Why Translation is Important to Sell Your Destination

By Bethany, Social Media Strategist | August 9, 2019

With any marketing strategy, it’s imperative to make your messages “land” with your target audience. When you market to an international audience, you need to consider translating your materials. It’s the first step to show how willing you are to accommodate customers, clients, or guests who speak a language other than English.

This is especially true in destination marketing, since language barriers can discourage people from traveling. As part of the work we do to promote Rockland County Tourism for the China market, we translate website copy, social media posts, signage, press kits, and sales materials.

As we mentioned in a previous blog post, Becoming a China-Ready Destination, we’ve heard positive feedback from our Chinese tour operator partners on the translated materials we’ve provided them for Rockland County Tourism. It helps them sell the destination to their customers – pre-formed groups of Chinese visitors.

We’ve also seen successes for our client’s translated microsite. In 2018, the translated pages in the top 5 visited pages on the microsite accounted for 30% of the site’s total pageviews.

Get Started with Translated Materials 

Once you’ve determined you’re ready to translate marketing materials to reach an international audience, you don’t need to feel overwhelmed by where to begin.

Start with your website. While we don’t recommend using Google translate, as sometimes it is not accurate, research other translation plugins that will change the language. Or, create a separate micro-website or landing page on your main website with copy and links for a dedicated language. Translate the copy for these pages by using translation services.

Once you have information to point to on your website in an alternate language, get your destination’s fact sheet translated. Pass out the translated fact sheet to international tourists and tour operators that work with the markets you’re trying to target.

Create signage for your partners with simple translations to hang up in their business. For example, welcome signs, bathroom signs, front desk signs and more. These small translations make your guests feel welcomed to your destination.

If your destination is ready to draw more international visitors, we’d be happy to discuss how we can help. Give us a call, or email SmartStrategies@bbggadv.com.