Multilingual on Digital.gov

California wildfires guidance for U.S. government websites and social media

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Addressing web and digital communications related to the California wildfires.

Designing a multilingual future: A conversation with Laura Godfrey

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

On the eve of her retirement, Laura Godfrey reflects on multilingualism and equitable access to government information.

Approaching language translations to provide a better user experience: A Login.gov case study

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Learn how the Login.gov team improved translations and added a new language to enhance their service.

An introduction to multilingual glossaries

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 13:12:00 -0500

Learn how to use multilingual glossaries to share common translations and contribute to consistent communication across government.

Hurricane Helene guidance for U.S. government websites and social media

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Addressing web and digital communications related to Hurricane Helene

How multicultural research guides the USA.gov benefit finder

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Discover how USA.gov tailors its benefit finder experience for both English and Spanish-speaking users through culturally nuanced content. Through dual-track language research, a bilingual support team, and A/B testing, USA.gov ensures that more users receive relevant, empathetic, and user-friendly content. The USA.gov team also identified and addressed recruitment challenges to interatively improve its ongoing research processes.

Department of Justice recognizes anniversary of executive order to improve access for people with limited English profiency

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The Department of Justice recently marked the 24th anniversary of Executive Order 13166, which aims to improve access to federal services for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). Its Civil Rights Division reviewed language access plans across federal agencies, emphasizing progress in hiring and staff training, improving language assistance services, and expanding multilingual content. The department is committed to eliminating language barriers in federal programs, improving communication and access for all communities.

Creating a blueprint for quality: How the PX Contact Center helps agents grow their skills

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Every day, live agents at USA.gov’s Public Experience (PX) Contact Center answer questions from the public about government benefits and services. Learn how the PX Contact Center develops a workforce of excellent agents, using immersive onboarding, tailored and continuous training, feedback loops, and calibration meetings to empower their agents to deliver accurate information. USA.gov’s system for employee and contact center management ensures that every customer interaction leaves a lasting impact.

Requirements for improving access to services for people with limited English proficiency (LEP)

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to strengthen and improve meaningful language access for all people in the U.S., regardless of the language they speak.

How USAGov uses data to improve content

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Each month, USAGov’s content designers spend many hours ensuring that the content on USA.gov and USAGov en Español is up-to-date, accurate, and meets user needs. Learn how their team does holistic reviews of each topic section based on a rolling calendar with the goal of updating all content at least every 6 months.

Getting the word out about voter registration: Vote.gov's first social media takeover with USAGov

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Last fall, vote.gov and the USAGov program partnered for their first-ever social media takeover on National Voter Registration Day. The campaign, which encouraged the public to register to vote, reached 36,000 people across USAGov’s platforms and generated over 2,000 engagements. The partnership raised awareness for vote.gov, boosted vote.gov’s website traffic, and laid the groundwork for the future collaborations and resource-sharing between the two entities. This collaboration between vote.gov and USAGov offers a model for social media takeovers and partnerships between federal agencies and teams.

Designing with empathy

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 11:53:00 -0500

Discover the transformative power of empathy in design with USAGov’s benefit finder. From simplifying applications to a mobile-first approach, the revamped tool not only functions efficiently in two different languages and cultural contexts, but demonstrates the consideration for users in challenging situations. Explore how empathy turned a government service into a compassionate lifeline, creating a product that genuinely understands and meets people where they are.

In 2023, TTS stepped up to meet growing technology demands for government

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 11:21:00 -0500

GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) celebrated major milestones and met growing demand for its services in 2023. This wrap-up summaries key successes in five areas: improving customer experience, modernizing federal technology, innovating for the future, focus on equity and accessibility, and building the technology workforce of tomorrow.

The CFPB Language Access Plan for consumers with limited English proficiency

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 09:06:00 -0500

The Language Access Plan describes the CFPB’s policy and how the CFPB’s language access activities are implemented across operations, programs, and services.

Speaking your language USAGov outreach approach to bilingual content

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 22:29:00 -0500

As a bilingual program, USAGov aims to give English and Spanish-language audiences the information they want in the cultural context they need. Here are a few main things the team learned when transcreating messaging through the USAGov and USAGov en Español outreach channels.

Celebrating 20 years of USAGov en Español

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:08:00 -0500

USAGov en Español is excited to celebrate their 20th anniversary this month! Since 2003, the website has been a trusted guide to government information and services for Spanish speakers. Explore this timeline of USAGov en Español’s milestones, name changes, and accomplishments as they’ve served Spanish speakers and federal partners over the past two decades.

Why the American People Deserve a Digital Government

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 13:26:00 -0500

OMB recently released new policy guidance for government that includes a variety of actions and standards to help federal agencies design, develop, and deliver modern websites and digital services. Memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience, will make it seamless for the public to obtain government information and services online, and help agencies fully implement the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA).

NASA Releases First Season of Spanish-language Podcast

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 19:56:00 -0500

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, NASA is releasing new content for Universo curioso de la NASA, the agency’s first Spanish-language podcast. A five-episode season will start Tuesday, September 19, with new episodes released weekly. In each episode, Universo curioso will highlight the contributions of NASA’s Hispanic and Latino workforce to the agency’s groundbreaking work in Earth and space exploration. The season features interviews with NASA experts, including an astronaut, a space weather scientist, an astrochemist, and oceanographers. Episodes focus on some of NASA’s top missions, bringing the wonder of exploration, space technology, and scientific discoveries to Spanish-speaking audiences around the world.

Why vote.gov supports multiple languages

Tue, 16 May 2023 10:48:00 -0500

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Introduction to translation technology

Thu, 11 May 2023 15:28:00 -0500

What is translation technology? This introductory resource will help you understand how and when to use translation technology to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency.

Introducing the new USA.gov

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 09:34:00 -0500

We’re excited to share that the new USA.gov and USAGov en Español are live. However, we’re not finished. See what we’ll be working on in the future.

Testing Beta for Accessibility

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:23:00 -0500

The USAGov team strives to ensure all our websites are accessible to as many people as possible, including those who need the use of specialized assistive technologies when browsing the internet. In building beta.USA.gov, we deliberately validated that it met Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 compliance requirements. Our testing approach includes a three step hybrid method that may be suitable for other agency use.

Building Beta: The Foundation

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 10:41:00 -0500

The USAGov program has been developing a new iteration of our bilingual sites, USA.gov and USAGov en Español. In the process of building beta.USA.gov and beta.USA.gov en Español, we’ve been rethinking our work style and priorities. Follow the “Building Beta” series to learn how we’re reimagining the way we approach product management, usability, accessibility, content creation, analytics, and outreach.

Three Tips for Using Facebook and Instagram Stories

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 10:57:00 -0500

At USA.gov and USAGov en Español, we’re always looking for better ways to connect people to government information through social media. Using stories has helped us increase our engagement rate and our number of followers as we deliver helpful information to people. Stories may be a good addition to your agency’s social media strategy, too. These three tips can help you get started.

Strengthening information accessibility for consumers with limited English proficiency

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 14:44:00 -0500

We listened to feedback from people who use our materials in various languages to make sure people could find the information they need most, in the language they prefer. Now we’re relaunching our pages in multiple languages.

Nearly 68 Million People Spoke a Language Other Than English at Home in 2019

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 10:10:00 -0500

The number of people in the United States who spoke a language other than English at home nearly tripled from 23.1 million (about 1 in 10) in 1980 to 67.8 million (almost 1 in 5) in 2019, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report.

Sunsetting Go.USA.gov: Final User Statistics

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 16:05:00 -0500

The digital landscape has changed significantly since we launched the Go.USA.gov service in 2009. Over the last two years the team looked carefully at the program holistically, taking into consideration the future of the program, the current landscape related to using shortened URLs and alignment with strategic business goals. In early 2022 we made the difficult decision to initiate steps to sunset the service.

Putting People at the Center of Digital Government

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 09:30:00 -0500

USAGov and USAGov en Español are working to reimagine the way we provide government information and services to the public. The USAGov team is an example of how GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) is aligning and living up to the challenges outlined in the President’s Management Agenda. The focus in 2022 has been on centering the work around the people we serve.

Medicare Open Enrollment Period Outreach & Media Materials

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:04:00 -0500

Medicare Open Enrollment kicks off this Saturday, October 15 and runs through December 7. Join the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on social media to help spread the word! For suggested posts and shareable images, use their partner social media toolkit – available in both English and Spanish. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #MedicareOE to engage with the conversation online.

Join USAGov en Español for Our Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Twitter Chat

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 16:00:00 -0500

For the last few years during Hispanic Heritage Month, USAGov en Español has partnered with federal agencies in a Twitter chat to let people know about official government information and services in Spanish. If you’re part of a government agency, we invite you to take part in this year’s chat on October 6, 2022 at 1 PM ET.

Community Research Explores Ways To Improve Access To Multilingual Content

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 11:31:00 -0500

A group from the Multilingual Community noticed inconsistencies in access to languages other than English across government websites, and have started working on a solution.

Sunsetting Go.USA.gov: Frequently Asked Questions

Tue, 24 May 2022 08:08:00 -0500

10 Tips to Create, Maintain, and Present Non-English Digital Content: A Q&A with Michael Mulé

Mon, 23 May 2022 08:30:00 -0500

This question and answer session for our webinar, Language Connections: Tips to Create, Maintain, and Present Non-English Digital Content, can help you improve access to your multilingual digital content.

Creating a New Way for People To Discover Government Benefits

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 19:47:00 -0500

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Webinar Recap: How To Best Connect With Your Spanish-speaking Audience During an Emergency

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 10:44:00 -0500

In this panel discussion, experts from different agencies shared how they’ve used social media to reach Hispanic audiences during emergencies and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three Ways USAGov Outreach Can Help with Your Agency's Next Campaign

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 16:56:00 -0500

USAGov en Español Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 21:05:00 -0500

Since 2003, one program in GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) has been leading the way in which the government serves the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S. That program is USAGov en Español, the official guide to government information and services in Spanish.

6 Ways Translation Glossaries Help Agencies Succeed In Sharing Information

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 17:43:00 -0500

Learn how multilingual glossaries set your content translations up for success by maintaining consistency and lightening the workload for future translations.

Multilingual Huddle: Designing for Translation

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 12:19:00 -0500

In this webinar, Laura Godfrey and Fedora Braverman share tips for translating content in the digital context.

Making It Easier for People to Find Federal Agencies

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 19:14:00 -0500

When’s the best time to tweet? @USAGovEspanol experiments with Twitter

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 07:55:00 -0500

Giving Users the Information They Crave: Data and Analytics Tips From USAGov en Español

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 09:00:00 -0500

"Diga o marque 2": USAGov en Español’s New Approach to Interactive Voice Response

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0500

DigitalGov Year in Review: Our Top Blogs, Resources, and Writers for 2016

Fri, 03 Feb 2017 11:25:00 -0500

DigitalGov had a pretty great year in 2016, and that was largely due to a bevy of talented and dedicated writers from over 50 agencies and departments across all 3 branches of the federal government (Thank you!!!). Below, we’ll review some program highlights from the last year, including our top-viewed articles and resources, and tell you how you, too, can contribute to DigitalGov in 2017.

Join the Multilingual

Fri, 21 Feb 2014 04:58:10 -0400

Expand and improve digital content in languages other than English.

Bilingual Glossaries, Dictionaries, and Style Guides

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 09:55:00 -0500

Multilingual resources to standardize the use of various languages across government.

Join the Web Managers

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 02:31:00 -0500

Create a better online experience for the public alongside government web content managers.

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 15:00:00 -0500

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.

Spring 2024 Community Summit

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0500

Digital service experts across the federal government will share case studies and best practices on delivering a digital-first public experience.

Strengthening information accessibility for consumers with limited English proficiency

Wed, 24 May 2023 14:00:00 -0500

Tune in to learn what the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is doing to ensure financial products and services are accessible to all consumers, including those with limited English proficiency.

The plain language tie to translating digital content

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 14:00:00 -0500

Join us to discuss the plain language and cultural components of effectively translating digital content into multiple languages.

USWDS Monthly Call - September 2022

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 14:00:00 -0500

How do we help users find content in their preferred language? Join us as we take a closer look at the language selection patterns we’re developing for USWDS.

Language Connections: Tips to Create, Maintain, and Present Non-English Digital Content

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 14:00:00 -0500

Tips to help you improve access to your non-English digital content.

How To Best Connect With Your Spanish-speaking Audience During an Emergency

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 14:00:00 -0500

The Multilingual Community of Practice is hosting a panel to share some successful social media strategies that you can use to connect with your Spanish-speaking audience during emergencies.

Practical Tips for Accessible Content and Multilingual Websites

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 14:00:00 -0500

In this talk, we’ll focus on content creation and how accessibility supports multilingual work.

2020 Census Language Support in 59 Non-English Languages

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 13:30:00 -0500

How the Census Bureau provided language assistance in 59 non-English languages for the 2020 Census.

How USAGov en Español Uses Quantitative and Qualitative Data to Meet the Needs of Its Audience

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0500

In this workshop, we will show how USAGov en Español collects and analyzes data from across several social media channels and the USAGov Contact Center to design and improve content and outreach strategies.

Let’s Talk Shop: How USAGov Outreach Connects With Agency Partners

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 15:00:00 -0500

USAGov Outreach connects with agency partners in a variety of ways—if you’re from a federal agency looking for new ways to reach your audience, learn about partnering with USAGov!

Survey Translation and the Inclusion of End Users in the Process

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 14:30:00 -0500

This talk will offer insights and tips on how to best design and translate surveys and other government materials aimed at reaching non-English speaking members of the public.

Taking a Look at the USAGov Analytics Dashboard

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 11:40:00 -0500

The USA.gov’s team launched a new analytics dashboard that shows the top pages and topics that are trending on USA.gov and USA.gov/espanol. This gives agencies a better window into the information the public needs most so they can prioritize that information and make it more accessible to their users.

The National Language Service Corps Can Fulfill Your Translation Needs

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 13:00:00 -0500

An increase in demand for multilingual digital content, shrinking budgets, and rising translation costs have impacted federal agencies trying to offer information and services in languages other than English. Learn how the National Service Language Corps (NLSC) can help.

Using Neural Machine Translation for Multilingual Communication

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 12:00:00 -0500

With the sharp improvement in machine translation quality, the variety of government use cases for this technology has evolved.

Creating Videos in Languages Other Than English

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 12:00:00 -0500

Join the Multilingual and Video Production Pros Communities of Practice for a talk about a video the CFPB created, for a Spanish speaking audience.

New USAGov Program Aims to Help Agencies Market Within the Federal Government

Mon, 02 Apr 2018 12:00:00 -0500

The Outreach and Marketing team from USAGov helps agencies amplify their key messages through a variety of channels.

How to Better Serve Your LEP Audience by Meeting the Federal Requirements

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 13:00:00 -0500

Learn about your legal obligations to limited English proficient individuals (LEP) as a federal, state, or local government agency. We’ll provide an overview of national origin discrimination and offer practical tips for overcoming language barriers and language access program planning.

Responding to a Disaster: How USAGov Helped Shape the Digital Response in Puerto Rico

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 11:00:00 -0500

This interactive talk with a USAGov team member will highlight the digital response in Puerto Rico during and after Hurricane Maria.

Connect With Your Spanish-Language Audience on Social Media

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 14:00:00 -0500

This event will provide concrete tips and examples of how to reach more Spanish speakers needing and looking for government information through social media

USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov Measure Content Efficiency With New KPI Metric

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 12:14:34 -0400

This post was originally published on the USA.gov blog.

CFPB Serves up Financial Tips to Seniors

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 10:00:44 -0400

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Meals on Wheels America have created multilingual educational resources about financial scams that target the elderly which can be easily distributed to seniors in the communities they serve, and downloaded or ordered in bulk for free by the general public. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Consumer Education &

USDA FoodKeeper App Update Expands Content Offerings

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 03:59:14 -0400

The USDA’s multilingual FoodKeeper app has been updated to include three options for receiving food recall updates and expands storage timelines to over 500 products. This post was originally published on the USDA blog. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced new updates to its popular FoodKeeper application that will provide users with new access to

Steps Towards SEO: Meta Descriptions on MedlinePlus

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 11:00:08 -0400

MedlinePlus is a consumer health website produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), available in both English and Spanish. As part of our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy, we recently added meta descriptions to our health topic pages.

In a Marketing Minute: Connecting Teams, Promotions, and Ideas

Mon, 05 Dec 2016 10:00:57 -0400

Every first week of every month, USAGov’s marketing team sends an office-wide email newsletter to give an update on past and current marketing efforts and campaigns. It’s how we try to help keep the rest of the office in the know. The monthly newsletter can spur a content idea, a future marketing endeavor, and act

Webinar Recap: Social Media + External Affairs = Outreach Success

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 14:00:46 -0400

Summary: How to leverage your resources to reach Spanish-dominant Hispanics online. A recent DigitalGov University (DGU) webinar provided an introduction to the intersection of two teams with different audiences reaching consensus on goals to maximize insight and outreach effectiveness. Social Media Outreach Goals What does social media outreach success look like? Success is when agencies

FEMA’S Syndicated Content: Digital Assists in Moments of Disaster

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 12:00:39 -0400

I recently interviewed Daniel Kuhns, Web Manager at FEMA, about the site widgets and the FEMA app his organization has been developing. The widgets currently available include: FEMA App, Preparedness, Severe Weather, Private Sector, Kids Fire Safety, and Are you a Disaster Survivor. The FEMA App offers

Social Media Data Deep Dive: Turning Findings into Action

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 11:00:55 -0400

GobiernoUSA, just like USA.gov, is part of a unique effort with a large mission—to guide people to the government information and services they seek. We cover a lot of topics in Spanish via our website, social media platforms, email sends, and contact center. One of the communication channels we focus a lot of attention on

GSA launches new AI, Virtual Reality, and Authentication Programs

Wed, 26 Oct 2016 10:00:17 -0400

Today we’re launching three new initiatives powered by GSA Digital Communities that leap federal agencies ahead on some of the most innovative new capabilities becoming available to our programs — Artificial Intelligence, Virtual/Augmented Reality, and the U.S. Digital Registry. These new Communities and portal are products of inter-agency collaboration and our shared commitment pushing the

The Essentials of an Editorial Calendar

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:00:37 -0400

Anyone engaged in content marketing or content production probably owns a robust editorial calendar. A calendar that is quickly updated, helps keep deadlines and is flexible can serve as a helpful blueprint of your content activities for the year. At USAGov we cover a lot of topics and partner with many agencies. Having an editorial

The New Vote.gov: Leaner, Faster and Multi-Lingual

Wed, 28 Sep 2016 11:00:27 -0400

One year ago this week, we launched vote.gov (also known as vote.usa.gov). It’s a concise and simple site with a single mission: direct citizens through the voter registration process as quickly as possible. It was created by a joint team of USA.gov staffers and Presidential Innovation Fellows, all of whom work within the General Services

The Content Corner: Recapping Content Marketing Trends in 2016—How Have We Stacked Up?

Mon, 26 Sep 2016 14:00:24 -0400

Earlier this year, it was predicted that content marketing would become even more important due to its ability to enhance not just visibility, but also increase engagement with customers—who could, in turn, become great promoters of your content.

Social Security Joins The Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:00:53 -0400

Social Security joins you and your family in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15. We know the contributions of Hispanics can be traced to before the origins of the United States with the discovery, exploration, and naming of many places in our nation, such as state names like California,

Top 10 Best Practices for Multilingual Websites

Wed, 07 Sep 2016 10:00:45 -0400

Ten tips for creating and managing multilingual government websites.

Emma: Friendly Presence and Innovative USCIS Resource Available 24/7

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 10:00:40 -0400

We are working hard to serve you and continue to make improvements to Emma, our Spanish-speaking Interactive Virtual Assistant. Help us improve Emma’s knowledge by continuing to ask your immigration-related questions on USCIS.gov/es from any device. This blog will help you understand a little bit more about how Emma works and how you can help

Trends on Tuesday: Latino Users Lead Mobile Use in U.S.

Tue, 02 Aug 2016 10:00:02 -0400

The Pew Research Center released a report in July that shows people of Latino descent are heavily reliant on mobile phones for their Internet access, more than other ethnicities. The report said that since 2012, the percentage of Hispanic adults who used mobile devices to access the Internet jumped from 76% to 94% in 2015. These percentages

Widgets, Mobile Apps, and SMS: Essential Agency Tools for Summer Heat Safety, Hurricane Season, and Emergency Preparedness

Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:00:26 -0400

A review of mobile apps, tools, and websites from federal agencies created to help the public with weather and emergency preparedness– and how organizations can help share that information.

Microsites, They’re Bigger Than You Think

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 10:00:16 -0400

Lately, we have been hearing a lot about microsites—CDC’s Zika Virus microsite provides up-to-date information on the virus—but the big question is: What are they? A microsite is a single or small collections of pages that are meant to encourage user interaction while conveying information. A microsite has the power to educate consumers regarding a

The USAGov Bilingual Style Guide Is Now Online!

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 10:00:12 -0400

About a year and a half ago, the Federal Citizen Information Center—today called USAGov—embarked on a very ambitious task: integrating our content operations. We blurred lines that defined silos and adopted a bilingual content approach to offer a more consistent experience, regardless of language preference or point of access to our information. See more about

Transcreation: Why Do We Need It?

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 10:00:14 -0400

Transcreation is a relatively new term that blends the words translation and creation. In a nutshell, transcreation involves taking a concept in one language and completely recreating it in another language. A successfully transcreated message (either written or visual) evokes the same emotions and carries the same implications in the target language as it does

What do Mac & Cheese and Power of Attorneys Have in Common?

Fri, 26 Feb 2016 10:47:25 -0400

They ranked among our top three most popular emails in 2015. At USAGov, we know that email is often our #1 driver of traffic to our content, and nine out of 10 times it’s our go-to outreach tool for disseminating timely information. But doing email sends consistently and effectively isn’t always clear cut, especially when

#SomosSocial: Bilingual Twitter Chats—How to Do Them Effectively

Fri, 08 Jan 2016 10:00:00 -0400

There are 11.7 million + reasons to be on Twitter—the approximate number of Hispanics in the U.S. who are using the platform. And out of those 11.7 million, 43% tweet in English and in Spanish. Hispanics over index their counterparts when it comes to digital technologies and services, but how do you reach them and

#SomosSocial: 5 Keys for Government to Reach Hispanics Through Social Media

Thu, 05 Nov 2015 14:09:46 -0400

Hispanics are one of fastest growing demographics in the U.S. But like any demographic, there are important nuances to consider when connecting with this audience. Insight into your audience’s motivations, behavior and preferences is key for anyone trying to engage with the public. We know every day that more and more Hispanics are on social

Income Scams Are Subject of New FTC Fotonovela

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 10:00:28 -0400

The FTC’s second Spanish-language fotonovela is about scams that promise you can make money selling high-end products or brand-name merchandise. If the pitch sounds familiar, that’s because the story is based on facts from a recent [Federal Trade Commission] FTC lawsuit against a

Are Videos in Spanish the Way To Go?

Tue, 15 Sep 2015 13:15:06 -0400

The answer may surprise you. It takes time, resources and actual money. Why prepare a video for something that can be written about and released in

Search, Buscar, Поиск, جستجو, Cari: Creating a Good, Multilingual Search Experience

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 11:10:46 -0400

In 2015, DigitalGov Search dramatically expanded support for languages on our search results page, expanding from just English and Spanish to support 68 different languages.

Betting on email: How We’re Reaching Hispanics via Their Inbox

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 11:30:58 -0400

Driving visitors to a destination means reaching your users where they are at. In 2005, as part of the greater USA.gov marketing strategy, GobiernoUSA.gov launched an email program. These communications initially took the form of short blurbs that directed people to important site content and promoted other government information hosted by various federal agencies. From

Real Internationalization Isn’t Just Geographic: It’s Linguistic

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 11:00:33 -0400

Twenty years ago, the chances of watching an NBA game with commentary in a language other than English were small. Today, the NBA transmits games in 47 languages to 215 countries across the world. This is a perfect example of how organizations have evolved over time to meet the demands of their audiences. Evidence like

USA.gov in Beta: Tell Us What You Think

Mon, 04 May 2015 14:30:34 -0400

Thirteen years in digital is an eon, and on the eve of its 13th birthday, we at USA.gov found ourselves reckoning with a mid-life crisis. In the thirteen years since Firstgov.gov was launched (and ten years for FirstGov en Español), the sheer volume and sophistication

Cross-Agency Collaboration Is the Key to Reaching Millions

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 12:02:24 -0400

This story begins with a post about reverse mortgages, but don’t worry: we won’t go into the world of complex home loans. Rather, this is a story about how one federal agency is partnering with another to amplify its content and reach millions of people online—and why more agencies should do the same. Many federal

Sharing the Essentials of Animated Gifs for Public Services

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 13:33:00 -0400

Animated gifs are increasingly found throughout the digital experience of today’s users.

Trends on Tuesday: The Total Market Approach

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 10:00:13 -0400

Your audience is not homogenous. No matter the agency, target audiences are not only diverse, they are diverse on a multitude of factors. Recently, evolving trends in multicultural marketing have gained attention as organizations adjust their marketing and outreach strategies to meet 21st century realities.

Multiple Languages, Single Platforms: the World Digital Library

Thu, 09 Apr 2015 02:29:14 -0400

Multilingual does not always mean multiple accounts or websites. Increasingly, multilingual content is delivered in an integrated way, with two (or more!) languages delivered on the same website, app, or social media platform. The World Digital Library (WDL) is one example of how multiple languages can be incorporated on single platforms. The WDL is a

Using Personas to Better Understand Customers: USA.gov Case Study

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 11:49:07 -0400

Personas are fictional characters that describe an organization’s customer behaviors, emotions, attributes, motivations, and goals. They are an important tool to share customer insights and understanding across an organization. Personas also serve as a check to make sure your organization’s actions meet the needs of the majority of customers, including visitors to your website, contact

Busting Myths and Building Partnerships: National Drug Facts Week

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 11:10:21 -0400

Myth-busting isn’t just for television. And through a multi-faceted, tech-savvy campaign based on strategic partnerships, one federal office has found a winning strategy for combating misinformation. National Drug Facts Week (NDFW) is a health awareness week for teenagers, with the goal of debunking

Persona Development Case Study: NCI and Spanish Language Outreach

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:00:16 -0400

Government websites need to address the needs of diverse audiences. Although translations are a first step towards engaging non-English speaking audiences, the intended audience may be alienated if information is not presented in a culturally relevant way. The

Spanish Language Mobile Apps from Gobierno.USA.gov

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:10:45 -0400

In mobile app development, if you aren’t making it multilingual, you miss providing anytime, anywhere information and services to important mobile-only audiences. Today, we’re highlighting five Spanish language apps from the Spanish Version of the USA.gov Federal Mobile Apps Directory.

The Best E-gov Websites in the World

Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:00:45 -0400

In Design Secrets of the World’s Best e-Government Web Sites, the Asia-Pacific online communications powerhouse FutureGov singles out eight national e-government portals as the best-designed in the world, and identifies the best practices these sites exemplify. “Ultimately, these websites are the best in the world because they are designed to

Young Entrepreneurs Hang Out With Government Virtually… and in Spanish

Wed, 19 Nov 2014 10:00:28 -0400

It’s a well-known fact that the Hispanic population is growing at a rapid pace, and among the areas seeing the most interest and growth is business. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), there are more than 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S. today, a number that is growing at three times the national

ICE Expands Reach of App Designed to Locate Child Predators

Thu, 13 Nov 2014 10:15:21 -0400

Catching child predators? There’s an app for that, and it’s expanding its reach to Android smartphones. Operation Predator—the first U.S. federal law enforcement app designed to seek the public’s help with identifying and locating fugitive and unknown suspected child predators—is now

Trends on Tuesday: Meet the Mobile Power Users

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 11:21:09 -0400

U.S. Hispanics are ahead of the digital curve, according to an analysis of strategies of leading brands and forward-thinking marketers by Lisa Gevelber, Vice President of Americas Marketing. As we’ve noted before, Hispanics not only lead in adoption of new devices, they are also power users of mobile.

Why Marketing to U.S. Hispanics Is like the Offside Rule in Soccer

Fri, 11 Jul 2014 13:55:10 -0400

Do you scratch your head trying to figure out the latest trends to reach out to Hispanics in the U.S.? If you answered yes, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The current Soccer World Cup is lending a great analogy to help you think through your strategy to your customers. Some rules in soccer, as in

Using Analytics to Create Change: USA.gov Usability Case Study

Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:00:38 -0400

While many people tout the death of the home page, it’s still an important piece of the user experience on USA.gov. In 2013, 30 percent of all sessions on USA.gov included the home page—that’s 8.67 million sessions. The numbers for GobiernoUSA.gov are even higher—79 percent of all sessions included the home page. According to Jakob Nielsen, “A

Multilingual Digital Content

Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:00:13 -0400

Federal agencies are required to provide meaningful access to government information to people with limited English proficiency. This also applies to agency digital content.

Broadcasting Board of Governors Use “Relay” Tool to Cover the World Cup

Thu, 26 Jun 2014 14:10:30 -0400

World Cup fever, everyone’s got it—even the Broadcasting Board of Governors‘ (BBG) Voice of America has reporters covering the event. For this year’s World Cup, VOA has teamed up with the Office of Digital and Design Innovation (a digital team inside

Spanish Language Style Guide and Glossaries: Spanish Health Care Terms in the United States

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 12:40:27 -0400

A list of common English health care and medical terms, and their Spanish translations.

Spanish Language Style Guide and Glossaries: Internet Resources

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 09:59:14 -0400

A list of additional Internet resources to help standardize the use of Spanish across government.

Spanish Language Style Guide and Glossaries: Information Technology Terms

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 09:58:19 -0400

A list of common English information technology terms, and their Spanish translations.

Spanish Language Style Guide and Glossaries: Frequently Mistranslated English Terms

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 09:57:38 -0400

A collection of frequently mistranslated English terms and their equivalent in Spanish.

Spanish Language Style Guides and Glossaries

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 09:55:09 -0400

Spanish Language Style Guides are resources for government employees, translators, and communications professionals who work with the government that contains information on grammar and style issues, and glossaries to standardize the use of Spanish across government.

Trends on Tuesday: Hispanic Millennials Provide Insight on Mobile Future

Tue, 27 May 2014 13:24:38 -0400

If you’re a frequent Trends on Tuesday reader, you may recall our post titled, “Latinos Embrace the Mobile Future,” which outlined several key categories where Latinos have adopted mobile technology faster than other groups. A new report by Univision and the Interactive Advertising Bureau, took an in-depth look at the mobile habits of Hispanic millennials,

Spanish Language Style Guide and Glossaries: Grammar

Fri, 07 Feb 2014 05:16:19 -0400

Examples and explanations for words, phrases, acronyms, numbers, punctuation, capitalization, symbols, and more used in Spanish grammar.

Your Art App Now on Android

Thu, 26 Dec 2013 13:27:00 -0400

Earlier this year the National Gallery of Art released their “Your Art” app on iOS and now they have released an Android version. The Your Art app allows users to explore more than 130 works by artists including Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, and others. Along

StudentAid.gov: Improving the College Financing Experience

Fri, 06 Sep 2013 15:42:06 -0400

Guest post by Brenda Wensil, Chief Customer Experience Officer for Federal Student Aid (FSA). Established in late 2010, FSA’s Customer Experience Office is responsible for identifying, measuring and reporting customer expectations and satisfaction with the financial aid services and products offered at Federal Student Aid. The launch of StudentAid.gov in July 2012,

Trends on Tuesday: Latinos Embrace the Mobile Future

Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:30:26 -0400

Latinos appear to be adapting to mobile technology faster than other groups, according to Mobile Future. They are ahead of the average U.S. population in several key categories, such as: 47% of Latino adults have embraced wireless exclusively versus 34% of all U.S. adults

Embracing Responsive Design

Tue, 20 Aug 2013 07:42:45 -0400

See how a shift in consumer behavior during the last few years lead to the responsive redesign of USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov.

What We’ve Learned: Three Years of Answering Questions on Social Media

Tue, 02 Jul 2013 08:46:16 -0400

USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov have been engaging with the public on social media long before Mayor Cory Booker underscored the need at this year’s SXSW. In January 2010, we began to respond to questions and comments on our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We never advertised the service, but people naturally

What’s In a Name Does Matter

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 18:48:33 -0400

Can you imagine how frustrating and confusing it would be to find several variations of the same agency name on different sites or even different pages or documents on the same site? This is what happens everyday to Spanish-speaking customers accessing the Spanish names of

Social Security’s Mobile Website

Thu, 30 May 2013 05:06:51 -0400

The Social Security Administration recently announced their new optimized mobile website which is compatible with Android, Blackberry, iPhone, and Windows devices. The mobile website offers a user-friendly, tabular, icon-driven navigation, which makes it very easy to find information anytime, anywhere.

Accessibility Editorial Guidelines for YouTube

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 09:00:44 -0400

USAGov and USAGov en Español (formerly known as GobiernoUSA.gov) use social media to make government information easy for people to find, access, and use. Among the essential tools we use are videos, which we host on USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov’s YouTube channels.