Invest un poco, get mucho más!

Hello everyone! Wow, so much going on lately; so much to tell you!

With immigration reform as well as health care reform (“ObamaCare”) happening right now, there are great opportunities in the United States for those serving  or expanding  their  businesses to reach multilingual communities. We have had requests already from companies looking to translate materials – marketing, procedural, instructions, and health insurance forms – into Spanish.

And the need for translation doesn’t end there. Training materials, banking and financial business, mortgage and credit-related services… when you think about it, almost every thing you see or hear in English is needed, or soon may  be, in Spanish, too.

It’s an exciting time for many reasons. Keep in mind  that we can help you with all of your translation needs, including those ATA Certified Translations required by the US federal government for filing documentation or by  USCIS for various types of visas.

And what about voiceovers? By working with select professional studios, we are fully capable of  producing  voiceover recordings  in foreign languages for phone  systems, video training, webinars, and online presentations.  For years, we’ve been having fun and seeing fantastic results with voiceover work.  You may want to think about this option for your business, for the video on your website or even something as simple as outgoing phone messaging.  You may wish to subtitle it/caption it or add audio and captions in a foreign language.  Every time you invest in a little translation you get a lot of return on that investment! You are making it easier and faster for your customers to find and communicate with you – the first step in growing a business!

To help our clients market more globally, last month we added a press release distribution service to our menu of services.  This is a quick and affordable way to keep your customers informed and generate new business. Check it out here http://www.abnewswire.com/pressreleases/same-message-many-worlds-galindo-publicidad-inc-can-help-you-now-say-what-you-mean-in-their-language-and-in-their-media_4334.html. Or email us and we can go over the benefits of this service with you.

Never will there be a better time to start (or expand) translating your message. With a global economy and emerging markets and with domestic comprehensive immigration and health care reform all occurring right now, I cannot encourage you enough to jump on the opportunities. Many of you are working on your 2014 budgets at this time, so why not earmark some of those marketing dollars for translation services and reap the rewards that come with expansive, proactive thinking? Drop me a line me and let’s discuss which of our services will be your best fit; I love working closely with our loyal clients and watching your business grow.

One last exciting thing: we are opening an office in booming Querétaro, Mexico in 2014! Stay tuned as more services are brought to you and your clients… and should you be traveling to Mexico we hope you will come by and see us!

All the best,

Martha

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Exploring the U.S. Hispanic Market?

• We are not a race. We are a mix of races and blood lines from many countries. There are Blacks, Whites and Mestizos, (mix of various generations between bloodlines of natives and Spaniards) So, there is no such thing as a Hispanic race.
• We all have various degrees of bilingualism. Some read, speak and write Spanish and English. Many do not. These different skills are also found within the same household. So, neutral bilingual materials and content make sense for key decisions where several members have a say.
• Tacos or Mariachis do not necessarily appeal to all Hispanics. In fact, such association offends some.
• Millions come from families that were settled in the US hundreds of years ago.
• We tend to be very loyal to brands when these show they really care about our dollars.
• Many have passports and like to travel overseas.
• We spend a lot of our budget in food because we cook at home, so we value flavors, spices, homemade food and well equipped kitchens.
• We celebrate achievement in formal education. However, we need to do better at researching educational scholarships, grants and opportunities.
• Many of us are self employed. We come with a strong entrepreneurial background and spirit.
• We are younger consumers. We need housing, clothing, education, news, entertainment, etc.
• We need to do better at understanding the value of long term planning and getting some types of insurance.
• We need to do better at understanding philanthropy and the beauty of volunteerism.
• Many were abused by predatory loans. Trust in financial institutions was shattered and it needs to genuinely be rebuilt.
• Many live on tight budgets while they send money overseas to help their families in their native countries. There is not only pride and honor in doing it, but there is a need to do so. This translates into less opportunity to save here.
• There is a lack of understanding about the benefits of political participation and how the US legal system works.

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In 2013, to Whom are You Speaking?

Barack Obama was reelected to serve another four years as President of our great country. Political pundits say that it was the Hispanic vote that won him the election, and that it was Governor Mitt Romney’s inability to relate to that same Latino/a population–an ever-increasing demographic in the U.S.–that lost him his bid for the Presidency.

Now, I’m not relaying this from a political perspective, but rather a business one. If there was ever any question about the collective power of US Hispanics, especially purchasing power, the election just quashed it. Your Spanish-speaking customers represent the fastest-growing segment of the consumer market. Their voices are growing stronger:  are you speaking to them?

Controversial or not, the best way to speak to them is in their native tongue! The business that seizes the advantage by translating marketing materials and ad campaigns specifically for their Spanish-speaking customer is the enterprising business that will succeed. We offer you this key tool: the professional translation services you need to leap ahead and to the top. You have a competitive nature when it comes to your business, don’t you? I sure do.

Accurate, streamlined messaging that speaks directly to your potential customer in their native language will not only keep you current with our increasingly globalized market, but will supercharge you so far ahead of the competition, they’ll be eating your dust (so to speak)!

Our eyes naturally seek out the language we know; our ears listen more intently to words spoken in our own language. A matter of meaning, of semantics. A matter of cultural understanding. In marketing communications we understand that our hearts have a role to play.  Really, what could be more forceful than reaching out to your customers in their own language(s)? It shows those customers that you are willing to work for their business. As a consumer myself I notice that extra effort and tend to award my own purchasing choices to the companies that have gone the ‘extra mile’ for me.

Our experienced, industry expert, multi-lingual translators love to see your progress and help you succeed. We ensure the nuance, style, and tone of your message is consistent, subtle or strong, with no hit and miss approaches. In fact, we cannot afford to be less than perfect!  The global-language-services market has grown to a 33.5 billion-dollar gorilla. Galindo Publicidad is one of the more than 20 thousand small pieces of the global puzzle, and we must compete for your business just like you compete to keep your existing clients and attract new ones.

We compete by being the best. Let us help you tell the world that your business is the best, too!

But don’t wait too long. 2013 is here and you have the opportunity to rocket your company’s profits with one very simple yet vital tool: PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATION SERVICES.

Wishing you the best for 2013 and beyond,

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Translation for Everyone!

 

Some of you have heard the news already. We have another announcement to make! Things just keep getting better and better and we’re so excited to share with you that we have added a satellite office right in the heart of downtown Miami! We’re happy to have yet another way to meet our client’s needs. Our new office is at One Biscayne Tower, 2 South Biscayne Blvd., Suite 3760.

A client was telling me recently that she was feeling apprehensive about translating her marketing materials into Spanish. She knew she needed to do it and she had seen how much doing so had done for her competition, but she just didn’t know how to decide how much to translate, or what exactly to translate… and it was keeping her from doing it at all.

The trick, I told her, is to rely on the expertise of her language services provider (in this case, us!) to evaluate the needs, terms, audience, and even consider the benefits of key terms and glossary development option. Once some key terms have been agreed upon, it is the translator’s job to find the right balance of localized and globalized translation for your materials as per your business priorities.  A broader appeal approach is usually what we recommend, but there are times when that balance needs to be adjusted and that’s part of what we do at Galindo Publicidad.

A multilingual marketing campaign is a powerful communications business tool that should keep your brand and product lines consistent across the globe in any language. This is where your translation service earns their fee; it takes experts to be mindful of this balance for you. And your documents are not cemented; this kind of communication is a living, breathing, malleable thing that must change as our world changes. Check this article on Secrets of SEO Success in Other Languages http://www.seomoz.org/ugc/secrets-of-seo-success-in-other-languages-15072

I think our client was feeling much better once we agreed upon the right approach for her. We were laughing at how smooth and easy it really was to set the right course, and I’m glad we could provide just the right service for her. To discuss ways to get your project going contact us at info@translationsandmore.com and get a fast and easy quote for your company!

All best,

 

Martha

 

 

 

 

 

7 Ways to Get the Best from Your Translation Service!

If you are already working with a translation service (hopefully ours!), then you already know how effective and prosperous your relationship with your Spanish-speaking customers can be. But what about your relationship with your translation company itself? Are you getting the very most out of that relationship, too?

Over our years of providing translation services in many languages for all kinds of companies offering all kinds of goods and services, we have developed an excellent rapport with our clients. Here are seven tips on how to foster a productive and long-lasting working relationship with your translation company:

1. Give them feedback. Hey, we all need feedback to gauge how we’re doing. Whether you hoped for more results or you’re over-the-moon happy, tell them how the brochure, manual, slogan, whatever it was you worked on together, turned out for you.
2.  If you are pleased with their service, send referrals their way. There is no better way a satisfied customer can say thank you, and word of mouth is still the best way to build any business!
3. Another way to nurture the relationship: offer to provide (or sign off on) your testimonial for them to use in their own marketing efforts like brochures and social media. Many people who run companies or departments within companies are shy about asking for this, but they would love it. Trust me, your words of praise mean a lot to your translation service.
4.  Invite them to visit your office or facilities. Since most professional translators serve their clients through cyberspace, meeting face-to-face can bring many benefits to both of you. Translators can improve their work for you through better understanding you and what you do (I always like to put a face to the words in my own working relationships), and you can ask them how they can bundle projects and provide savings to you. Once they see your overall strategy they’ll get plenty of ideas for you. You can also ask them a lot of questions about how translation has helped their other clients, etc. Wait, that should be a bullet all to itself…
5.  Pick their brain! Take advantage of their expertise and experience. Ask them to think like they are your customer, your target audience, and give you more culturally competent ideas about how to address that customer.
6.  Introduce them to your colleagues and professional associations. Virtually or physically. Invite them to a business function; grow your community and your networking possibilities this way.
7.  Talk to your translators about the needs of your favorite non-profit organization. Whatever is dear to your heart. There are not many organizations out there, be they for profit or not-for profit, that can’t put some great translation to good use. Would the Board of your non-profit appreciate a flyer in Spanish so they can reach more people in the community?  I know our translation company is always willing to do a little pro bono work for a worthy cause.

 

So there are my thoughts for you on how to build and improve this very important relationship facet of your company. Just involve them. Evolve with them. And may the relationship continue to be solid and beneficial for the years to come!

All the best,

Martha

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The US Hispanic “Pitch”

It may be baseball season, but you might have a more important ‘pitch’ on your mind. You know that the Hispanic consumer group is the fastest growing market in the United States. In 2011 US Hispanics numbered 52 million (up from 50.5 million in 2010).  It is the fastest growing segment of the consumer market and has increased 3.1% since 2010. So, you’ve made the excellent business decision to market directly to this community by translating your marketing materials into Spanish. But how do you begin?

Glad you asked, because this is where we can help you!  There are some very practical guidelines to keep in mind when hiring a translation company:

• Do your homework – you need a translation company with staff that understands the culture as well as the language – remember, over 20 different countries are considered Hispanic; who are you trying to reach? Be careful not to lump all Hispanics together, there are cultural differences that affect buying habits.
• Understand the motivation of this customer; don’t assume it is the same as your English-speaking customer! For instance, family is the nexus of Hispanic culture, and this directly impacts the what, how, when, and why of their purchasing.
• Take into consideration the demographics: age, education, income, gender, even ancestry play a part in defining the Latin consumer.
• Hire a translator that knows the phrasing Hispanics know, the words that are already familiar to this community.  The ones that ring clear as a bell and hit home.

Check out this great article, it really speaks to the points I am emphasizing (and probably articulates them much better than I do!). The article cites some significant statistics from the 2010 Census:

• Sixty-six percent of Hispanics in the U.S. are of Mexican descent.
• The median age of Hispanics is 27.4, compared to the U.S. average age of 36.8.
• Hispanics have an average of four children per household, while non-Hispanic households have an average of two.
• Hispanics made up 16 percent of the U.S. population in 2010. By 2050, it is projected that 30 percent of the population will be Hispanic.

My reliable teams at Galindo Publicidad are literally “hand picked”. They are qualified specialists and experts in the language translation business. We make it our business to stay current with the cultural milieu of the Hispanic consumer, from wherever they may come. We know that it only takes one wrong word to throw off an entire marketing campaign. Conversely, we understand the correct and best phrasing to get your message out in a clean, clear, and dynamic way.

We want to be your translation company for the years to come, we really do. But, if you do have a great relationship with another Language Services Provider, nurture it, ask the right questions, and make sure they keep delivering and ‘get’ the important things I mentioned above.

As ever,

Martha

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What Is Your Next Step?

Yesterday I was working with some of our wonderful clients on translating the text on their website into Spanish. I have so much fun with our clients – working in tandem with their staff – it always feels more like play than work to me. But getting your message out to the Hispanic consumer in America is actually serious business, and it is more critical to your company’s success every year.
In helping these particular customers I was suggesting the best choice of words for them to use, the most meaningful, key words for their online presence. The words that will grab the attention of potential buyers and close the sale, whether for goods or services, in those new customers’ minds. It’s fairly easy these days to find translation services, but the essential thing is to work with a translation service that knows the cultural milieu of the people native to the language(s). The words have to strike a cord, connect the dots and flow naturally.
This is precisely what we do at Galindo Publicidad. It was so satisfying to see the thrill in our customers faces as we worked together to identify those key concepts and hone their message, in Spanish. Now their products and services will be found because they are speaking to the market with the potential to double their sales, and more! This is what we do, this is the next step, and we can do it for your business today.
It’s true that for many of you capturing the vibrant Latin market could be what makes or breaks your bottom line over the next year or two. Did you see the recent cover article in Time Magazine about Hispanic voters? The story asserts that it will be people of Hispanic origin who elect the next President of the United States. That’s a pretty strong stance, but I believe it. Running Galindo Pubicidad puts me in a unique position to track things like Hispanic spending and voting trends, and I have seen the need for good translation services rise higher and higher.
Statistics from the U.S. Census tell us that the increase in the Hispanic population between April of 2000 and April of 2010 was a staggering 43%, making Hispanics the fastest-growing minority group in the country.
We are never going backwards in time, only forward, and there is never a better time than today to take the next steps for securing the future of your business. Why not use your marketing budget to make your website and printed materials multilingual before the end of the fiscal year? Call us, I’m sure we’ll have a great time working together on your message, too.
Thanks for stopping by. And remember you are always invited to leave comments; I love hearing from you!
Martha
PS – Here’s something fun and new: you can now find me online with the Escúchame Expert Program! This is a virtual community for Latinas to network, blog, post videos, build your business brand or just navigate the site and find interesting information about how Latinas are changing the way the world views Hispanics, as Escúchame says, one Latina at a time. Just click on the link above to check it out. You will meet new colleagues and find “Expert” referrals there, as well.

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Skillful Translations, Key Partnerships

As 2011 is coming to an end, I have been reflecting on the amazing year we have had here at Galindo Publicidad. And it’s always satisfying to know that whatever is new and exciting for us means new possibilities in growing your business, too!

Some of the best news we’ve had this year is in our strategic partnerships. Through our alliance with Don Quijote, we offer you Immersion Language courses around the world.  Through New Energy Horizons Regional Center, we can provide a fast track path to immigration for those of you living overseas who want to move to and invest in an existing and approved business in the U.S.  

Programs like these don’t just assist with fast, legal immigration, they attract the foreign capital to the U.S., creating jobs and helping to grow the economy and stabilize business ventures. Do you have friends who would like to make a life in the U.S as permanent residents?  Your associates or friends may thank you for telling them about an opportunity to cut through the lengthy and time-consuming red tape of the standard US immigration process.  Let’s talk! Let’s take advantage of win/win EB-5 programs like these!

In 2011 we also brought you news about the fastest growing consumer group: the U.S. Hispanic market. We assisted you in translating your message and your materials to languages that expand your market to… well the possibilities are endless.

I have given thought to our new clients this year as well as you who have been with us for years, and we are so happy wand proud we have been able to help you. As the holiday lights go up and the festive spirit fills the air, I feel such goodwill for all the peoples of the world. There’s not much need to translate Happy Holidays and Happy New Year – the sentiment speaks for itself!

Our 2012 New Year’s Resolution for the coming year is to remain right on point with new developments in translation and the technology used to make them accessible to you. We will be here to help you make your products and services available to a wider-than-ever target niche, through one of the most powerful tools you can use to engage any audience: skillful translation.  It’s going to be a great year!

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Keeping Up with Translation and some Technology!

We have some great announcements!

We care about our clients and always try to stay informed about what’s happening with your target audiences. I felt so honored to be among the 150 Hispanic leaders at The White House this September for a briefing on Hispanic Affairs. This was in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Among the topics covered were international trade, work, education, health, and immigration reform. I came away with some great ideas on how to better serve you!

Through the enormous power of partnership and alliance, successful communication can change our world. We believe there is, even in a tough economy, an emergence of global thinking and sharing. and we work hard to develop strong strategic partnerships. Partnerships that bid and fulfill projects all over the nation.  The need for translation just keeps growing and there will never be a better time than now to position your organization to a multilingual, global market. I’ll tell you more about some of these projects next time.

There is so much to tell you this time! Many of you have asked for this, and we did it for you—we now have Paypal on our website, making it easy and fast to get your projects going. http://www.translationsandmore.com/quote.html

 And we have added a QR code (those funny-looking black and white squares you’ve seen popping up lately) to our blog. It’s very cool—you can scan information about us and how we can serve you—by saving it to your smart phone you can read it at your leisure!

We can help you get started with your translation needs so you can compete in an ever-growing multilingual world. Call us, click to us, or leave us a message and see how translating your materials can be one of the smartest decisions you could ever make.

PS—Come to the Galindo Publicidad quote page to get an estimate for your project. Oh, and in case you have not downloaded it yet, there is a free app that scans QR codes; you can get it here: http://www.appbrain.com/app/barcode-scanner/com.google.zxing.client.android

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Position Your Company in a Global Way

Hello Friends!

We now have a Facebook Page! Our page is named, of course, Galindo Publicidad Inc. Check it out and you can ‘like’ us, almost as much as we like you!

So here we are, in the 8^th month of the fiscal year. Are you using your marketing and communications budgets to the best potential? It’s interesting (to me, anyway), Galindo Publicidad is a translation-service company, and we have a marketing budget just like everyone else. Part of that budget is earmarked for getting our own message out!

We are experts in helping you maximize your growth potential through multi-cultural marketing.  In any language. As global services are becoming more the norm than the exception, marketing your product or services to consumers or businesses who speak languages other than English is critical.

Vice-president of the International Federation of Translators, Jiri Stejskal, tells a story about a “Please Do Not Disturb” sign that hung on the door of a hotel room where he stayed some years ago. The flip side of the sign read: Please Disturb. Oops! Not exactly what the hotelier had mind! A perfect example of how a translation company can eliminate confusion and embarrassment.  It was Mr. Stejskal’s first visit to China, and he remembered taking many photos of the “funny English” he found in Beijing and other cities.

Since then he has traveled to China several more times and has noticed the “funny English” decreasing. “The changes are really enormous,” he says, “Translation in China now has a much better standing in the world.”

Most of us  have traveled and seen plenty of “funny language” examples.

Let us help you position your company in a global way. Contact us (you can use our new Facebook page!) for advice and estimates on translation or narration services. These services are our Bread and Butter. Questions are handled quickly and personally and we take pride of our customized service.  Why not use every penny of this year’s budget! Get firm estimates and build translation services in to next year’s budget and you won’t be left out of some of the fastest growing consumer markets in the world.

Tapping into multilingual and global markets can be a very, very profitable thing.  Do not miss it.

Always the best,

Martha

PS—Our Facebook page has interesting snippets, links, and some great cartoons!

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