A brochure I wrote last year was reprinted in Japanese for a trade mission to Japan. That was pretty cool! Of course, I don't speak, read or write a lick of Japanese, so when my client asked to have this project printed, I went to someone who could translate the materials for us.

I received a letter in the mail this week inviting me to an event in Germany. I have to wonder if the event organizers paid someone to translate their letter or if they used one of those free online translators. If they paid someone, I hope they didn't pay very much.

I can figure out what this letter is saying ("Get ready for the future by firming up on the topic of..." and "This event will fire you with enthusiasm!"), but it's not said very clearly. That makes me sad because for very little money, this organization could've had the letter translated well.

Marketing copy is all about smooth, convincing prose. The way the words flow is just as important to the success of your project (your event, promotion or new product) as the execution of the project itself. If your target customers have to read and re-read your materials to understand your point, you're making them work too hard. As busy as we all are, your customers shouldn't have to take the time out of their days to try to understand what you're saying; they're more likely to put your message aside and forget all about it.

Whether you're translating your marketing materials into another language or just targeting them to your audience, do it well—or find someone who can do it well—or your efforts may be wasted.