Multilingual content management needs a digital-first mindset

Illustration of a three fold venn diagram, with three different languages in them, representing managing multilingual content.
Published
July 29, 2021
Category

Insights

Managing multilingual web content to reach global audiences can be a juggling act — especially when you’re managing a high volume of translations. If we've learned anything from the IT world, it's that automation and cross-platform, open-source technology integrations significantly benefit all areas of business.

This includes content! A digital-first mindset can help you efficiently manage and scale your multilingual content, powering your global growth.

Why multilingual content management needs a digital-first approach

When tight deadlines arise, it’s easy to fall back on the way things have always been done. But sometimes, the old way includes outdated manual processes that use up valuable time. A digital-first mindset offers the opportunity to transform your thinking and streamline processes from text creation to translation to implementation.

Digital-first means more than just going digital. It's a whole new way of using tech to get your multilingual web content to market faster — saving your business time and money.

Build your global content infrastructure with open-tech solutions

When building your content infrastructure, it’s important to maintain an open, holistic perspective on tech. You might already have a tech stack that suits you. It’s important to check that new tools integrate into your current setup, not the other way around.

Tools that enhance your existing web content processes by increasing automation and efficiency are your biggest allies. As you scale, you’ll ease growing pains if you select the tools, apps and plugins that play well with your existing tech. 

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Optimize your multilingual content experience in Contentful

If you manage multilingual content, your translation workflows are often among the first that you’ll want to improve. You might be used to taking a copy from Contentful into an external document to complete the translation, and then pasting the translated content back in. Long term, that’s a lot of time and effort going to manual processes. 

Choosing a translation integration to make your multilingual web content workflows more efficient is the next natural step. And, because Contentful embraces open-source technology, you can find the tech you need without leaving the platform. 

Scale smarter with the right translation tech

When you have a multilingual, global audience, choosing a translation tool or service is an important, strategic decision. Carefully evaluate which tools will bolster your multilingual content efforts, while freeing you from limitations as your business grows. 

These days, many translation apps are subscription-based and come with a host of limitations that can tie you down. If you don't review the terms and features list thoroughly, you may find yourself saddled with platform subscriptions, tech fees and service packages you don't need. Instead, choose free and low-cost options that preserve your tech stack’s interoperability and provide you valuable functionality.

The freedom to separately choose your tech and services can set you up to scale efficiently, and usually provides a better return on investment.

Opt for a flexible and highly integrable translation app that optimizes your multilingual web content workflows, without setting back your budget, limiting available technologies or dictating your choice of linguists. 

"Open-source professional translation integrations help optimize the Contentful experience by helping users manage multilingual content for global audiences, save on tech overhead costs and access specialized, third-party tools that help the Contentful user’s business achieve their goals." — Jeff Blattel, director of Technology Partnerships NA, Contentful

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With digital-first, go global faster

A digital-first mindset will create a new chapter of multilingual content management that’s  efficient, cost-effective and holistic. With a translation integration that connects seamlessly with Contentful, you’ll speed up translation workflows and reach your global markets faster. Remember those first pre-digital, manual data entry "workflows?” They already feel like a distant memory.

If you’re ready to take your multilingual content global faster, download the Translations by Acclaro app.

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