How HubSpot tackled localization and scaled content production with DeepL

Want to learn more about the role of machine translation in global marketing and discover localization best practices? Download the full report. 

What you need to know about HubSpot and DeepL: 

• CRM titan HubSpot owns over 75,000 web assets, many of which require real-time localization 
• Scaling localization efforts to publish multilingual content quickly can be difficult 
• HubSpot has created an organized, streamlined localization process with the help of machine translation services, like DeepL 

Does your business operate worldwide? If so, how do you appeal to varied, international audiences? In today's globalized world, many businesses face a similar challenge: the need to communicate effectively with customers across languages, countries, and cultures. Here, localization presents a practical solution.  

By making content available in multiple languages, localization helps companies connect with diverse audiences and succeed internationally. To explore the impact of localization on businesses, DeepL conducted research, resulting in our report: The state of translation and localization in 2023-2024: insights, challenges, and opportunities. The research found that 75% of marketers in the U.S., Germany, France, and Japan believe localized content significantly boosts customer engagement.

HubSpot, a leading provider of customer relationship management (CRM) tools, is well-versed in the art of localization. By integrating DeepL's cutting-edge AI translation into its localization workflow, HubSpot has scaled its efforts to deliver high-quality, multilingual content faster than ever before. In this blog post, we'll explore how HubSpot leveled up its localization strategy and stayed ahead of global competition by running DeepL under the hood.  

The localization challenge: juggling languages and ever-changing content 

HubSpot owns and manages a staggering number of web assets, including landing pages, blog posts, and more. With more than 175,000 customers in 100 countries worldwide, HubSpot must provide accurate localization to meet the needs of its diverse customer base. As if the sheer volume of content wasn’t enough, there’s also the need for real-time updates in HubSpot’s 40+ supported languages to consider. 

To meet this challenge, HubSpot uses Mova, an internally developed system that acts as a central repository and combines the functionality of tools such as Slack, Jira, Figma, and Workato.  

With Mova, HubSpot can monitor its web assets in real time, making it easy for the company to quickly identify those that need localization and set up automated workflows. The key to HubSpot's excellent localization quality, however, lies in its use of state-of-the-art machine translation services like DeepL and ModernMT.  

Automation and AI translation make for smooth sailing 

Thanks to advanced neural networks and AI translation technology, DeepL’s translations are highly accurate and natural-sounding—meaning HubSpot can translate its web assets with precision and confidence. 

In fact, with Mova's integration of DeepL, HubSpot can translate assets one at a time or set up an automatic translation process, triggered when changes are made in the original language. 

With DeepL, HubSpot has scaled its localization efforts and now publishes multilingual content faster than ever. This efficient automation reduces the workload for its localization team, allowing them to focus on more critical tasks.  

Moreover, HubSpot can optimize its localization workflows based on asset performance. Popular blog posts, for example, can be assigned a workflow that includes human review alongside machine translation, ensuring the highest quality where it matters most. 

The experts have spoken: technological solutions are pivotal  

HubSpot’s localization efforts are extensive and effective. While several factors contribute to its success, according to Dierk Runne, HubSpot’s Senior Manager of Localization and Systems, technological literacy plays a large role: 

“Having technological literacy and the capability to come up with technological solutions for the challenges that you and your stakeholders face is pivotal for internal localization teams. You will also need the capability to implement these solutions, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need dedicated engineering headcount. There are other options like outsourcing or low-code/no-code solutions, depending on your needs.” 

Additionally, Dierk recommends working closely with other teams' stakeholders and sharing localization knowledge to drive further value and enablement.  

Want to discover localization best practices for your company? 

HubSpot's use of DeepL in its localization workflow has helped this CRM giant meet the unique demands of its global customer base. By harnessing the power of AI-powered machine translation, HubSpot has successfully scaled its localization efforts—delivering high-quality multilingual content and optimizing resources.  

As businesses expand globally, the use of AI machine translation services like DeepL will undoubtedly play a role in bridging communication barriers and fostering meaningful connections with customers. To learn more about the importance of machine translation in international marketing, download our report today.