6th Annual Global Learning Summit 2013

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How to Get Your Brands on Video and Social Media

There are several things that all site owners must do to serve their geolingual visitors in order to march orders for global marketing staff:

  • Use more video and other interactive (non-text-based) content. Today, most companies that deliver video assets via their web properties are producing unique creative for each market. That works for one or two international markets. But now think about producing unique video assets in more than 30 languages. Smart creative can be adapted in various ways, using voice-over, dubbing, or subtitling in ways that build the local language right into the design. Do it. Be smart. Produce some local creative; then deliver the best assets in all markets.
  • Add participation features. People in emerging markets often feel ignored by big companies. But participation options can quickly overcome geographic and cultural distance. Engagement is critical for entering new markets, growing market share, and maintaining good customer relationships. Global websites as a class almost all require better engagement through participation. How can you get your audience involved? Or is this not your job? If this is the case, then make it somebody’s job in your organization. The sooner the better.
  • Jump into social with both feet. Social media is no longer new. It’s another form of communication, and one that is here to stay. You need to consider it as just one more tool in your marketing and customer engagement toolbox. Don’t ignore the social network effect any longer. Use it.

Verztec is a leading ISO 9001:2008 Global Content Consulting Services Company. Verztec assists companies around the world to design, develop, localize and publish their global communication messages in over 60 languages across various channels. For more information as to how Verztec may partner and assist in your next localization project, kindly contact us at info@verztec.com or call +65 6577 4646 now!

*Sources: How to Get Your Brands on Video and Social Media: 1 April 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

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Verztec Connexions – February 2013

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Embracing Diversity, Celebrating Culture

Verztec Team would like to present a Chinese New Year greetings video to everyone. Click on the image here to watch the video.

Happy Chinese New Year!

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Happy Chinese New Year!

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How Translation Can Boost Your Website’s Bottom Line

By Rebecca Ray Senior Analyst, Common Sense Advisory

Is translation of your website optional? Unless every single one of your customers and prospects understands your language fluently and uses the same currency, the answer is probably “no.” Translation is mission-critical for many firms that do business across borders or target customers within their own domestic multicultural market.

Nine Ways to Benefit from Translating Your Website

Research repeatedly shows that website translation enables firms to expand their customer base and increase revenue. The process includes translating content into various languages, along with adapting your site to meet local business laws and practices related to currency, payment, fulfillment, and regulatory issues.

  1. Translation gives you access to more customers. Many people simply won’t buy your products unless you market to them in their language. A study by Common Sense Advisory showed that 72.1% of international consumers spend most or all of their time on sites in their own language. The 13 languages that allow you to reach 90% of the world’s online wallet are English, Japanese, German, Spanish, French, Simplified Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Korean, Arabic, Russian, and Swedish. And each language you add allows you to reach more customers wherever it’s spoken.
  2. Translation unlocks global revenue from those customers. Overall economic growth has stalled in North American and Western European markets. As a result, companies headquartered in those regions often find it to be a requirement, rather than an option, to offer additional translated versions of their products and services. Nowadays, they often need to act fast to capture customers with rising incomes in emerging and frontier markets before their local and regional competitors do so.
  3. Translation enhances your existing market presence – even at home. Do you own 100% of any market that you’re already in today? Doubtful. But you can penetrate deeper into the markets in which you’re already present by adding more languages. Even just one language – such as Spanish or Chinese in the United States, Polish in the United Kingdom, or Turkish in Germany – can help you reach customers in the locations in which you’re already spending marketing dollars, making that money go even further.
  4. Translation costs very little. Your investment in translated websites will be insignificant compared to the international revenue it will enable. After all, the average cost per word to create original content is 65 cents, while the average cost per word for translated content is only 10 cents. Your financial and purchasing teams will be on-board once they recognize that millions of dollars of additional income can be generated through a very minimal investment.
  5. Translation doesn’t have to be difficult. If you’re concerned about losing control of your web content as it moves into other languages, rest assured that you can easily outsource the function to professional language service providers. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel – plenty of companies (including the competition) have already learned the most painful lessons on your behalf.
  6. Translation makes it easier to win against competitors. You can leverage your investment in global markets based on a defensive or offensive strategy. Either way, the goal is to prevent challengers from dominating markets that could have a negative effect on sales, revenue, or overall brand perception in other markets, including the one at home.
  7. Translation provides your brand with a consistent voice. Over the last decade especially, firms have learned that consistent branding with local flavor represents a corporate asset with a hard dollar value. Research shows that a minimum of 16 languages are now required if you want to be among the best at remaining competitive online around the world.
  8. Translation allows you to protect and enhance your global reputation. If your organization is not set up to implement every product or service launch around the world, then you risk relinquishing control to your customers. With machine translation readily available for many languages, people buy, write reviews, and provide feedback on your offerings whether or not you officially launch in their market.
  9. Translation is often required by local markets anyway. You may be barred from selling your product or service unless it has been translated, along with your website, in countries that have language compliance laws such as Belgium and Canada. Similar rules often apply for regulated industries such as energy, financial services, life sciences, telecommunications, and utilities. Even if you’re not in a regulated field, you may be required to translate in order to support customers who are.

English may be the language of business, but it’s often not the language of your local prospects and customers. The demand for language directions such as Chinese to Zulu and Turkish to Chinese is increasing as new trading agreements are established. According to the International Monetary Fund, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) alone will account for as much as 61% of global growth over the next three years. Currently, these five countries comprise 42% of the world’s population and 18% of its GDP. And right behind them are Indonesia, Mexico, and Turkey as fast-growing economies with middle classes whose purse strings are loosening and whose wallets are expanding. Now is the time to put your international business strategy in order, supported by an appropriate translation plan for your website, to allow your team to support local prospects and customers according to their expectations.

Verztec Consulting is a leading ISO 9001:2008 Global Content Consulting Services Company. Verztec assists companies around the world to design, develop, localize and publish their global communication messages including Multilingual Brand Checks and Localization in over 60 languages across various channels.

Article reference source from Business 2 Community

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Happy New Year 2013!

We would like to wish you a very happy new year 2013. Thank you for your support!

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Workplace Safety is No Accident

“For safety is not a gadget but a state of mind.” – Eleanor Everet, Safety Expert

Facing the facts

Every year, according to the International Labour Organization, an estimated two million people die due to occupational accidents and work-related diseases. There are about 270 million occupational accidents and 160 million work-related diseases reported annually. We can all easily be a part of these statistics if we are not careful enough.

Case in point: Just 2012 alone has seen many fatalities and casualties taking place during the course of work. There were fire breakouts, scaffolding blunders, fatal falls and the most recent being the Jurong Shipyard rig accident which left 89 workers injured.

Safety: Not a given

Safety at the workplace should not be taken for granted. It may be the company’s duty to ensure a secure environment for all, but it is equally important for employees to be vigilant and be on the constant look out for anything that may jeopardize their well-being.

Here are some tips you should keep in mind for a safer working environment:

1. Get some training and learn how to identify hazards, manage risks and do the job safely before
you start.
 
2. Ask your supervisor to watch and check that you are doing the job the right way.
 
3. Speak up and let supervisors know if you think a task is too dangerous or difficult for you.
 
4. Ask questions and check with supervisors and co-workers when you aren’t sure or can’t remember how to do a job safely.
 
5. Learn what to do and where to get help in an emergency.
 
6. Always follow the safety rules and
procedures.
7. Always wear any personal protective equipment provided by your employer.
 
8. Report all injuries (minor or major), OHS incidents and near misses.
 
9. Look out for and report hazards.
 
10. Keep an eye on your co-workers,
especially if they are new to the workplace and don’t know all the OHS
issues.
 
11. Try to get a good night’s rest before
heading into work. Feeling tired can lead to dangerous mistakes.
 
12. If you have a safety concern, talk with more experienced workers such as supervisors, co-workers or your family to get some advice.

Credit: Talking Safety

Integrating good, health practices into your everyday life

You can also advocate workplace safety with the small things: by adopting a healthier lifestyle and routine. Give your eyes a break if you have used the computer for quite  while. Take a short walk once every few hours: you don’t have to head out of the building, a brief walk around the office compound will suffice. Make it a point to include more fruits as part of your diet – us Verztec folks have a designated fruit day every month – and exercise regularly.

Many hands make light work

In all, it’s best if everyone makes the effort to look out for themselves as well as for each other.

See a paper shredder unused but not turned off? Flip the switch button. Notice a box lying around a blind spot, along a common walk way? Move it to somewhere safer. Spot a flickering light in the storage? Report it immediately.

Do not leave your safety in the hands of others and do not assume someone else will do the deed for you. You never know when it is your simple act of consideration that can help save a fellow colleague a whole lot of fuss and complications.

After all, it is better to be safe than sorry and prevention is better than cure.

So what are your thoughts on safety at the workplace? Share your list of to-dos when it comes to maintaining the optimum environment for all.

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Verztec Connexions – November 2012

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Using Social Media to Boost Language Service Business

Social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are no longer merely “phenomena.” Within the space of just a few years, they’ve become essential components of many firms’ marketing and public relations plans. But social media is notoriously difficult to monetize. How can language service providers (LSPs) leverage these networks for their companies’ benefit? This brief offers several important guidelines to follow – and some pitfalls to avoid.

Use Social Media Platforms with a Strategic Purpose in Mind

Your company’s social media profiles are a window for the rest of the world to learn more about you. Increasingly, your most recent tweets or status updates might be among the first search results that potential customers find. In other words, their very first impression of your company may come through one of these channels. Most LSPs agree that a social media presence is important, but very few stop to consider what kind of presence they want to create. Consider these questions:

  • “Are our customers actually here?” Many companies assume they need to have a social media presence before they’ve conducted the basic research to find out whom they want to reach online. Are the decision-makers and influencers you really want to reach using these platforms? If so, which ones? What type of content are they looking for, and how can you provide something better than what others have on offer? Random thoughts on a wide range of topics will not make you the go-to source of expertise. First, find out where your customers are – what groups they belong to, what pages they are fans of, and which companies or individuals they follow. Then tailor your content to fit those channels.
  • “What do we really want our brand to convey?” Social media platforms are not necessarily a place to adhere to a strict brand voice guide – in fact, services like Twitter demand you to keep your tweets concise and to use hashtags (#) to flag your topics so that other users can find them more easily. That said, you still need to develop basic rules regarding what type of image you want to convey. Is the person who controls your brand presence on social media familiar with your most salient marketing messages and your brand attributes? Review your company’s last 30 status updates and tweets. Is there a common theme, or is it scattered? Does the company put forth an image consistent with your marketing goals?
  • “What type of information will we provide?” One of the most common mistakes we see LSPs make is that they use social media platforms as soapboxes to brag about themselves. While an occasional “Hooray for us!” update isn’t harmful, a steady stream of self-centered updates will turn people away or simply cause them to ignore you. Instead, focus on what you can deliver that is of value to your customers. What kind of information can you provide to them that will be helpful in their daily work? Can you provide a daily datapoint relevant to their work, or a helpful tip that will make their life easier? Make sure that the resources you link to are worthwhile for your customers and prospects. Don’t link only to your own website – this will be seen as the overt self-promotion that it is. Link to your own web properties only when you really have something valuable to share.
  • “What is our network growth strategy?” Social networking is about building networks of individuals with shared interests. What are those interests? Are they clearly stated in your profile or description so that potential contacts can easily find you? Do you conduct a daily search for new contacts with the same interests? Do you use these terms frequently in your status updates? Do you frequently re-tweet items from the “social media celebrities” – individuals who specialize in these fields and boast the largest number of contacts? We’ve spotted many LSPs who focus extensively on the content but not enough on the contacts – meaning that while their updates are good, their network size fails to grow much. This usually means that they are not focusing on the basics – building their networks.
  • “Are we engaging our employees and partners?” Invite your staff – including your network of freelancers – to become a fan, connect to you, or follow your firm. Set a goal – can you get 50% of your employees connected to your social media platforms in the next six months? Launch an internal campaign to get as many individuals connected to your company as possible, thereby increasing your reach – and making you a more sought-after contact in the process. Encourage them to use your company hashtag – if need be, set up a quick internal webinar to teach them how to use the platforms and to communicate your goals to them. Consider offering a prize for people who build their networks with the company’s interests in mind – for example, offer an incentive to the first person to connect to 20 localization managers in a given industry.
  • “Are we a contact worth keeping?” Don’t forget to give people a reason to connect to you and stay connected – content is not necessarily sufficient. Action and interactivity are more important. Do you have periodic giveaways, raffles, or contests? Are you planning a local get-together? Are you offering a free webinar on a topic that will help the people you most want to reach? Do you provide an interesting brain-teaser or something else that will entertain people and keep them coming back? Make sure whatever information you’re providing is of sufficient quality to keep people returning to you.

Additional Considerations for Social Media-Savvy LSPs

Has your language services business already covered many of the fundamentals? If so, ask yourself the following questions:

  • “Are we using the right tools?” If you find yourself struggling to constantly keep your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn profiles updated, chances are you’re failing to take advantage of tools that enable you to automatically send out the same messages across multiple platforms. The mechanics of keeping a prominent place in the social media stream are becoming easier all the time with tools such as Brizzly, Buzzom, HootSuite, Seesmic, TweetDeck, and TwitHive. Today, you can easily populate your Facebook and LinkedIn pages using your Twitter feed with such tools. In fact, they are essential for ensuring a consistent brand presence across multiple social media networks.
  • “Is our social media content aligned with SEO?” What search terms and keywords are you using on your web pages and in your press releases? Are you using the same terms in your social media messaging? Many companies fail to recognize that much of the same work they are doing for search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing can yield good results with social media campaigns as well. If you’re not already in close contact with your webmaster about these issues, you need to be. Find out which pages of your website are most popular, and what search terms most frequently bring people to those pages. Make sure you are integrating this information into your social media marketing work.
  • “Are we setting micro-goals?” One of the best features of social media for marketers is the ability to track specific information and tie it back to specific campaigns or objectives. Make sure that you are setting micro-goals – for example, achieving a set number of members of a LinkedIn group, a high number of re-tweets or expanded following on Twitter, a specific number of views or embeds of a YouTube video, or a number of fans or Likes on Facebook. You can also use unique URLs to track which channels are most successful. Micro-goals should tie to other concrete goals – such as an increased number of subscribers to a blog and, eventually, the number of actual sales leads generated.
  • “Are we engaging younger generations?” Don’t overlook the power of Generation Y when building your networks. The individuals you sell to today are likely in their 30s or 40s. But are you reaching the 20-somethings who will be your customers a few years from now? What about the freelancers who might still be in college now, but could be among your most talented and trusted resources in the years to come? Think creatively to find ways to engage younger generations. Conduct outreach to translation and interpreting programs at universities. Join social media groups for students in the areas that commonly produce individuals with localization manager titles. Find ways to reach these important contacts earlier in their career paths, so that they are fully familiar with your brand – and have positive associations with it – later in life.
  • “Is it time for a social media policy?” For better or worse, most organizations have to develop social media policies at some point, or they risk their brand being associated with the random electronic mutterings of employees regarding everything from their favorite soccer team to their spats with family members – none of which will help you accomplish your business objectives. Who will be allowed to represent your brand officially through social media channels? Will anyone review their messages prior to posting? What happens if they leave the company – will you gain control of their public profile, or do they retain it? Are they encouraged to re-tweet, share, or re-purpose your messages? If you do decide to leverage your employees, provide them with detailed examples of what type of behavior is appropriate in these platforms – and what isn’t.
  • “Are we over-doing it?” It’s fine to be excited about new ways to reach your target marketers – in fact, social media is in many ways a marketer’s dream, but it can also turn into the target’s nightmare. Beware of bombarding your contacts with too many messages – a steady stream of useful information is great, but if you are not careful, your constant updates could easily be regarded as spam. Take care – and enlist others to obtain feedback about your social media presence. Ask some of your contacts and followers for their suggestions and advice – not just regarding the content but regarding the frequency of its distribution.

Social media is definitely fun, interactive, and dynamic. But we see too many LSPs take the plunge without developing a strategy or thinking about how social media will help them advance their larger marketing objectives. Too often, they have “joined the conversation” without thinking about what they really want or need to say. To build a social media presence that will help your company grow, remember that social media platforms are just part of a much larger marketing strategy. Make sure to keep your overarching marketing goals front and center to determine how social media can help you achieve them.

Verztec is a leading ISO 9001:2008 Global Content Consulting Services Company. Verztec assists companies around the world to design, develop, localize and publish their global communication messages in over 60 languages across various channels. For more information as to how Verztec may partner and assist in your next localization project, kindly contact us at info@verztec.com or call +65 6577 4646 now.

*Sources: Using Social Media to Boost Language Service Business: 26 July 2010 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

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