Why Does Life Sciences Content Require Localization?

In the life sciences industry, information is often constant from one location to the next. Whether you're releasing information about a new healthcare advancement, medication, or discovery, you may assume that it requires relatively little localization. But localizing your life sciences content—including going beyond translation to ensure that your content is received correctly by the members of your target audience—can go a long way toward improving interest and connecting with your audience. 

Localizing Your Life Sciences Content: Key Reasons 

Suppose you've been assuming that translation services were enough to push out content in the life sciences field. In that case, you may include several key benefits that could change how members of your target market interact with your content. Consider these benefits:

1. Improve the Sense of Connection

When you localize your content, you help ensure that readers will form that vital sense of connection to it. Suppose, for example, that you're talking about climate change. Your readers in the United States may care that forests across Canada are burning faster than ever. But they may be more interested and engaged in the content that shows its impact on them. For example, you could focus on poor air quality across the northeastern United States. Likewise, French readers may care about increased wildfires in the US. However, they may form a more profound connection to the content that notes that they have seen around 25% less rain in the past year. 

Localizing your content, rather than simply translating it, can ensure that your readers genuinely care about that content and form a vital connection to it. As a result, you improve customer engagement with your brand. 

2. Show How You Can Help Customers' Actual Pain Points

When you create content for your target audience, you often aim to show how your brand can help solve their problems and address their pain points. You want to market your brand as the solution for those needs. However, in many cases, those needs can vary significantly from one geographic area to the next. So the way your customers define their needs may change, too. 

For example, suppose you're talking about a new medication that can help increase energy. In that case, you should show very different schedules for busy moms in America compared to those in Europe or Asia. When you localize your content, you can focus on those essential details and give customers a more straightforward example of what you can do for them. 

3. Make Sure You Meet Local Standards

In some cases, the information you share with the members of your target audience may be limited by local laws and regulations governing precise use. You may, for example, be unable to make some types of claims regarding using your medications. Also, you may need to issue disclaimers about using a specific new product. If you fail to meet those standards, you could end up facing legal trouble that:

• Slows down product launches

• Cuts down on your profits

• Interferes with your brand reputation

4. Make Customers Happier

Ultimately, the goal of your content is to provide what your customers need. You want to produce content that is of genuine benefit to your customers. If you want to make your customers happy, it's vital to provide content that is:

• Practical and relevant to them

• In their native language

• Personalized to their specific cultural needs

By localizing your content to their needs, you improve customer satisfaction. You also increase the odds that they will choose your brand in the first place and connect with you for their future needs in your industry. 

5. Avoid Accidental Offense

Depending on the type of content you're producing and your specific industry, you should review your content carefully to ensure it has no chance of offending. Some regions may consider certain types of content taboo. In other areas, you may avoid explicitly addressing specific facts, referring to some parts of the body, or dealing with sensitive issues. 

By localizing your content in connection with an expert who understands the local area and knows what things you may need to make sure you include (and what you may need to avoid), you can better reach your target audience and avoid giving offense. This proactive approach ensures that your brand has a positive reputation. 

Vital Elements of Localizing Life Sciences Content

Consider many areas when optimizing your life sciences content. However, there are some things, in particular, you should consider when you're working with your localization team. Consider looking at these areas beyond translation, including ensuring you accurately translate complicated terms.

The Geographic Areas You Talk About

You often use specific geographic examples to show how to address a particular problem. However, creating content that reflects geographic areas relevant to your target audience is essential. 

The Examples You Provide

Any time you produce content, using examples helps showcase specific ways your product or service can help the people reading about it. However, as you move from one region to the next, you may need to carefully consider how you want to phrase those examples to ensure that they meet the needs of your target demographic. Customize your examples to the region. Also, carefully consider those examples to ensure they do not offend. 

The Images You Use

Images can be essential as you put together your life sciences content, like your language. Suppose, for example, that you're focusing on animals. You can use animals or breeds that are recognized and familiar in the part of the world where you're showcasing that content. Likewise, if you show images of people, consider whether they reflect the culture you're trying to reach. 

Furthermore, look at the background of your images and what that background displays. You may want to:

• Use familiar landmarks

• Make sure that the streets look like they would in your target region

• Ensure that background images reflecting a home look like the homes of the members of your target audience

Your Color Scheme

Colors can have dramatically different meanings from one culture to the next. Using the right colors to reflect your brand ensures you create the connection you want through those colors, whether trying to project an image of power and competence or healing or support. Your localization experts can help ensure your color imagery supports your brand messaging. 

Let Our Localization Experts Help with Your Life Sciences Content

You may assume that simply translating the content will do the job regarding life sciences. However, in many cases, more than translation is needed to help you meet your goals.