The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives, especially how we do anything now. We’re working from home (unless you’re an essential worker), ordering our groceries online and getting them delivered, getting our medications delivered, cooking more at home or ordering take out more, and we are talking to one another on the phone or video chat more. This is how we need to communicate and get things done now, and perhaps how we’ll continue to in the future.

 

This got us thinking about how businesses are impacted by this change of behavior, how the resulting lockdowns have created a challenging environment for companies to keep their employees informed and their customers engaged over the next few weeks. How can you reach your customers and let them know you are there for them?

 

Communicate proactively
The situation is evolving daily, and no one is quite sure what the news will bring the next day. In this time of crisis, employees and customers are willing to empathize with merchants facing such severe challenges, as long as there is clear and timely information given to them. Let your customers and employees know if you’re closing your doors, changing your hours and what steps you’re taking to keep your employees and work environment safe and clean. If you’re doing anything to help during the pandemic, such as offering a discount or free products or services, those efforts should be communicated as helping the community and not as profiting from the crisis.

 

Create relevant and useful content
Almost every company is sending emails to customers and employees explaining how they are handling the crisis. If you’re going to communicate, make sure the information is relevant and use the opportunity to differentiate. Include information that customers and employees care to know about, not just what you want them to know. And don’t forget to translate or localize the content for customers and employees who live and work in other countries. It will be comforting to watch or read content in your own language, especially in these stressful times. People are mentally stressed enough as it is; they don’t want to be mentally taxed with having to decipher something in another language.

 

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Go digital
At a time when many brick-and-mortar locations are shuttered and forced to move online, they may be wondering how to keep their business going and keep their customers and employees informed, especially those around the world. Take advantage of technology, whether it’s to provide access to customers who are sitting at home and eager to support your business or whether it’s to train your worldwide employees to adapt to new business operations. Create videos for these purposes and localize them for each market, wherever your customers or employees are located. This shows you care about them as culturally and linguistically distinct people, which will generate more loyalty towards your company.

 

Final thoughts
We’re in a period of uncertainty and change, yet, we can take the opportunity to adapt to the new normal and show our customers and employees that we care. This is a time to nurture our relationships and create meaningful connections in new and creative ways.

 

VideoLocalize provides services to help you localize your videos into any language you want.

 

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