For enterprises that operate internationally it’s crucial to translate video content

Filmed content can be a great option for reaching your clients considering video is expected to account for over 80% of all online traffic in just a years time.

Not only that, but also it can be extremely useful for creating clear how-to videos and showing off products in real life. Consumers react well to it, and more and more companies are beginning to jump onto the bandwagon.

However, it’s important to remember that even in our ever-globalizing world, most people who go online aren’t native english speakers. To save yourself time and money, look to add multiple subtitle options for your foreign viewers. Here’s how to make sure your content will come across clearly, regardless of the language your customers speak:

Don’t Rush When You Translate Video Content

It may seem like a waste of time to speak slowly in a language that viewers may not understand, but it is actually an important part of ensuring information gets across to your audience clearly. As a marketing translation firm inserts subtitles, it’s important that they are able to limit the amount of text on screen at any given time. Too much text at once can overload the consumer and cause them to miss important information.

Another potential issue could be that translated language subtitles take up more on-screen real estate than the source language does. When you translate video content, you’ll discover that some languages are wordier than others: German, for example, can take up to 40% more subtitle space than English. It’s important to keep this in mind when filming, so as not to risk alienating your foreign viewers.

Leave Space for Subtitles When You Translate Video Content

It’s entirely possible that you’ve used tools like whiteboards or floating banners in your video to explain certain things. While this can be very useful to viewers, it can make it extremely hard for translators to find the space to include consistent, easy to read subtitles.

Having text in different languages overlapping one another can make it hard for both audiences to understand the information you’re trying to get across. This forces translators to move subtitles around, which makes for confusing, sometimes hard-to-follow trails of information.

A fail-safe way to ensure you will always have space for subtitles, regardless of any text on-screen, is to leave space for them. By setting aside or inserting a strip of blank space at the bottom of the screen, all audiences will be able to easily follow along.

By ensuring that subtitles are clear, succinct, and able to convey important information, your firm can thrive in international markets. Video content is gaining popularity by the day, so integrating it now can keep you ahead of the competition.

By Rachel Wheeler, from MorningTransMail