In today’s world, selling human translation services has become more difficult. Clients are aware they can save both time and money by choosing AI/MT solutions, and often they can’t pick up on the differences in quality, authenticity and tone when the end result is in a language they don’t read. This can make it a challenge to sell pure, human-led solutions, even when we know they are the better option. Often, we simply have to give the client what they want – alongside all our caveats and explanations, of course.

One of the advantages of FairLoc is that it provides translation agencies and freelancers with a way to brand their human translation services. It makes it easier to highlight the benefits of this option, while also providing clients with recognition for what is ultimately a more sustainable, responsible and ethical choice. This can help level the playing field somewhat between human and machine options, and it gives translation providers a valuable platform for important conversations about the differences – and the consequences of choosing one option over the other.

Below, we present some concrete ideas on how you can use FairLoc to market your human translation services as part of a more transparent and constructive dialogue with your clients. Read on for some inspiration:

 

Offer FairLoc Translations/Localisation Services

Twenty years ago, our industry sold translations. Then we sold localisation services and multilingual solutions. Today, we offer a vast array of different possibilities, both human and machine, and the traditional product we once called translation is framed in dozens of different ways. Some call it premium translation. Others call it slow translation. Some refer to it simply as human localisation, and a very small minority still just call it translation. Now, we have one more option to add to the mix – a FairLoc translation.

Here are some advantages of going down this route:

  • The FairLoc name and logo will generate intrigue. FairLoc branding frames this as a premium or more exclusive option, and it will draw the interest of curious clients who want to learn more.
  • FairLoc instantly highlights the positive. It’s right there in the very name – Fair. Immediately, your clients will understand that this is an ethical and sustainable option. It is a choice they can feel proud to make.
  • The distinctive colour, logo and branding will create more visibility on your website for the human option. Rather than simply appearing as one item in a list of different possibilities, this service option will now stand out with a clear profile for what ought to be one of your primary and most-sold services.

Of course, choosing to brand your human translation services in this way may also require a bit of educating and explanation. For clients, the FairLoc name is still new, and you will need to elaborate on exactly what they will get when choosing this kind of service. In time, however, we hope that FairLoc will become just as familiar to them as other industry neologisms such as localisation and MTPE, which we use to describe how we work and to better express the value in what we provide.

Right now, you have the opportunity to help us build towards this development. By branding your human translation services as FairLoc translations, you can signal to clients that you are a firm supporter of human creativity and fair practices, and you can actively play a fundamental role in helping to protect and improve our industry.

 

Create a FairLoc Page for your Website

If you already have your own way of branding your human translation services that you don’t want to change, or if you feel unsure about making FairLoc such an intricate part of your brand, another option is to create a FairLoc section on your website. Here, you can explain that you are a FairLoc Ambassador and elaborate on what this means for the way you work and for your clients.

You can also use this page as a way to frankly and transparently take up some of the issues affecting our industry and communicate them to your clients – in a positive, respectful and constructive way. After all, we know that these conversations are difficult, and engaging clients is not an easy task. But at the end of the day, it affects the quality of the product they receive, the health of an industry they rely on, and the overall experience of customers and users who rely on localisation services.

Some examples of topics you could discuss on this page would include:

  • The need to understand and accept the limitations of AI and MT. You can use FairLoc as a way of communicating a difficult message that clients don’t always want to hear and, in doing so, show them that you are extremely committed to getting the best results for them.
  • The negative consequences that AI and MT are having. The overuse of these technologies is causing lots of talented linguists to leave the industry. This erodes quality and harms efficiency, as linguists familiar with client brands disappear and take their knowledge with them. If clients rely on localisation services to reach their customers, then the health of our industry should matter to them.
  • Current practices are unfair. The work of human linguists has been used to train AI and MT translation technologies. Now, those very same technologies are eroding conditions and leaving linguists without work via forces that no single agency or freelancer can control. Nobody who cares about fairness can accept this, and clients who are proud of their CSR and social values ought to be aware of what is happening.

 

Use FairLoc as a Decision-Support Tool

Does your website feature a tool or a function that explains the different options and helps your clients to decide what is right for them? Include FairLoc in this tool – or create a new one based around the FairLoc approach!

This could explain the process of a FairLoc translation – namely, that the human linguist creates their translation from scratch, using AI/MT for inspiration and research only, and never to create a pre-translation/framework they can edit. It could then explain the quality implication of this and help clients work out whether it’s relevant for them. Are they translating marketing content? Do they need to create an emotional connection with their readers? Are they concerned about seeing their brand voice and identity diluted in other markets? Then FairLoc is for them!

As well as quality, this tool could also consider values, internal policies and public commitments to CSR. It could ask questions about their existing commitments to fairness in the supply chain, sustainable working practices, the green transition and more, and then recommend a solution based on their answers. Not to mention, it could also highlight the fact that the client will be able to display the stamp alongside their translated text and thus use FairLoc as another way to communicate their values to the world.

All in all, this tool would serve two purposes – both to provide a better user experience on your website and to educate clients about some of the subtle differences between options. It is therefore not just self-serving for the industry, but also a way of providing a better level of service to your clients.

 

Speak with Us for More Ideas!

Are you feeling inspired by the possibilities, or do you have another idea we haven’t considered here? Send us a message and let’s chat. We’re very keen to talk to anybody in the world of translation who is interested in becoming a FairLoc Ambassador.

You can send us an email to contact@fairloc.com and we’ll be in touch right away to set up a meeting.

Together, let’s protect our industry and help make it better, fairer and more sustainable for the future – not just for us, but for our clients and for everyone who uses, reads and relies on the content we produce!