Translate a Press Release for International Distribution

This article discusses the best practices on how to translate a press release for international distribution.

When it comes to disseminating a message for your company or organization having it be accessible to speakers of one language can be a huge disadvantage. We live in a global world where commerce does not stop at borders. In order to get maximum exposure for your organization your best bet is to hire a professional firm to translate your press release to reach customers globally. While translation is a fantastic move it needs to be done correctly. Think of yourself reading a press release from a foreign nation- if it is full of grammatical and spelling errors that would most likely diminish your respect and trust in that organization. That means a positive step could turn into something embarrassing for your company or organization. Literature Across Frontiers, which is a European organization that tracks press release data estimates that upwards of 25% higher exposure can be reached with a combination of a foreign ad campaign coupled with a well translated press release. (Read the full report here) Furthermore, even if you are able to create a top notch translated press release it is important to get it into the inboxes and hands of the right people. A two step strategy should be your first step. Make sure that your press releases are legible and well written. After that make sure you hire a team or company that makes sure that your press release is disseminated to the right people using relevant online services.

Here is a handy checklist of what you should consider for your press release to have a maximum impact:

• Clearly decide the purpose of your press release: There is a lot of information generated on the internet. Knowing which audience your information relates to and targeting them physically and digitally is very important.
• Think countries, not languages: Often times two countries that speak the same language has very different needs and require different marketing strategies.
• What is the language of your audience and the impact of your message: This goes deeper than just translating your content. How do you want to sound? What is the style you would like to convey? (a simple translation style guide – like the one here prepared by MotaWord – can be very useful for this)

While your company can do many things some things are best left to the professionals. For example, while it is certainly possible to translate and disseminate your own press releases you will get a far better return on your investment by dealing with people that have years of experience in the world of translated press releases.

While syntax, grammar and spelling are important your message must also be tailored to the cultures that you are targeting. For example, a German audience will have many different needs when compared to a Korean or Russian audience. Knowing these slight but important differences can be a game changer when it comes to the effectiveness of your campaign. As they say- time is money- and paying someone to culturally translate your press release is incredibly valuable.

Long story short- unless you are a polyglot with a deep cultural understanding of all of the countries you wish to reach with your press release it is imperative that you hire someone to make sure you are on the right path. This will save you money in the long run and get your press release the most exposure possible.