The rapid digitalization of professional services has fundamentally reshaped the translation industry, requiring translators and translation agencies to engage not only as linguistic experts but also as market-oriented service providers. Despite growing attention to the industrial and economic dimensions of translation, empirical research on marketing practices—particularly in non-Western contexts—remains limited. This study investigates the digital marketing strategies employed by freelance translators and translation agencies operating in Iran and evaluates their effectiveness from both provider and client perspectives.



Adopting a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the study first conducts a systematic content analysis of publicly available digital marketing materials produced by Iran-based translation service providers across websites and social media platforms. These strategies are mapped and assessed using adapted service-marketing and digital-platform frameworks. In the second phase, client perceptions of marketing effectiveness are examined through questionnaires, complemented by interviews with selected translators and agency managers to explore economic and reputational outcomes.



The theoretical framework integrates digital marketing taxonomies, platform quality models, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) theory, and service quality measurement tools to explain how marketing strategies influence visibility, trust, client decision-making, and professional sustainability. By situating translation services within contemporary marketing theory, this study contributes to Translation Studies by foregrounding the translator as an entrepreneurial market actor. The findings are expected to offer practical insights for translators, agencies, and training institutions in Iran, while also advancing interdisciplinary dialogue between Translation Studies and marketing research.