Are you using free online translation software to create Spanish-language content for your organization? If you are actively trying to advertise to the Hispanic market, it’s tempting to simply drop your content into a free online translator. It’s quick and it’s free. But is it effective?

Even the most accurate Spanish translation from platforms like Google Translate is likely to be filled with errors and not come across as natural. Don’t get me wrong, Google Translate is a great service and I use it all the time. It’s a good tool if you need to quickly find the meaning of a foreign word you don’t know. Plus, the ability to translate written text using the camera of your cell phone is crazy futuristic and very handy when traveling abroad. However, it has serious limitations. It is not a marketing tool, but rather a reference tool.

Online translation software can provide pretty good results, but it’s never going to come across as natural. There are too many intricacies and variables when it comes to adapting content from one language to another, and technology simply isn’t there yet. You may be thinking, if it’s comprehensible, meaning my potential clients can understand the gist of what I’m trying to say, then that’s good enough. If you’re serious about marketing to the Hispanic community, you’ll want to reconsider that approach. The content you put on your website, in your ads or anywhere else is what tells your story, creates connections with current and potential clients and represents your brand. If your Spanish-language content is full of awkward mistakes, and it’s obvious that it was translated online, it’s going to send a signal that you don’t prioritize Spanish-speaking audiences.

If you’re serious about marketing to the Hispanic community, you’ll want to reconsider that approach.

What does a bad translation look like?

Let’s take a closer look at the problem with free online translation software. I’ve taken three Spanish-language headlines from the Univision website and ran them through Google Translate. As you’ll see, the English results are awkward and don’t really make sense.

Example #1

Original headline:

Aclaramos las 6 dudas más frecuentes sobre la gripe o influenza

Google Translate results:

We clarify the 6 most frequent doubts about the flu

The biggest problem here is the word “dudas” in Spanish. Yes, it does mean “doubts” as Google translated it, but a better translation here would be “questions.”

Example #2

Original headline:

Carlos Vela presume participación en documental de Canelo-Kovalev

Google Translate results:

Carlos Vela presumes participation in Canelo-Kovalev documentary

With this headline, the word “presume” is where Google Translate is running into trouble. Again, it can mean “presume” in English, but it can also mean “to brag” or “to show off.” Even if we make that correction, “Carlos Vela brags about his participation,” doesn’t sound natural either. What the article is saying is that Carlos is proudly announcing that he is being featured in this documentary.

Example #3

Original headline:

Ideas para que luzcas un increíble maquillaje de Halloween sin tener que afectar tu presupuesto

Google Translate results:

Ideas for you to look amazing Halloween makeup without having to affect your budget

The English translation here hardly makes sense at all. A more accurate translation would be, “Dazzling Halloween makeup ideas that won’t break your budget.”

Think about your reaction if you were to come across headlines like these on a news site. I doubt you’d be very tempted to read any of these articles and probably would never return to that site. That very well could be the same reaction that potential Spanish-speaking customers visiting your website have if you’re using Google Translate to create Spanish-language content. Your message won’t resonate with them like it would with content created by professional, native Spanish speaking marketers.

The solution: Transcreation

Even some professional English to Spanish translation services won’t maintain the voice and tone of your brand in the content they produce. At Press 2 Communications, we use something called transcreation to adapt English content into a Spanish equivalent that is linguistically and culturally relevant while maintaining the original voice and tone. If it’s web content you’re transcreating, we can even optimize it for search. Our writers are native Spanish speakers and marketing and communications professionals. If you’re serious about growing your business in the Hispanic community, you might consider partnering with someone like us, who understands language, marketing and culture.