The transcreation industry is in the middle of unprecedented appeal and demand. As it currently stands, worldwide language services are experiencing an annual growth of 5.52% with localization becoming the fourth fastest growing industry in the United States. Additionally, that annual figure is set to increase to 6.5% – 7.5% through 2018.

The main reason for the upsurge is that as the power of the internet grows the boundaries and borders for brands to market to continue to shrink. For those who are brave enough to venture outside their comfort zone, there are immense benefits to be reaped, and sometimes less competition to vie with.

The proof of reduced rivalries lies in a study conducted by Smartling, in which 150 U.S. based marketers were surveyed. Nearly half stated that they were conducting zero marketing efforts outside of the United States while another 86% copped to translating English content for audiences abroad, but without tailoring it to suit the foreign target audience.

If you want to expand your brand’s horizons, enter new markets, and stay on top of the transcreation trends to come, check out these four rapidly approaching transformations in global marketing.

The Need for Localized Content Will Reach a Critical Mass

As the digital universe becomes more all-encompassing, the need for brands to follow suit will swell. In the internet’s current incarnation, more than 53% of content is written in the English language. This means that advanced, non-English speaking countries such as Germany, Japan, and France are greatly underserved with the materials they have access to. More importantly, however, as developing nations such as India, Ghana, and Ukraine begin to gain more widely available access to the web, they will only be able to consume a fraction of the amount of content served to English speakers.

Considering that only about 360 million individuals, or roughly 5% of the world’s population, are native English speakers, businesses that do not transcreate and localize content are missing out on the majority of global consumers. Even if an individual speaks English as a second language, most prefer to interact in their native dialect.

This year, China, Indonesia, and India are predicted to add the majority of new users to the internet. The question is, will your content reach them?

Global SEO Will Be Imperative

Just like with English content, if people are unable to find your translated materials, they are no good to anyone. Developing a multilingual SEO strategy will soon be a necessity as more of the world goes online. Reaching foreign audiences through global SEO coupled with localization services is not an option as many parts of the world do not rely on Google.

Additionally, nuances in different languages must be taken into consideration. Various dialects are used in regions of the globe like the Middle East and words can have vastly different translations between those vernaculars. The Guardian recently illustrated that when searching different languages for local results within the same city, drastically different results can be returned.

Because of the subtleties involved with language, Google Translate is not a viable option. Those following transcreation trends understand how valuable an opportunity leveraging localization agencies for global SEO can be.

The Rise of the Machines

Machine learning has been a hot topic over the past few years, and many experts have been discussing the significance and potential ramifications of artificial intelligence. In the next several years, there will be a massive influx of such technologies in the world of translations services. Some sources like ZDNet believe that it will be entirely automated in the near future.

While their assertions are partially true in that much of the more menial document translations will be handled by bots, when it comes to communicating with high-dollar clients, marketing to audiences across the globe, and other revenue-impacting endeavors, there will still be a great need for human intervention.

In order for a company to be effective in its image, content, and marketing messages, a brand’s voice must be consistent and concise. More than that, various companies throughout history have bombed at their attempts at marketing their brand in foreign lands due to not leveraging localization services, and likely relied on bots to handle the job. Those that transcreate materials appropriately can be very successful overseas due to the limited competition.

The Role of the Global Marketer Remodeled

Marketing is an ever-changing discipline that has never been static. The advent of the web brought entirely new tactics and modalities into being, and through that, the function of the marketer has been forever altered.

In the “mad men” era, engaging an audience wasn’t a thing; not like it is today. In the digital era, marketers aim to drive engagement and the customer journey from end-to-end. In order for marketers to engage global audiences time and time again, they will need all of the tools and assets listed above in their arsenal; localized content, an effective multilingual SEO strategy, a transcreation team to generate these elements, and machine learning programs to boost speed and efficiency.

The obligation for brands to market to a global audience through localized content and marketing campaigns is growing ever-more urgent. Soon, the scarce transoceanic markets of today will be brimming with competitors like those in the United States. Brands that begin transcreation and localization efforts early will become the dominant forces in the global regions they cater to; as long they don’t rely on translation bots, that is.