This post originally appeared on Anja Jones Translation blog and it is republished with permission.

Translating marketing texts can be a tricky thing. We need to relay the information from the source text and make sure it sounds beautiful in the target language at the same time. Here are our top 5 tips for good copywriting that also apply to translation.

1.    Research your audience

Before you start translating, find out who the translated texts are aimed at. What’s your target audience? Is the copy written for other businesses or end customers? What’s the age group? If your audience is young and tech-savvy, using a formal tone of voice may alienate them. If you’re dealing with businesses and professionals, writing too informally can cost you clients. Browse your customer’s website and ask for a style guide if you didn’t receive one. That way you’ll always hit the right tone of voice!

2.    Avoid nominal style

Nouns slow down the pace of your copy and your text can feel stilted. Check which nouns you really need and which can be replaced by verbs. Using more verbs loosens up the text and feels more natural to the reader.

E.g.: Terry made the decision to learn French. > Terry decided to learn French.

3.    Use the active voice

Active sentences engage the reader. Your text feels livelier and is easier to read. Passive sentences are usually longer and reveal important information only at the very end.

E.g.: The text was translated by Terry. > Terry translated the text.

4.    Keep sentences short

The rule of thumb says if you can’t quite remember how the sentence started when you’re at the end of it, it’s definitely too long. Some people have a knack for bulky sentences that span over many lines. That may sound clever in a scientific piece of research. But it will exceed the attention span of most other audiences. If you want to engage your readers, keep it short. This may mean that one sentence turns into two translated sentences.

5.    Before you submit your translations, read them out loud

It may feel a little silly at first, but this is a great way to test the readability of your translation. If you stumble over complicated constructions, or you run out of breath before the end of the sentence, chances are you need to simplify your text.