A lot can happen in six months.  A fact highlighted by COVID-19 and its impact on all sectors of the economy.  In April, I wrote a blog post titled Tips for Managing Your Translation Business During COVID-19.  While many of the strategies highlighted in that piece still work, freelance translators need to take things a step farther to weather this storm. In this article, I discuss the effects of the pandemic on the translation industry and what freelance translators can do as the pandemic continues.

The Effects of the Pandemic on the Translation Industry

When I finished that article, experts were only guessing at the effects COVID-19 would have on our industry. Some thought that it’d just be a blip on the radar, while others showed our vertical plunging into some dystopian wasteland. But, like with most things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. CSA Research surveyed over 1000 freelance linguists to learn how the virus affected their business.  We’ll briefly discuss their findings below. Read the survey on their website for more information on methodology and survey requirements. Here is one screenshot from the survey results.

• Income: Over half of all freelancers (56%) reported a decrease in earnings in the first half of 2020. This is most likely due to many companies having to enforce a spending freeze while dealing with the lockdown, and the financial implications from it. Though you may be surprised by the 9% of linguists that reported an increase in freelance translation work. This can be explained by the increased demand in certain essential industries.
• The Volume of Work: Shipping restraints and lockdown orders dampened the need for freelance translation services at many firms. Canceled flights, hotels, and vacations had a tremendous effect on the tourism industry too. As a result, there was less work to go around. This is likely why most people surveyed (61%) reported having less work than they did previously.
• Prices: Nearly three-quarters of people surveyed stated that their freelance translation rates remained the same. This lack of largescale rate fluctuation is actually a good thing. It shows that more and more freelancers are becoming aware that a drop in rates can have a long-term negative impact on their businesses.
• Industry Fluctuations: When it comes to which niches saw increased demand and which languished, nothing here surprised me. Freelance translators with medical clients, who are often more specialized, saw demand for their services grow. During a pandemic, this isn’t surprising. Travel writers and those in big-purchase industries, something not really high on the priority list during times of upheaval, saw demand for their services sink.
• Length of Impact: Even six months in, 28 percent of translators can’t predict when things will go back to normal. So, if you’re uncertain, you’re not alone. One silver lining from this data is that only 4-percent of freelance linguists see the impacts of this pandemic stretching beyond 2021.

Tips for Generating Business as the Pandemic Stretches On

As the above stats show, most freelance translators have been negatively by the pandemic—myself included. I will not earn as much as last year, but I am still receiving regular jobs and will not end up too far below the regular income. But, if I had fallen victim to pessimism, or waited for clients to come to me, that wouldn’t be the case.  Below are a few of the tactics I used to generate demand:

1. Reach Out to Your Clients: Marketing your translation services is more important than ever!  Remind your customers that you exist, that you can help them, and that you are available. Tell them about any improvements you’ve made to your processes, training and credentials, and any relevant projects you’ve completed.  I’ve found that emails can get lost in the crowd, so you might want to consider a phone call or a card. I recently interviewed a fellow translator on the podcast on how to network during the pandemic and he gave some really good tips in episode 258.
2. Find a “Good” Translation Agency: While agencies often pay less than independent work, they’re a good way to level out demand in hard times.  Start by researching companies that offer services in your market and language pair. Translator’s associations would be my first choice.  Many agencies join these to make it easier to find potential translation partners, and just by being a member, they show that they subscribe to the professional standards of the industry. Just make sure that the agency you join prioritizes quality translation work overpricing. You can easily see this by scrutinizing what content they post on their websites and their social media.  If they seem oddly fixated on speed or low rates, they’re probably not the kind of agency you want to partner with.
3. Narrow Your Focus: If you haven’t, now’s a good time to pick a target market and industry you’d like to focus on. This will simplify the client acquisition process and allow you to stand out in a sea of generalists. Once you have your niche, find 10 direct clients you would like to work with, follow them on social media, and determine how you can help them. Then, reach out to them to introduce yourself or to offer your services. Remember to follow up in a non-aggressive and helpful way. It is unlikely that just one email, card, or phone call will generate business, so you have to get creative when it comes to marketing your translation services.
4. Attend Online Conferences: Yes, this socially distanced world makes networking harder, but there are still opportunities out there.  Because many events have gone fully online, you might be able to attend a conference or an event that was geographically out of reach before the pandemic. And now you don’t have to budget for travel or lodging. For example, you could attend the American Translators Associations conference in October. With an estimated 2000 attendees, it might be the largest translation conference yet.
5. Update your LinkedIn Profile: When’s the last time you posted on LinkedIn? Last year? Six months ago? There’s no better time than now to bring your profile back from the dead. Focus on target industries, areas of specialization, and providing helpful content to your associates. For more tips on LinkedIn check out my recent interview with a successful freelance translator and LinkedIn marketer Martina Russo.
6. Update Your Website: For years, many freelance translators’ websites were an afterthought or non-existent. Unfortunately, that just won’t cut it anymore. Now more than ever, businesses are turning to Google to find freelance translators. And, if you don’t have a modern, well-optimized website, you’ll have a hard time getting found. Use the free time the pandemic might have given you to learn more about SEO and rewrite your content accordingly. If you haven’t updated your portfolio in a while, now’s the time to do it.
7. Start Publishing Helpful Content: Creating blog posts and articles that help your client are a big part of establishing your expertise. It’s also a cornerstone of inbound marketing—a newer, less intrusive way to sell your services. The content you create and share establishes you as an expert and expands your sphere of influence. Not sure what to write about? Try localization tips for your target language, facts about freelance translation work, case studies, FAQs, and industry facts.
8. Expand Your Services: Diversification differentiates your freelance translation services from what your competition is offering. While your add-ons should be related to your area of expertise, they don’t necessarily have to be linguistic. For example, if you translate digital marketing content, you could offer SEO and keyword research. Someone who specializes in multimedia work could become a one-stop-shop for subtitling and voiceovers. Transcreators, meanwhile, might start copywriting in their target language. If the pandemic has shown us anything, it’s to not put all our eggs in one basket.
9. Better Yourself: Low on work? Now’s the time to add a few more lines to your resume. Develop your skills, take continuing education in your area of specialization, marketing, or try to master a new CAT tool. Do whatever you can to become the preferred vendor in your target language and target market.

Wallowing Isn’t the Solution

It is easy to get discouraged when freelance translation jobs are few and far between but try to put things in perspective. The whole world is struggling right now, but it will recover. When it does, you’ll want to be at the top of your game and ready to go. Still, I know optimism isn’t easy right now and, if you want to stay in this field after the pandemic, you need to crush the self-doubt that makes whining seem like the only solution.

Here Are My Top Five Mindset Tips Right Now For You and Your Business.

1. Remembering that There’s Work Out There: As the chart from CSA Research showed, other translators are still finding work. You just have to get more creative in how you find new projects. Just sitting there and waiting won’t cut it right now. Now’s the time to embrace inbound marketing and settle in for the long game. Focus on building relationships and being helpful. Keep your standards high. Your success now comes down to a mixture of hard work and creativity.
2. Stay Calm: Don’t panic and make a business decision you’ll later regret. Don’t reduce your freelance translation rates because of the current global situation. You’re worth what you charge. If you lower your prices now, you will have a harder time raising them later and risk turning off the picky clients that you want. There will always be clients that are satisfied with a low-quality, low price translation, and will pick the cheapest option. That does not mean that you should lower yourself into their sandbox. Competing only on price is always a losing game in the long term.
3. Make Inactivity Expensive: Binge-watching Netflix or stuffing our faces with junk food is a lot more fun than rewriting your elevator pitches for the twelfth time. So, when given the choice, your mind will always choose the former. That’s why it’s important to shift the scales. If you don’t have any translation work, you’ll do laundry or mow the grass. Alternatively, you’ll turn on the computer and do three hours of training in your industry or work on improving your website  You’ll find yourself marketing your freelance translation services more if the other tasks make your skin crawl.
4. Keep a Gratitude Journal: Every day I write about something I’m grateful for. This helps me focus on what’s important and stop worrying about the storm cloud hanging over ahead. These things don’t have to be about business either. Sometimes it’s as simple as acknowledging that I still have a comfy bed and fresh air to breathe. Think this is hokey? Psychology Today has found seven scientific benefits to regularly showing gratitude.
5. Prioritize Your Well-Being: You can’t produce good work if you’re not taking care of yourself. Make eating healthy, sleeping well, and improving your mental health a priority. While the pandemic has shackled us to our devices, it’s also important to take some time to unplug. Go for a walk whenever you get the chance and take advantage of the fresh air.

The following success mindset infographic is still true and important during the pandemic: https://marketingtipsfortranslators.com/how-freelance-translators-can-develop-a-success-mindset/.

Pick one thing from the five items in the infographic to focus on now, and let me know which one you chose in the comments below. I also have an extra episode about mindset and strategies for translation businesses during the pandemic.

I wish you all the best in your freelance translation business, and I hope these tips help you keep your head up. I would also like to hear if you agree, or if you have anything to add to these tips.