Keys to successfully hiring French<>English translation services
Advertising and communication agencies have very specific needs when requesting translations from French or into French. 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 (Belgium, Canada, France, in this case) and how words are used.
A good advertising translation is paramount to expanding your target audience of French-speaking users. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Remember these tips when translating your marketing content from or into French:
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 French, think about which markets you want to reach. Only Belgium, Canada, France…? Or maybe into other territories with large French-speaking communitites? Always consider the local and dialectal variations of French 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 French or into French will attract potential buyers.
Consider all types of publications
There are many ways to enter local French 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 French and start publishing articles about products or services can be a great way to reach thousands of readers in Belgium, Canada, France.
One option is to start a profile on a social network such as Twitter or Instagram, and specifically target Francophones. You can also start an email marketing campaign targeted at French!}-speaking countries. Remember to always include these new communication formats in your English-French strategies.
Translate and localize (i.e. culturally adapt into French)
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 French, we may need different translations for each region or country (Belgium, Canada, France).
A good localization in French helps us solve these problems: from everyday expression to date formats, weight units or forms of address used in Belgium, Canada, France, etc.
Take every aspect into account
In an advertising translation into French, not everything is text. Remember that there are also graphics, presentations and drawings that can be important to attract the attention of your French-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 French 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 French or vice versa.
Do not limit your imagination
When looking for translations in French for your advertising content, your initial idea in English may not work when translated into French.
It is important to maintain consistency throughout the campaign: it is what will identify your brand, company or product in countries like Belgium, Canada, France… Remember that a literal translation of an English witty expression will most probably not work in French.
Throughout the translation project, always think about which types of French-speaking users your campaign is targeting. Be open to new ideas so your message does not get lost in translation.
How do you say “French” in French?
French (français in French) is an official language in 30 countries, with 72 million native speakers. It is the second most important language, after English, in the field of research and diplomacy.
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A quick overview of the French language
French developed from the originally Celtic Vulgar Latin of Gaul, and was divided into three major dialectal groups: Northern French, Provençal in the south and Franco-Provençal in the east.
In the 13th century, the French dialect of northern Ile-de-France became the model for the entire region, and a uniform written language was developed in the early 17th century.
Canadian French has undergone certain modifications, as it is not as strongly subject to the linguistic rules of the Académie française.