The internet has unlocked vast opportunities for companies to connect with international customers. However, to truly capitalize on global expansion, businesses must recognize the crucial role of language. Industry expert Jennifer Spiller shares key insights on why language is the foundation of successful international growth.
Expanding into new markets presents numerous challenges—from onboarding local employees to ensuring regulatory compliance—even before addressing the impact of language. Yet, language is fundamental to every aspect of business, both domestically and internationally. It influences legal documentation, compliance procedures, HR policies, contracts, content strategies, and digital marketing efforts. Effective communication with customers, employees, suppliers, partners, and stakeholders is essential for success in any industry. Whether conveying a company's brand identity, corporate vision, service offerings, or contractual agreements, organizations must adapt their local strategies to resonate with diverse audiences in different languages and cultural contexts.
Translation ensures accuracy, localization ensures cultural appropriateness, and transcreation ensures that the intended message resonates authentically with the audience.
While design helps build brand recognition, language is the key to engaging, informing, and converting international audiences. However, direct translation from English does not always ensure content will resonate with new markets. This is where localization and transcreation come into play.
Not all languages and markets hold equal value. Businesses should assess market opportunities and allocate resources strategically to develop an efficient language plan tailored to each target region. This applies across all industries, from highly regulated fields like healthcare and finance to consumer-focused sectors such as retail and entertainment.
Companies must evaluate various types of business content—from customer-facing materials to internal HR, legal, and compliance documents. Organizing content by priority helps determine what requires translation, localization, or transcreation and allows for a realistic implementation timeline.
While internal teams may handle some translation needs, many businesses benefit from partnering with professional Language Service Providers (LSPs). Companies like BIG Language Solutions offer expertise in content marketing, website localization, legal documentation, eLearning, and more. An ideal LSP should provide comprehensive support, including design, formatting, multimedia capabilities, and linguistic services.
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