The recent successes of Korean entertainment exports, from the award-winning film Parasite to the slew of K-pop groups such as BTS and Blackpink taking the world by storm, are a testament to the power of the internet to bring shared experiences to the world. Social media in particular has made it possible for people to enjoy and share content from all over the world.
This eclecticism is driving not just pop culture but a range of industries. This means that brands and content creators alike need to work towards creating multilingual content for international audiences. Finding a translation company to handle your video translation is key to that process. Here are a few reasons why you need to invest in multilingual content and a couple of ways you can get there.
Multilingual content and video translation – where to begin
How can I translate a video? First, work out what you need. Translation company Tomedes points out that video translation services incorporate a range of tasks, not just the translation itself. Do you also need transcription and time syncing? How about subtitling? And what are your plans in respect to voice actors? Thinking this through before you start speaking to translation companies can ensure the process of hiring the perfect company runs more smoothly.
How much does it cost to translate a video? Budget will likely be a key concern if you’ve not used a video translation service before. Ultimately, the cost of converting your business video from one language to another will largely come down to how long the video is and which language(s) you need it translated into. If you plan to use voice actors to dub the video, rather than subtitles, that will ramp your cost up significantly too, as well as the time that the overall process will take.
It might feel tempting to opt for a free video translator to protect your budget, but this can often be a false economy. Video translation software has come a long way in recent years. However, automated translation tools can’t yet compete with human video translation professionals when it comes to accuracy. If you’ve gone to the trouble of creating a video in the first place, making sure it is flawless in the target language, as well as the original, is a no-brainer.
Why use a translation company to produce multilingual content?
The music industry is an excellent example of content going digital. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, streaming revenue accounted for 46.8% of the global total in 2018. By 2019, that figure had shot up to 56.1% of the global total, with streaming revenue growing to US$11.4 billion.
While songs themselves aren’t usually translated for foreign audiences – though there are some notable exceptions – the promotional materials around them certainly are. From bands’ official websites to fan pages and a whole host of other materials, multilingual content plays a big role in supporting music to cross international borders. Using the right translation company can, therefore, make a significant difference.
Boosting your business online through multilingual content
If you’re looking to grow your business online, there’s a strong argument for using video to do so, including multilingual video if you have international audiences in your sights. Of course, not all multilingual content is video content. Far from it. You might use a foreign-language website, blog posts, guest posts, social media posts, brochures, presentations, emails and more to connect with consumers overseas.
However, video will likely be an important part of your strategy to boost your business online. The average person watches 16 hours of online video per week. Shouldn’t your business video be one of those vying for their attention? Given that 84% of people report having been convinced to buy a product or service after watching a brand’s video, it certainly should.
Businesses are embracing video in a range of ways: tutorials and demos, vlogs, product reviews, video podcasts, video testimonials and much more. With so many potential customers out there, brands can be as imaginative as they like when it comes to ways to use business video.
What to look for in a video translation company
If you’re ready to start harnessing the power of video to boost your business online, there are a few essential items to look out for when you hire a video translation company. First and foremost, obviously, is ensuring that they are experienced at working with the language(s) you need. However, it’s also hugely important to ensure that they have experience of video transcription and translation and not just general translation.
Translation companies offer a wide range of specialisms. While all of these involve the conversion of one language to another, undertaking the translation of a legal contract or a medical report (for example) is very different to translating a video. As such, ensure you hire a specialist video translation company. This type of agency will not only have precisely the expertise you need but should also be able to help with things like where to hire voice actors in your target language(s).
It’s also essential to check that the translation company you choose always uses native speakers of the target language, rather than the original language. This will help to ensure that you receive the best quality translation possible, meaning that your business video has the potential to shine, just as it deserves.
