7 effects of COVID-19 on translation services

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to change our lifestyle with our habits and the way we work. In this process, the translation sector has been an obvious protagonist, due to the role it played in meeting the communication needs of various companies during the global coronavirus pandemic.

Three years later, the impact of COVID-19 is still felt in the translation field, with an impending demand and significant impact on the role of translators in various constitutional bodies and in large companies.

If you are interested in linguistics or want to know more about the effect of the coronavirus on translation agencies, we will now look at some of the COVID-19 effects on these services. Would you like to find out about seven of the most significant consequences? Read on!

1. Increased demand

The workload of a translation agency multiplied exponentially after the outbreak of the coronavirus. This is the most noticeable effect, due to the emergency for millions of companies to take care of their international affairs. However, this trend has diminished as COVID-19 became less important in terms of vaccinations and travel.

2. Mass digitisation

For millions of companies around the world, the pandemic has been an important driver in their digitisation process. Therefore, the need for translation company services increased considerably during the lockdown and the two years that followed.

3. Fragmentation of the sector

The demand for content in English, Spanish, German, or Italian confirmed the expansion of the translation field worldwide. Having translators specialised in these languages became a necessity to gain a foothold in the international market, and this allowed a surge of companies specialised in economic, environmental and health information. In this line, medical translation has attracted the interest of millions of companies, especially for adapting content related to research and scientific advances on the coronavirus in England and other countries.

4. More accurate communication

Adapting content and improving contact with foreign suppliers and customers has become a necessity in order to keep the profits of millions of companies afloat. This is why effective and accurate communication has been the perfect combination for the survival of many companies during the coronavirus crisis. This effect once again claimed the role of translators in the business structure.

5. Increase in translation services for social media

As you know, social networks have become the ideal showcase for many companies. Regardless of where their headquarters are, media presence plays a key role in establishing financial relationships between two or more entities. This is why translating content on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or TikTok has become the most effective way to reach international markets. As a result, many digital marketing strategies focus on translation companies, which are responsible for improving engagement and bringing company content to markets around the world.

6. Emergence of online translation agencies

The demand for translation services during the coronavirus pandemic was the driving force that led hundreds of entrepreneurs to launch projects related to online content translation. As a result, the supply of translation agencies increased significantly, leading to an expansion of the industry and its incorporation into largely digital markets.

7. Dehumanised relations between client and translator

Teleworking has had a significant impact on maintaining inter-professional links, and the automation of the translation process after COVID-19 has led to the depersonalisation of these services. While new means of transparent and effective communication have emerged, teleworking has imposed a colder environment in terms of proximity and advice.