Keys to successfully hiring Hebrew<>English translation services
Advertising and communication agencies have very specific needs when requesting translations from Hebrew or into Hebrew. 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 (Israel, in this case) and how words are used.
A good advertising translation is paramount to expanding your target audience of Hebrew-speaking users. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Remember these tips when translating your marketing content from or into Hebrew:
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 Hebrew, think about which markets you want to reach. Only Israel…? Or maybe into other territories with large Hebrew-speaking communitites? Always consider the local and dialectal variations of Hebrew 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 Hebrew or into Hebrew will attract potential buyers.
Consider all types of publications
There are many ways to enter local Hebrew 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 Hebrew and start publishing articles about products or services can be a great way to reach thousands of readers in Israel.
One option is to start a profile on a social network such as Twitter or Instagram, and specifically target Hebrews. You can also start an email marketing campaign targeted at Hebrew!}-speaking countries. Remember to always include these new communication formats in your English-Hebrew strategies.
Translate and localize (i.e. culturally adapt into Hebrew)
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 Hebrew, we may need different translations for each region or country (Israel).
A good localization in Hebrew helps us solve these problems: from everyday expression to date formats, weight units or forms of address used in Israel, etc.
Take every aspect into account
In an advertising translation into Hebrew, not everything is text. Remember that there are also graphics, presentations and drawings that can be important to attract the attention of your Hebrew-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 Hebrew 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 Hebrew or vice versa.
Do not limit your imagination
When looking for translations in Hebrew for your advertising content, your initial idea in English may not work when translated into Hebrew.
It is important to maintain consistency throughout the campaign: it is what will identify your brand, company or product in countries like Israel… Remember that a literal translation of an English witty expression will most probably not work in Hebrew.
Throughout the translation project, always think about which types of Hebrew-speaking users your campaign is targeting. Be open to new ideas so your message does not get lost in translation.
How do you say “Hebrew” in Hebrew?
Hebrew (עִבְרִית in Hebrew) is spoken by about 5 million people in Israel. This figure includes both native speakers and second language speakers with different levels of fluency.
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A quick overview of the Hebrew language
Hebrew belongs to the group of Canaanite Semitic languages. It was the language of the first Jews, but from 586 BC it began to be replaced by Aramaic. Around 200 A.D. the use of Hebrew as an everyday language ceased to exist, but it was still used for literary and religious functions, as well as as a lingua franca among Jews in different countries.
In the mid-19th century, the first efforts were made to revive Hebrew as an everyday language. The person who was most involved was Eliezer Ben Yehuda (1858-1922). He was the first to use exclusively Hebrew at home, and promoted its use in schools as well.
Today, Hebrew is spoken by about 5 million people, mainly in Israel, where it is an official language along with Arabic. In total, 2 million people speak Hebrew in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the West Bank and Gaza, Panama, the United Kingdom and the United States.