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Video can significantly boost your eCommerce sales. Case in point, 84 percent of people say they’ve bought a product or service after watching a brand’s video. However, viewers must understand the content to be affected by it. If your videos are only available in English, you’re missing out on 76 percent of the global market.
To reach customers worldwide, you need a video localization strategy that accounts for the language and cultural preferences of the target audience. Why? Because 76 percent of online shoppers prefer information in their own language. And a localized video can build audience trust, increase engagement, and drive conversions.
Whether you’re a beginner or want to brush up on best practices, this guide will show you how to create a video localization strategy that maximizes your reach in any market.
So, what is video localization and how does it differ from video translation? Simply put, it’s the process of adapting content to account for cultural norms and expectations. It includes altering the spoken language, visuals, and cultural references to better resonate with the target audience. Unlike video translation, which recreates the message in another language, video localization creates a new, culturally-relevant experience.
With this basic definition in mind, let’s break down the six major elements of video localization. These will serve as the building blocks of your strategy. Please note that a combination of intelligent workflows, continuous localization and AI-powered processes can be used in most stages to speed up delivery, save costs and optimize quality.
includes translating the original script and on-screen text.
involves modifying cultural references, graphics, images, and other aspects of the video to align with local audiences’ norms.
djusts currency, units of measure measurements, dates, and other information to match the target region’s conventions, e.g., metric and imperial or the current currency.
are the most affordable way to translate media, but subtitles can be difficult to follow when a video includes important visual details. A mixture of on screen translated clues can help the user experience.
is an effective option for videos with more than one talking head and/or people conversing.
is a re-recording of off-screen commentary or narration. It works well for videos with one talking head or an off-screen narrator. This can also be done with synthetic voices. See the Adobe case study for details.
How much you alter a video depends on several factors, including the target market, the type of content, and your budget. For example, you can dub product videos to keep the focus on the demonstrations, while also including subtitles for viewers who turn off the sound.
Ultimately, video localization is more art than science as it requires a combination of technical skills, cultural knowledge, and linguistic expertise.
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As you can see, video localization requires input from multiple stakeholders and professionals. And it can be time-consuming and expensive. You may be wondering if it’s worthwhile for your business. The answer is a resounding yes! Here are just three measurable business benefits:
For example, Adobe Experience Cloud localized its library of educational content and courses to offer global customers a personalized experience in their own language. Users can learn how to maximize the platform’s benefits by accessing over 8,000 videos in nine languages. This allows Adobe to reach a much larger, global audience and increase customer engagement with the product.
So far so good, right? Well, before you dive into video localization, it’s important to understand the challenges involved. Here are four of the biggest obstacles and how to overcome them.
Adapting content to cultural norms, values, and preferences can be challenging. What is acceptable or humorous in one culture might be offensive or confusing in another. To get it right, you need an in-depth understanding of the local culture. Consider hiring a language services provider (LSP) like Jonckers who has award winning customer service and a host of very loyal customers. Together they can help you develop a winning strategy.
Each language has its own nuances, idioms, and colloquialisms, which may not exist in the target language. Finding equivalent expressions with the same tone and meaning, whilst adhering to the character count limitations can be very difficult. Jonckers fluid relationship between the engineering team with the translation team enable your design work to shine in all languages.
Dubbing or subtitles must be synchronized with the original audio. But different languages have different sentence structures and lengths, which affect timing. Skilled audio and video editors can ensure accurate synchronization.
Video localization is resource-intensive, especially for large-scale projects involving multiple languages. Keeping quality high while adhering to budget and time constraints is challenging. You can optimize the process with proper planning, streamlined workflows, and technology.
Now that you know the benefits and challenges, let’s walk through how to create a localization strategy. Think of this as your blueprint for launching video content in any market.
Start by researching which international markets offer the greatest potential. You’ll use this information to create a localization plan that includes:
Transcribe the original audio to create a script. You’ll need the transcript to translate the dialog into the target language.
Localize the video through subtitles, dubbing, or both based on local preferences and budget considerations. Here are some ways to do it:
Review the video for any cultural references, symbols or gestures you need to alter for the target audience. Make sure you remove anything offensive or inappropriate.
Conduct a thorough QA to identify any linguistic, cultural, or technical issues.
Launch the video and track its performance across platforms. You can also collect audience feedback to improve future localization efforts.
Technology also plays a key role in your localization strategy. AI-powered tools can automate parts of the process, making it more efficient, accurate, and cost effective.
Here are four the tools you can integrate into the localization workflow:
With AI-driven video localization, you can effectively reach global audiences and cater to different cultures. As a result, viewers worldwide can enjoy a high-quality and relevant user experience.
In short, localized video is an invaluable tool for brands seeking to maximize their impact in an increasingly interconnected world. By tailoring videos to match an audience’s language and cultural preferences, you can break down barriers and forge genuine connections in new markets.
Yet unless you have the right technology, scaling your strategy can be daunting. Fortunately, there’s WordsOnline, our full-service localization platform that offers ready-to-publish videos in your target languages. From transcription to audio recording, our experienced teams can handle everything. Plus, our editing and review services ensure that your videos are polished and ready to go live.
With Jonckers, you can confidently scale your localization strategy with ease. Contact us today to get started!
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