If you’re considering expanding your business into foreign language markets, a translation memory (TM) is one of the tools you can implement with your translation services company. A TM helps translators work more efficiently to reduce costs, increase consistency and reduce time to market. Here’s a closer look at all you need to know about TM.

What is Translation Memory?

A translation memory is a repository of original content and the translated versions of that content. For each new project, the translation services company inputs the new content into the TM, and the TM identifies repeated or similar content. Translators can then reuse previously translated content stored in the TM during future projects. As more content is translated, the TM continues to grow — so the more you put into the TM, the more you get out of it.

How Does a Translation Memory Work?

The TM compares existing content to the new content and identifies three types of segments:

Repetitions/100% match – This type of segment occurs when a new word segment matches exactly with another word segment in the TM. For example, let’s say that you previously translated this sentence: “To complete the installation, you need two AA batteries.” If this sentence exists in a new translation project, it would be identified as a repetition/100% match. The translator still needs to review the sentence for context and quality, but this type of segment takes the least time of the three to translate.

Fuzzy segment – This type of segment occurs when a word segment partially matches another word segment in the TM. Per the previous example, let’s say that your TM contains the following sentence: “To complete the installation, you need two AA batteries.” Now let’s say that your new translation project contains this sentence: “To complete the installation, two AA batteries are required.” In this case, the TM will recognize the sentence as a fuzzy match because the first part matches an existing segment exactly, but the second part is somewhat different. A fuzzy match takes the translator less time to work through than brand new content, but obviously it takes more time than a 100% match.

New segment – A new segment is one that either doesn’t match any existing segments or it matches a segment at less than 50%. A translator will have to translate this segment from scratch.

Note: A translator will see both the original content and the highlighted 100% match/fuzzy/new segments, and then decide whether to accept the translation that’s in the TM or modify it. Upon completion of any translation project, the TM will need to be updated so that it contains the latest information.

Benefits of a Translation Memory

A TM has three main benefits:

It Saves You Money – When repetitions/100% match and fuzzy segments are identified, they will have lower translation fees than new segments. If you’re working in an authoring environment where you have a content reuse strategy, you’ll probably have a lot of 100% match segments. If you don’t have a content reuse strategy, and/or if you have multiple writers, chances are that there will be a lot of fuzzy segments along with some 100% matches. In either case, a TM will make your translation projects more cost-effective due to its ability to recognize word segments.

It Improves Quality – Using a TM will increase consistency across different projects. It makes for a better customer experience when things are translated the same way across all documentation, websites and software applications. Even if more than one translator is working on a project, the suggestions from a TM can help translators remember which specific words to use. This can be especially handy if there are certain standard terms for your industry, product or service. If you work with your translation company to capture this terminology and get it translated before a project begins, you can incorporate it into your TM. A TM and a glossary of standard terms are two good tools to use together for the highest quality translations.

It Decreases Time to Market – A TM prepopulates new content with previously translated segments. A translator can then simply approve those segments and focus their energy on new content. You can really see the benefits of using a TM whenever content is repeated a lot, such as with technical documentation, or with larger projects such as website and software localization. With a TM in place, you can expect faster turnaround time and therefore decreased time to market.

4x as many people prefer to watch videos about products than to read about them, and 40% say they are more likely to make a purchase on their phones if they watch a video first. Internet videos already reach more people than any individual U.S. cable network, and 75% of business executives watch work-related videos at least once a week.

YouTube, the largest video-sharing platform, accounts for more than a billion viewers and millions of viewing hours each day. Part of their effort to reach global viewers is comprehensive localization and translation of their user interface, with YouTube offering local services in 88 countries and in 76 languages.

Videos are clearly one of the most effective means of reaching global consumers. Ideally, they are entertaining and informative, engaging and immersive. Done right, and with the help of translation companies, videos should be an indispensable weapon in any marketer’s arsenal. The question is no longer whether or not to use videos – but how to make them cost-efficient and globally attractive in order to maximize your return on investment (ROI).

Why videos work

Videos can resonate with your target audience more effectively than any other medium. As marketing expert, Anne Hadley said, “Video adds a pulse to your content. It makes your story tangible and real. So why wouldn’t we all embrace it?” Especially when “embracing it” can translate directly into increased sales and market share. For example:

• Studies show that including video on a landing page can increase conversions by 80%. You can improve that rate even further by translating the website and landing page to appeal to an array of local audiences.
• Adding video to your translated website increases viewers’ time on-site and the likelihood that your website will appear on the first page of Google’s search results, a boon to your SEO efforts. (Search engines track the amount of time a visitor spends on a site before returning to the search results page. The more time someone spends on your site, the more relevant the link becomes to the search engine.)
• Sending an email with the word video in the subject line increases opens by 19% and click-throughs by 65%. It also reduces unsubscribes by 26%.

People are also much more likely to socially share video content over any other medium. Millennials, in particular, prefer to watch videos on their phones and are surprisingly likely to watch company videos when shopping online.

Video ROI and localization

While videos are clearly effective in boosting sales and brand recognition, they are also expensive. A great way to maximize ROI on a corporate video is to localize the content and distribute the video internationally, via social media to global audiences or directly to your employees or potential partners/investors overseas. But to avoid embarrassment and even potential liability, it’s critical to get your video professionally translated and localized.

Working with a language service provider (LSP) from the very beginning can help you determine how your message might be received in different locations, particularly those with distinct cultural differences. Ideally, this research should be conducted before the video is produced so that the content is appropriate for all intended audiences.

Strategies for localizing video

Targeting vastly different audiences with a single video is obviously not as effective as creating different versions for different audiences. But creating customized videos for each region is costly and may not always be an option. Here are three alternative strategies:

• Animation – Create a video that doesn’t rely on live actors. Animation can be engaging and has the advantage of narration – the narrator can speak in any language without needing to adjust the on-screen content to match.
• Dubbing – If actors are integral to the video, the next option to consider is dubbing. Voiceover talent records new dialogue in the target language that replaces the original spoken dialogue. Dubbing is a great way to localize your video for different audiences, but depending on the number of actors/voices in the video, it can be quite expensive.
• Subtitles – A third option is to use localized subtitles. This works for videos with or without actors. Subtitling is less expensive than dubbing and relatively easy to add to an existing video. The drawback, however, is that many viewers are reluctant to watch videos that require reading, and subtitles can distract from the visual message you are trying to convey. If your video is fast-paced, following the action and reading subtitles simultaneously might cause your intended audience to tune out.

Videos bridge the divide

Whether the videos are animated, dubbed, or subtitled, they are likely to be clicked and shared if they resonate with your target audience. In addition to obtaining professional subtitling or dubbing services, make sure to tackle issues of interest to the local audience and use cultural references that will appeal to your viewers. The more people feel represented in the videos, the more likely they are to share them.

Remember, ensuring cultural fluidity starts at the very beginning. A premiere LSP with proven video translation experience can help localize your content effectively so that it resonates with diverse audiences and even goes viral.