Tip 1: Localise to be relevant: Most people on the internet don’t speak English fluently
We already know, from previous research – and in-house experience – that almost 75% of users prefer to use localised websites written in their language, and this is reflected in internet purchase preference too; with 55% of online shoppers stating that accessing information in their native tongue is more important to them than cost.
In fact, although 56% of content online is in English, only 5% of users speak English natively. So, a lot of people are struggling through sites and experiences that just weren’t designed for them in the first place.
The same logic applies to video content – if it’s not in a user’s language (or at least subtitled), it’s not going to be as engaging. We’re essentially leaving people out by not catering to their local languages.
Tip 2: Diverse and inclusive content is key…
Your customers want more diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in their marketing; a Facebook study showed this was true for 64% of audiences. And the best bit? It’s actually shown to improve ROI: 69% of companies using diversity in their campaigns saw an increase in their overall valuations of 44%.
Tip 3: …And be sure not to neglect your internal market
It’s not just external audiences that you need to reach out to with video marketing.
When you’re working in a global environment, all communications must be clear and understood easily by the workforce, whichever language they speak and wherever they live and work.
Video localisation can play an important role in L&D – did you know that fewer than 10% of multinational employees engage with training and learning programmes when they’re delivered solely in English? Ensuring your learning is truly inclusive doesn’t just mean including videos in a translated language but understanding the culture and background of the viewers watching the content.
Tip 4: The power of subtitles
Accessibility isn’t the only reason to think about localising videos by using subtitles.
The extra written content boosts SEO, plus studies show that people who watch videos with subtitles actually watch them for longer.
Finally, a whopping 92% of your audience will be watching video content with the sound off. Adding subtitles means you maximise your reach and your return on investment.
Tip 5: But remember to plan ahead
When planning to add subtitles, remember that many languages are longer in written form than English.
For example, German is usually much longer in character length than the English equivalent, while French, Portuguese, Spanish or Italian translations are often one fifth longer than the English version.
So when designing your video content, it’s important to leave space for the subtitled text to be legible.
Tip 6: When to go for voice overs
When deciding between using subtitles or voice overs, you want to think about budget (sometimes, but not always, voice overs are more expensive), but also the complexity and cultural nuance of your text.
If jokes are being played out using tone of voice, for example, that might get lost in a written translation.
But if you have multiple voices in your video, lots of different speakers on subtitles can be really hard to follow.
Not sure which to go for? Give us a shout; we’re really happy to help advise.
Tip 7: To avatar or not to avatar?
We made an exciting addition to the Comtec video localisation portfolio recently – a partnership with Synthesia, a web-based platform that allows businesses to create videos using AI avatars.
With 60+ languages ready to roll, this style of video production comes into its own in the internal comms arena. Anything requiring a quick turnaround, such as company-wide global announcements, newsletters and L&D sessions can be delivered at scale using the Synthesia model.
Imagine the increased engagement you could achieve by switching your training material from dry, impersonal PowerPoint decks, to a series of short avatar-hosted video presentations?
And while we aren’t advocating an avatar approach as a replacement for traditional marketing/promo video creation; for projects that require fast, scalable and cost-effective communication, working with us on a Synthesia solution could be the way to go!
So, what are the next steps and how can Comtec help you move forward?
If you’re convinced that it’s time to launch into video localisation, or you want to augment your existing output, we’re here to help!
We offer a wide range of video localisation services:
