Keys to successfully hiring Catalan<>English translation services
Advertising and communication agencies have very specific needs when requesting translations from Catalan or into Catalan. Whether press releases or advertising texts, this type of translation requires not only an extensive linguistic knowledge, but also a good cultural background of each country or region (Catalonia, in this case) and how words are used.
A good advertising translation is paramount to expanding your target audience of Catalan-speaking users. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Remember these tips when translating your marketing content from or into Catalan:
Know your audience
Before you start translating, decide who your target audience will be. Who do you think will be most responsive to your services or products?
Find out and limit who your target audience is going to be. In this case, if you intend translating into Catalan, think about which markets you want to reach. Only Catalonia…? Or maybe into other territories with large Catalan-speaking communitites? Always consider the local and dialectal variations of Catalan and how this may impact the recipient.
Also consider the age of your audience, as this will determine the style in the translation. The more you narrow your focus by directly targeting a niche market, the more likely it is that your translation from Catalan or into Catalan will attract potential buyers.
Consider all types of publications
There are many ways to enter local Catalan markets. Expand the type of advertising and informational content to cover all of your company’s social channels.
Press releases and printed advertising material are a classic, but translating your website content into Catalan and start publishing articles about products or services can be a great way to reach thousands of readers in Catalonia.
One option is to start a profile on a social network such as Twitter or Instagram, and specifically target Catalans. You can also start an email marketing campaign targeted at Catalan!}-speaking countries. Remember to always include these new communication formats in your English-Catalan strategies.
Translate and localize (i.e. culturally adapt into Catalan)
In the marketing world, localization refers to the adaptation of all elements (from design to cultural references) for a specific audience. A small change in an audience type will increase the response rate and the number of sales.
Even if two groups speak the same language, such as Catalan, we may need different translations for each region or country (Catalonia).
A good localization in Catalan helps us solve these problems: from everyday expression to date formats, weight units or forms of address used in Catalonia, etc.
Take every aspect into account
In an advertising translation into Catalan, not everything is text. Remember that there are also graphics, presentations and drawings that can be important to attract the attention of your Catalan-speaking users.
Changes in graphics and pictures not only affect the content, but are sometimes necessary for the readability of the translation. Sometimes we will need to make changes to accommodate the reading direction of a language (left to right or right to left), the spacing of a particular alphabet, or any features such as those specific to the Catalan language.
Always keep in mind that the space taken up by a translation may increase or decrease with respect to the original text when translating from English into Catalan or vice versa.
Do not limit your imagination
When looking for translations in Catalan for your advertising content, your initial idea in English may not work when translated into Catalan.
It is important to maintain consistency throughout the campaign: it is what will identify your brand, company or product in countries like Catalonia… Remember that a literal translation of an English witty expression will most probably not work in Catalan.
Throughout the translation project, always think about which types of Catalan-speaking users your campaign is targeting. Be open to new ideas so your message does not get lost in translation.
How do you say “Catalan” in Catalan?
Catalan (català in catalan) is a regional language with official status in Spain and Andorra, and a co-official language in Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Valencian Community and in the Sardinian city of Alghero.
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A quick overview of the Catalan language
Catalan is usually divided into two major dialects that are divided into other regional variants. The dialects are mainly characterized by differences in pronunciation and, to some extent, in vocabulary.
For the most part, all dialects are mutually intelligible. The two main dialects are Eastern Catalan (Catalonia and the Balearic Islands) and Western Catalan (Valencia). One of the phonetic differences is the pronunciation of the atonal vowels.
Standard Catalan is based on the central Catalan spoken in the Barcelona metropolitan area.