Content marketing is no longer just for trendy marketing agencies and big commercial brands, it’s something that all industries are using to their advantage, and something that fund managers and retail investors are seeing as a great way of connecting with their customers around the globe.
There are a lot of considerations to take into account when creating engaging content (style, tone of voice, placement, frequency), but the main thing to ask yourself is; will your clients and partners actually be able to understand your content?
Basic understanding
In terms of basic readability, you can check the clarity of your website against various online tools, but recent stats have reported that 98% of asset management websites today are not adhering to these readability guidelines. The overuse of jargon and industry-talk is one thing, but a lot of it comes back to basics – using short, readable sentences, and paragraphs that aren’t too long, for example.
Whilst asset management websites are likely to attract lots of customers from the world of finance, there will also be visitors who are not so au-fait with the terminology and subject matters. It’s important to talk to your audience in a language they understand, and as such, it’s worth targeting some of your content around the younger investors for example (think Millennials and Gen-Z’s). The use of language is bound to be different…
And then there’s your overseas customers to think about.
Although 870 million internet users speak English, 56% of users would much rather spend time on websites in their own language.
It’s a well-known fact that speaking to your customers in a language they understand is vitally important when it comes to engagement, so translated content is always going to resonate higher with your clients, and generate much higher conversions.
So what should asset managers do in order to make their content as engaging as possible for their readers around the globe?
Grab your audiences’ attention
The world of finance can sometimes be dry and complex, so ensuring that you write about topics with a bit of flair and with the right tone of voice is important. Where possible, use visual content to get your point across, as this will draw the reader in, and will be easier to understand by all audiences.
Work with experts
Not everyone is a natural content writer, and there’s nothing wrong with that – everyone has their own skill-set. It’ll be easier to find a content writer who understands the world of finance, than an asset manager who can write excellent content. Hire a writer who can spend time with your company, and interview your stakeholders, so they’ll get to grips with the messages you’re trying to get across, and will be able to then present them in an engaging way.
If you do choose to translate some of your content for your oversees customers, then working with experts in imperative.
It’s one thing being able to speak another language, but being able to translate from one language into another is a skill that requires training, qualifications and experience.
Professional translators will also be qualified in particular subject areas, so ensure you work with a language service provider and a linguist who specialises in the field of finance.
Think about cultural differences
Content that is suitable for one audience, certainly may not be for another. Any translation which mentions disputed regions or countries, for example, runs the risk of causing offence simply by using one nuanced word instead of another. Should it be ‘Northern Ireland’ or ‘The North of Ireland’? The ‘Occupied Territories’ or the ‘Disputed Territories’? ‘Myanmar’ or ‘Burma’?
A good translator or local copywriter knows which one to use and adapts their work to the circumstances if necessary.
It’s not just what you say; it’s how you say it. Transcreation (or creative translation) is the process of adapting material for a given target audience instead of merely translating it. It may include copywriting, image selection, font changes, and other transformations that tailor the message to ensure relevance for your global audiences. When you’re trying to produce engaging marketing material, how you say it is just as important as the core message
Review and proofread
Everyone makes mistakes, we’re only human, but mistakes do get picked up on, and they can be embarrassing when you’re trying to present yourself as a professional business. Whether it’s a typo or a grammatical error, it’s likely to get noticed by someone, and in most cases, it could probably have been avoided. Did anyone see the Homeland episode for example?!
There’s nothing worse than something that’s been poorly translated, and our blog post on ‘the rising cost of cheap translation’ highlights some of the companies who have learnt about this the hard way! Mistranslations not only lead to misunderstanding, but they can make you look unprofessional, and in some cases, can be very damning and lead to negative consequences.
If you need help writing engaging content or adapting it to suit your global audiences, we have a team of professionals on hand to help you reach and connect with your customers in every corner of the world.
