copyheroes – Page 2 – Copywriting Services in Singapore

Translation/Copywriting Issues

There are two things that tick me off and they are:

When the pantry runs out of coffee
When I see translated articles that don’t make sense, filled with spelling errors and the like

Translations aren’t as easy as it seem and even though that’s the case, people are still taking it lightly. This is especially the case when you are trying to retain the meaning of a sentence but it just turns out weird or completely different when it is being translated into another language (ultimate facepalm worthy). Wanna know why? Let me break it down for you.

No proofreading was done
Lack of understanding in content
Lack of communication between client, vendor and translator

If you are finding countless numbers of errors in your translated copy or finding yourself not satisfied with the translations presented to you, this simply means you are not engaging in the right translation agency.

It is extremely important to work with a Professional Translation Agency; one who has the resources and experience, backed up by a solid portfolio. Why?
Resource – With sufficient resources, the translation agency will be able to handle the workload with quality and efficiency which I believe what most clients are looking for

Experience – The longer you have been in the industry, it gives a positive outlook to potential clients. As always with experience, there bound to be the feeling of trust involved that makes you want to engage in the services provided by that particular company

Solid portfolio – Nothing beats having an array of clients you’ve worked with especially when they have nothing but praises about your services. With positive testimonials and a throng of client lists to show off, this will definitely lure potential clients to work with your company

Therefore, it is important to choose the right professional translation agency in ensuring that nothing but the best is delivered for your projects. The same can be applied for copywriting projects as well where a proper copy is needed to bring out the best message intended for the said piece.

Here at Copywriting Services Singapore, we are confident in delivering quality work. With a team of dedicated and reliable staff copywriters, we ensure that your satisfaction is our top priority.

Translation Device iLi

Upcoming translation device ili is taking the world by storm as its advertising video has made its rounds on the internet and going viral! Boasting the capability for instant translation, ili promises intuitive user interface that allows you to use the device as if you’re directly communicating with the other person! Impressive ain’t it?

Targeting mostly travelers, ili is loaded with a library of phrases that are commonly used by travellers, minimising translation errors. The library also includes words associated with places and latest trends for a seamless communication experience. The best part is that, no internet connection is needed to use this device, making it all a whole lot easier when travelling.
There have been many debates regarding ili on whether it will work as well as it claims or if it is just another overhyped device or if it turns out to be a pleasant surprise for us all! What do you think? Share with us your thoughts on it!

Transcreation: More than just marketing translation

If you’re a marketing professional, you understand the importance of translating your company’s global message.

As you globalise, words may take on new meaning, images may have different implications and colors may suggest other emotions. During translation, you’re faced with the possibility of losing your marketing message by having it translated into a completely new language. Accuracy and clarity are probably just a couple of concerns that come to mind.

Yet you also need to remain consistent to your company’s message. Take, for example, the vocabulary you use to describe your services or the colors of your company brand. When you imagine two of the world’s largest global brands, Facebook and Coca-Cola, you probably think of the words “share,” “like” and “post” or envision a red and white cursive logo. This is the kind of brand awareness that all companies strive for because, much like familiar faces, we as humans gravitate towards recognisable images. The more consistent you are, the more likely your message is going to stick with your audience.

Language expertise does not necessarily mean marketing expertise

To complement these marketing translation needs, it is essential that a skilled copywriter or an experienced marketing linguist who is familiar with the creativity of marketing, advertising and media copy is assigned to translate your project. This will help ensure your linguistic style of brand positioning is still apparent in your message when translated into a new language.

Just like you wouldn’t have your financial group or engineering team create your marketing briefs or corporate content, you wouldn’t want an inexperienced linguist working on your marketing translations. Having a linguist who understands marketing factors, such as tone of voice and corporate branding, will make your marketing translations more impactful in your target language.

Taking marketing creativity one step further

But what if you are looking to foster a completely new creative concept within a different language? While marketing translations can help you express your marketing content in a different language, they might not hold the same creative style needed to “wow” your audience in another country. As you can imagine, this requires something more than just translation – it’s known as transcreation.

During transcreation, experienced copywriters or marketing linguists are assigned to your project and work very closely with you to develop your localised marketing campaign. It is their job to further understand how your message works within the source language and redefine this message with similar appeal in your target language. Similar to translation, they render these new ideas while considering the effects of in-country sensitivities, such as customs, regulations and cultural differences.

Since transcreation is a more in-depth procedure, it does expand translation timelines and may initially cost more than a basic translate-edit-proof service, yet companies may choose to adopt this process if they want to transform their creative message for a new target audience. Transcreation is also beneficial for companies that wish to test out their marketing within a new country without having to hire an entire marketing team to develop their marketing strategy.

Power of words & copywriting

Every day without fail, a blind man would seek for donations from passers-by. Together with his donation cup, he would sit on the pavement and hope for it to be full. Armed with a standard board that says “I’m blind, please help”, every other day, he would return home with an empty cup except for a few coins.

One day, a generous man took the blind man’s board and changed the texts to “It’s spring, and I’m blind”. Soon after, he received an overflowing amount of donations in his cup and was overwhelmed by the sudden generosity.

This simple example shows just how powerful words can be and how a slight change of direction and usage can make a big difference.

Google Translate Bugs

Hearing how much of a help machine translations are, is no longer a foreign thing to many of us now. Living in a world where we are often seeking things to be done quickly and easily, it is not a surprise that many of us are relying on the likes of Google, Bing and Yahoo translators. Online and machine translations do have their own benefits and they work at times but of course, there will be times where you cannot trust the translations produced by these applications online.

As an example, I have typed “I fell from the tree and it hurts” onto Google translate and the Malay translated texts produced were “I jatuh dari pokok itu dan ia menyakitkan”. In this simple and short sentence, not only were there grammatical errors but the system has failed to translate the word ‘I’ into Malay! In instances like these, the end user has to be alert of such errors and make the sound decision to not put his full trust and faith onto online translation applications.

This is the reason why many professional translators push for human translation instead of machine. With the presence of human beings working on the copies, these professional and trained translators are able to fully understand the content better than a machine would. In addition, they are also able to sift out other aspects such as nuances and emotions portrayed and would translate accordingly, something a machine translator is unable to perform.

Personally, we wouldn’t recommend machine translations but in cases you need to use them, be sure to double, if not triple check before using the translated texts for submission!

Value Proposition

Writing might not be as straight forward as it seems and sometimes, certain techniques and style are needed. Ever felt that your copy is too flat or boring? Hoping to get more followers or projects but not getting them?

Perhaps, the factor that’s missing from your write-up is a value proposition. It is important to state what makes your brand or service unique. It makes you stand out among the existing competition and places you in a slightly higher level than the rest.

But, don’t just stop there! You have to ensure that your message is clear and believable. Listing out your unique point is important but if it is not clear cut, your readers might feel confused and undecided with what you have to offer. Making your services believable is equally important as well. Many of us tend to trust something more when we are presented with solid facts to back up certain claims. The same concept applies here. Present your readers with figures or testimonials to back up your claims on the services that you are capable of providing. This will instil more trust and confidence in them to engage in your services.

Sometimes, it is important to take a look and understand your copy from the perspective of your readers. This will definitely let you understand their wants and needs that can help you modify your write-ups to present the best for your readers.

Good luck!

The Challenge of Website Copywriting

Know Your Audience

This is crucial as you are ultimately putting in content to your website for your specific target audience. Not knowing who you are writing for can cause extreme damage as the style and tone of the website content may not be the one you are looking for. Once you have streamlined your audience, picking the right angle and messages for the website content should be followed up with next.

Only the Main Points

Sometimes, lesser is better. Just because you have more content, it does not necessarily mean your content is better. It is best if you can convey your messages by highlighting only the main points. Focus on the main issue at hand and concentrate on bringing out that one message you’d like your readers to understand and read about.

Call to Action

Be it website content or a single copy by itself, including the call to action is very important. You certainly do not want your readers to be left hanging, not knowing what to do should they be interested in your service/product. A liner or two highlighting the various ways of contacting you should suffice. Sometimes, some companies would choose to also include some discounts to entice readers to make an immediate action.

Here at copywritingservices, we provide copywriting services that suit your needs. Drop us a call at 6600 3798 for more infomation!

Copywriting Topics

Copywriting can be broken up in various topics and it is important that we understand different writing techniques are required accordingly. For certain companies, they would prefer professional write-ups whereas a handful would prefer a different style, in which they might adopt a fun and goofier approach for their content.

It is crucial for companies to know the style preference they wish to adapt for their copywriting copies as it serves as a representation of their company’s branding. This is also to assist the copywriters in planning out their draft copies by understanding the direction required to take for a particular copywriting assignment.

In order for a successful copywriting job to happen, clients are also expected to provide copywriters with sufficient information and guidelines upon confirmation of the job request. With limited resources to work with, copywriters may cause repetition when writing hence it is important that a strong teamwork between clients and copywriters is present. Should external meetings and interview sessions are required, copywriters should also be alerted beforehand so that they can gauge and plan out their schedule accordingly to meet the given dateline given by clients.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you require professional help in copywriting services at sales@copywritingservices.com.sg.

Essentials for Copywriting Job Requests

When it comes to copywriting, it is best to fully understand the context of project that needs to be done. Some of the common questions a copywriter might have:

What is the direction needed for the copywriting job?
What is the tone of write-up needed by client?
Are there any special information client wishes to include for the copywriting job?
Will there be external interviews required for the copywriting job?
Will the materials be given by client or is self/additional research needed from copywriter?

Understanding in depth the answers to these questions can greatly help the copywriter work towards a more comprehensive write-up. In addition, it also assists the copywriter greatly to set aside extra time for additional self-research if need be which ultimately confirms final dateline for the project. In ensuring the project goes on smoothly, it is crucial that both the client and copywriter understand the expectations and quality level of the copywriting request.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you require professional help in copywriting services at sales@copywritingservices.com.sg.