Agency, freelancer or machine? How to decide which is best for you

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

If you’re new to the world of translation buying, deciding what type of translation service provider to work with can be overwhelming. In translation, as in other industries, you really do get what you pay for. So should decide what you want to prioritise before going in. Do you have a tight deadline? Or a small budget? Or regular content that needs a consistent voice?

This article provides a basic overview of each of your options and how to decide which one is right for you.

Disclaimer: I’ve worked with agencies both in-house and as a freelancer and regularly edit machine translations, so what follows is my best advice and opinions based on my own knowledge and experience.

Price, quality or speed?

The first thing to establish is that you can’t have all three (despite what some companies may promise). As a translator myself, I’ll always vote for quality, but I know time and money are usually the biggest factor when it comes to choosing a translator. So how do you decide which to prioritise? Here are a few things to consider:

• How long you have for translation

• What your budget is

• How specialised the text is

• What additional services you may need, such as term list creation and DTP

• What service you need (translation, transcreation, machine translation editing etc.)

• Whether you’re looking for a long-term collaboration

• How many languages you want to translate into

These factors will all affect the type of service provider you need. Translation agencies, freelance translators and machine translation all have their strengths and weaknesses and all serve different purposes.

Translation agencies

Translation agencies are best for speed and convenience, but the distance between you and your translator can be an issue.

If you need translations into multiple languages, or your text needs a lot of prep and finishing work (e.g. DTP), it can be beneficial to work with an agency. They have a network of translators covering multiple language combinations and specialisms, so you don’t need to build your own.

The downside of working with agencies is that you can’t always guarantee to work with the same translator every time, so they may not be familiar with your preferences, products and brand voice. You also can’t communicate directly with the translator, which can cause delays if either of you has questions.

Best for: Large volumes with multiple languages or tight deadlines

Freelance translators

Being able to communicate directly with your translator avoids delays and improves quality. If your translator has any questions about your text, they can email you directly with their questions or discuss the best solutions for things like product names and slogans. Likewise, if you have any questions or feedback after they deliver the translation, you can reach out to them directly instead of having to go through an agency.

Working regularly with the same person also means that they get to know how you work, as well as being familiar with your brand values and internal style guides.

However, if you’re working with multiple languages or across multiple specialisms (e.g. legal, marketing and commercial), you may need to work with multiple translators. This means building a team of linguists, which takes time if you’re on a tight deadline.

Best for: Quality, familiarity and long-term collaborations

Machine translation

Machine translation is by far the fastest solution. And it can be great for short, simple texts with no specialised terminology. But, more often than not, it produces inaccurate or unsuitable translations and can actually cost more in the long-term due to editing, rewriting and reputational damage.

If you don’t have the budget for a human translator, machine translation can be a tempting solution, but at the very least you should have your machine translation checked by someone who speaks the target language before publication, even if it’s an internal document or you just want a rough idea of what the text says.

And always bear in mind data protection regulations before using it on texts that contain personal data.

Best for: Instant translation of short, basic texts

Where do you find translators?

The translation industry is not regulated in the UK, which unfortunately means that anyone can call themselves a translator without having the skills and qualifications to back it up. So how do you know you’re working with a true professional?

Accredited bodies such as the CIOL (Chartered Institute of Linguists) and the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) in the UK have directories of approved freelance translators, interpreters and agencies to help you find a qualified translation partner. You can search for a certain language pair, specialism or service to find the best fit for your text.

You’ll also find a lot of translators on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, if you want to keep in touch or get to know them better before working together.

Need help with a translation or want more advice? Get in touch for a free quote.