Translation is not localisation
A post written in English and translated into Thai is still an English post. The jokes do not land. The examples feel foreign. The call to action sounds like a bank notice.
Localisation means rewriting for the market. A trader in Jakarta and a trader in Dubai may both use MetaTrader, but they read different feeds, follow different creators and care about different account features. The message has to start in the local language, not arrive there.
For brokers, this matters because social content is often the first contact. If the first contact feels translated, the brand feels distant.
Slang and tone differ by market
Trading slang is not universal. "Pips", "lots" and "drawdown" have local equivalents, and some English terms are simply kept in English. In Vietnam, traders often mix Vietnamese with English technical terms. In Thailand, tone is softer and direct selling can feel pushy. In Indonesia, humour and community references work well, but religion and politics do not.
Malaysia is multilingual. A single campaign may need Malay, English and Chinese versions, each with its own tone. In MENA, Arabic copy ranges from formal Modern Standard Arabic to casual Gulf dialect. The wrong register reads as either stiff or disrespectful.
Native writers who trade get this right. They know which terms are used, which are mocked and which are avoided. A translator who does not trade will pick the dictionary word. A trader will pick the word used in a Telegram group.
Right-to-left design for Arabic
Arabic is not English with the words reversed. The script runs right to left, and design has to follow.
- Text alignment flips. Headlines, captions and bullet points start on the right.
- Numbers, charts and tickers stay left to right inside the Arabic layout. Mixing directions in one line needs care.
- Icons and arrows may need mirroring. A "next" arrow that points right in English should point left in Arabic.
- Fonts must support Arabic properly. A Latin font with Arabic added often looks broken.
- Images with embedded English text need new artwork, not a translated caption.
Video is the same. Subtitles, lower thirds and on-screen text all flip. A presenter gesturing to the right side of the screen while the text is on the left confuses the viewer.
Platforms, formats and posting times
Southeast Asia and MENA are not one audience. Platform habits differ.
- Thailand: Facebook and LINE are strong. TikTok is growing for short education clips. Evenings after work are busy.
- Vietnam: Facebook, Zalo and YouTube. Telegram is used for trading communities. Mornings and late evenings see high engagement.
- Indonesia: Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp. Mobile-first, video-first. Lunch breaks and evenings work.
- Malaysia: Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. English and Malay content can run side by side.
- MENA: Instagram, X and Telegram. Arabic-language X is active for market commentary. Evenings after prayer times are often strong.
Posting times shift around Ramadan, Eid and local holidays. A scheduled campaign that ignores the calendar will land at the wrong moment.
Cultural and religious considerations
Content that ignores local norms will damage trust, even if the copy is perfect.
- Swap-free accounts. In several MENA markets, and among Muslim traders in Southeast Asia, overnight swap charges are a sensitive topic. Social content can explain how swap-free accounts work, but the details must come from compliance. Do not improvise.
- Ramadan. Fasting changes daily routines. Posting times, imagery and tone all shift. Avoid food, drink and daytime scenes in ads.
- Imagery. Clothing, gestures and gender roles vary. What reads as friendly in one market can read as inappropriate in another.
- Religion and politics. Keep them out of trading content. Do not use religious symbols for marketing.
- Risk warnings. Regulators such as the FCA, CySEC, ASIC and their counterparts require clear risk disclosures. Wording and placement differ by market. Confirm with your compliance team before publishing.
Working with native writers who trade
A good localisation workflow starts with people, not software.
- Hire writers who live in the market and trade or invest themselves. They will catch slang, tone and taboos.
- Give them a brief, not a script. Explain the goal and let them write in their own voice.
- Keep a glossary per language. Agree on terms for spread, leverage, margin call and similar. Update it as slang changes.
- Have a local reviewer check every piece before it goes live. Compliance sign-off is separate and still required.
- Track performance by market. What works in Vietnam may fail in the UAE. Adjust, do not assume.
- Build a small bank of approved visuals per market, including Arabic-ready layouts.
Machine translation can help with speed, but it should never be the final step. A native trader-writer plus a compliance check is the minimum.
Checklist
- Rewrite from scratch in the local language, do not translate word for word.
- Use native writers who trade and know the slang.
- Flip layouts, fonts and video text for Arabic right-to-left reading.
- Match platform choice and posting times to each market, including Ramadan and holidays.
- Handle swap-free accounts and religious sensitivities with compliance-approved wording.
- Keep a per-language glossary and a local reviewer in the loop.
- Check every post against local advertising and risk-disclosure rules before publishing.