Keys to successfully hiring Maltese<>English translation services
Advertising and communication agencies have very specific needs when requesting translations from Maltese or into Maltese. 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 (Malta, in this case) and how words are used.
A good advertising translation is paramount to expanding your target audience of Maltese-speaking users. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Remember these tips when translating your marketing content from or into Maltese:
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 Maltese, think about which markets you want to reach. Only Malta…? Or maybe into other territories with large Maltese-speaking communitites? Always consider the local and dialectal variations of Maltese 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 Maltese or into Maltese will attract potential buyers.
Consider all types of publications
There are many ways to enter local Maltese 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 Maltese and start publishing articles about products or services can be a great way to reach thousands of readers in Malta.
One option is to start a profile on a social network such as Twitter or Instagram, and specifically target Maltese. You can also start an email marketing campaign targeted at Maltese!}-speaking countries. Remember to always include these new communication formats in your English-Maltese strategies.
Translate and localize (i.e. culturally adapt into Maltese)
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 Maltese, we may need different translations for each region or country (Malta).
A good localization in Maltese helps us solve these problems: from everyday expression to date formats, weight units or forms of address used in Malta, etc.
Take every aspect into account
In an advertising translation into Maltese, not everything is text. Remember that there are also graphics, presentations and drawings that can be important to attract the attention of your Maltese-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 Maltese 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 Maltese or vice versa.
Do not limit your imagination
When looking for translations in Maltese for your advertising content, your initial idea in English may not work when translated into Maltese.
It is important to maintain consistency throughout the campaign: it is what will identify your brand, company or product in countries like Malta… Remember that a literal translation of an English witty expression will most probably not work in Maltese.
Throughout the translation project, always think about which types of Maltese-speaking users your campaign is targeting. Be open to new ideas so your message does not get lost in translation.
How do you say “Maltese” in Maltese?
The Maltese self-name is il-Malti. The small island state of Malta has almost 400,000 inhabitants. 60% of the population has access to the Internet. The official languages are English and Maltese. The Italian language also exerts a notable influence on Malta.
More languages…
More language services in Maltese:
Can we help?
Get a quote for your Maltese translation
A quick overview of the Maltese language
Maltese is the only language in the Semitic language family that is written in Latin characters.
Maltese evolved from Maghrebi Arabic. The vocabulary is also strongly influenced by Sicilian Italian. The alphabet and grammar are based on Latin. Maltese is an official language of high symbolic value for national identity. However, Italian and English are mainly used everyday.