I have recently noticed quite an increase in demand for copywriting services in retail and travel industries, and having taken the time to listen to my clients, it’s become quite obvious why…

It’s no surprise that in the current climate, communications are happening at the speed of light. Demanding customers and their end consumers require information “here and now”, preferably in their own language – and why wouldn’t they?

Copywriting in local languages

Whilst marketing and digital teams are trying their best to keep up with picky and selective customers, the ability to outsource copywriting to a specialist would understandably come as a great relief. Apart from it being a handy, time-saving decision; writing copy in local languages adds a whole new meaning to localised content.

Transcreation (creative translation) works well in adapting a message for a local market; be it marketing content, a retail product listing or hotel group blogs. Writing copy from scratch is the purest localisation option, as it is tailored specifically for your target market.

Depending on the type of content and how creative your source version is, transcreating the message could be very challenging. Think about promoting your hotel’s “afternoon tea” in Spain during “siesta”: a concept that doesn’t exist elsewhere is difficult to adapt. A more satisfactory result would be achieved through writing original copy tailored for a local market only, while still conveying your key messages.

Why transcreate?

So if you’re unsure about whether this localisation option is for you, and why you should even consider copywriting in local languages, here are some key reasons to think about:

Bespoke localised content – there will be no chance of ambiguity in your target market

Quality – your copy will be written by a native, specialist linguist who understands the theory of marketing, and understands your target market inside out

Eliminate the chance of overlooking cultural differences – one phrase or colour may succeed in one culture – but it can take on a different (and potentially offensive) meaning in another E.g. Red is considered a colour of luck in China, but in the Middle East and in the UK it is considered a colour of danger. A copywriter well aware of their own culture would spot these issues straight away

Cost savings – writing copy in a source language and then translating / transcreating could reduce costs and lead time

Time saving – your marketing team can keep their focus on their core tasks, rather than worrying about adapting content for local markets – leave this to the specialists.

Increasing SEO

A final important point to remember is one of the most beneficial advantages of copywriting – it will go hand in hand with search engine optimisation, which has become more and more vital for your business to stand out from the competition. Combining these services will ensure your content is not only tailored specifically for your target market, but also ‘findable’ by those customers you are trying to target. There’s not much point having a wonderful Italian website if your customers in Italy won’t actually be able to find you…