truly achieve a global reach with your corporate video, it's crucial to take a few of these tips into account.

Here's a closer look at what this process entails, and how this can help your company connect with audiences around the globe.

Why Is Content Localisation Important? 

Translation focuses on accurately conveying your message in a different language. This requires more than just replacing words with their equivalents in another language; it involves understanding the nuances of both languages and ensuring that the translated text effectively conveys the original meaning. 

It’s not as easy as copy-paste from Google Translate, but instead has intricate details you shouldn’t overlook. 

When you’ve taken the extra step to adapt content into a message that resonates with an international market versus simply translating text, you’re ensuring that the tone of voice is correct for the new audience. 

Let’s unpack exactly why localising your content is so important for reaching the right audiences.

1. Localisation Creates Deeper Connections

Localisation helps your customers connect with your brand on a deeper level, building trust and making them more likely to purchase. Communicating with your users in their language and tailoring your product for a personalised experience also helps you increase brand loyalty.

2. Localisation Builds Your Competitive Edge

Staying relevant is essential for survival (especially in the fast-paced world we find ourselves today) and that means speaking to your customers in their mother tongue. If you want to turn your company into a global brand, localisation should be at the top of your list.

3. Localisation Improves Accessibility

By investing in the localisation of your content, you are ensuring that your corporate video resonates with audiences around the world, and that you're communicating your message in a way that's culturally appropriate and effective. 

How Do You Choose Your Localisation Strategy? 

There are several approaches you can take when it comes to localising and translating your corporate video. One option is to work with a professional translation and localisation agency, which can provide expert guidance and ensure that your videos are tailored to the needs of specific regions.

Let’s be honest, Google Translate can only take you that far before it can land you in hot water. It’s not always reliable when it comes to the specific nuances of languages and cultures alike. 

One of the worst things you can do when localising your content is to skip over small details. What’s considered humorous in one culture could be seen as extremely offensive in another.

When choosing your localisation strategy, consider the below before applying it to your corporate video:

1. Choose Between Subtitles or Voiceovers 

Choosing between the two is a strategy on its own as both come with their own set of benefits. For example, subtitling can make content more accessible to viewers with hearing impairments or watching without sound. Subtitles can also easily be added or removed from a video without affecting the original audio track. 

On the other hand, voice overs can accurately convey the tone and emotion of a scene or character in your video, as well as represent all languages. Ultimately this choice will come down to the nature of your video and what it’ll be used for.

2. Remember to Translate Graphics 

Check whether your video has any on-screen graphics or text and make sure to translate these. Imagine spending hours localising your video, but the graphics on-screen are still in English. A big no-no. Checking these small details will ultimately add those extra special touches to your localised content.

3. Avoid Small Errors When Communicating Across Cultures

Differences in communication styles, etiquette rules, and social customs can cause misunderstandings that damage professional relationships and reputations. When localising your content, you want to avoid these errors and be as respectful as possible towards each and every culture.

Top Tips For Localising Your Corporate Video 

Here are our top tips for localising and translating your corporate video successfully:

• Know your audience: 

Do extensive research into your target audience as this is key in developing content that works. What are their needs and expectations? Having a greater understanding of your audience’s cultural nuances will also help you create more tailored and appropriate content.

• Simplify your message: 

Avoid using complex language or jargon that may be hard to understand or interpret. In the same breath, avoid using slang or colloquial terms, unless absolutely spot on for the audience you are trying to reach.

• Consider cultural context:

What may appear as normal or harmless content in one culture might be accepted differently by another culture. Are there any specific sensitivities you need to be mindful of? What kind of humour does your audience prefer? Be informed of local cultures and sensibilities before releasing any content in a new area. Rather ask, test, edit and make the necessary changes before putting anything out there.

• Work with locals: 

Locals will know and understand the intricacies of life in the specific country better than what you can read online or someone who has just briefly visited the place. Trust their judgements when localising your corporate video. Listening and learning is the golden rule.

To infinity and beyond! By following these basic best practices you can create corporate videos that effectively communicate your message to audiences around the world. 

Need assistance with your corporate video? We are specialists in corporate video production and can help you communicate your message to a global audience. Get in touch with one of our team today.