Why American-style marketing language often backfires in Dutch (and what to do instead)
Marketing translations require a special approach.
What works in the source language, does not necessarily work in the target language.
American-style copy often backfires in Dutch - the superlatives, self-promotion, and exaggerated urgency undermine credibility in this market where sincerity, transparency, and authenticity are valued.
Efficient marketing translations are a mix of translation and copywriting.
I'm giving away a few tips for marketeers who use US English materials for use in the Dutch-speaking market here!
American marketing language often misses the mark in the Dutch market.
It often contains:
Hype
Self-promotion
Exaggerated urgency
Superlatives
...
To speakers of Dutch, it sounds insincere and undermines credibility.
That is why a 1:1 translation hurts your conversion rates so much.
Speakers of Dutch prefer:
Objectivity
Understatement
Authenticity
Transparency
...
Use this checklist to adapt your copy from US English into Dutch!
An approach that is essential for conversions and revenue
This approach is essential for conversions, and therefore ultimately for revenue, so it is important to know that translating alone is often not enough. You need to have a good understanding of copywriting basics and of how the local market works to handle marketing translations.
Do you want to have your English copy translated using copy that converts? Hire an expert!
Do you want to have your English copy translated using copy that converts? Hire an expert!