BuzzCity, which provides of global wireless communities and consumer services, has launched a community translation service across its mobile social network, myGamma. The new feature enables myGamma users to help expand the networks reach to include smaller language communities and speakers of regional dialects. In addition, these new audiences create unique marketing opportunities for businesses through BuzzCitys advertising network.
The peer-reviewed service encourages existing multi-lingual members to create a comprehensive list of myGamma navigational terms and instructional messages. Once developed, a team of volunteer translators will maintain and update the list based on popular consensus, incorporating feedback from users. The entire collaborative translation process takes place over mobile Internet wiki-style pages hosted on myGamma.
BuzzCity says it has already seen strong demand and participation from users who, since the beta version was introduced in April, have helped increase the number of languages and dialects available on myGamma from 14 to 77. There are over 1,400 registered translators, focusing predominantly on the African, Indo-Aryan and Austronesian languages.
The rapid adoption of our community translation service demonstrates the willingness of our members to help connect new communities to the myGamma network, says BuzzCity CEO, KF Lai. Collectively, these communities account for a large number of people whose primary language is not catered for by other media. As consumers, they also represent a significant part of mobile advertisings long tail. The service is a real example of a community working to benefit its users. We have been delighted with the response since it launched and look forward to its ongoing development which will not only benefit the users directly but those wanting to reach them.
The service is designed to provide localised mobile content to people previously left unconnected due to linguistic barriers. By opening myGamma to wider audiences, BuzzCity says its advertising network also benefits from increased inventory, making the network a more attractive proposition for marketers. In addition to providing an effective channel to reach minority markets, which may otherwise be left untapped, the number of niche monetisation opportunities will also increase as more languages are added to the network.