Making Audiovisual Content More Popular Part 1

The Importance of Subtitles and Closed Captions for Video Content

Creating excellent video content involves more than high-quality visuals and clear audio. While these basics are essential, standing out on the internet requires extra steps. Optimizing your video's title and description, promoting it on social media, and increasing views are common strategies. Yet, sometimes these are not enough.

The secret to boosting engagement and accessibility is adding subtitles and closed captions. Subtitles offer several benefits to your audience and can help your videos reach more viewers.

Why Are Subtitles and Closed Captions Essential?

• They make content accessible for everyone.
• They increase viewer engagement.
• They support diverse learning preferences.
• They help your content reach a global audience.

1. Accessibility for People with Hearing Loss

According to the National Institute on Deafness, nearly 30 million adults in the United States have some level of hearing impairment (2020). Without closed captions, these viewers might miss out on your video content.

• Captions allow deaf and hard-of-hearing people to enjoy video content.
• They make your content inclusive.
• There are many more people worldwide who rely on captions to understand videos.

If your audience includes people who speak different languages, consider adding foreign language subtitles. They help you expand your reach even further.

2. Many Viewers Watch Videos Without Sound

About 85% of Facebook videos are watched with the sound off (Digiday, 2016). This means:

• Most people scroll through social media with their sound muted.
• Subtitles grab their attention as they browse.
• Viewers may mute videos in public places to avoid disturbing others.
• They may already be listening to music or a podcast while watching your content.

Captions and subtitles ensure your message gets across, even when your audio doesn't play.

3. Subtitles Improve Understanding and Preference

Even viewers who can hear often prefer videos with subtitles. Why?

• Subtitles help clarify speech and dialogue, especially in noisy or unclear situations.
• They help viewers follow along with complicated storylines.
• Non-native speakers can better understand the content when subtitles are available.

Diverse learning styles exist. Some people learn best by hearing, others by reading, watching, or doing. Subtitles let your content connect with the widest audience possible, supporting visual and reading learners.

4. Supporting Multilingual Audiences

For many people, the language used in your video may not be their first language. Subtitles can bridge that gap and make your content global:

• Create subtitles in different languages for international viewers.
• Boost engagement from non-English speakers.
• Use text translation services or audio translation for wider accessibility.

The Benefits of Adding Captions and Subtitles

Adding captions and subtitles brings about several benefits:

• Higher Engagement: Videos with captions attract more viewers and have higher completion rates.
• Better SEO: Text transcripts and captions help search engines index your content, making it easier to find.
• Legal Compliance: Some countries require captions for online video content, especially for educational or public-facing media.
• Improved Retention: Viewers understand and remember information better when it is presented in multiple formats.
• Accessibility: Ensures everyone, regardless of ability, has equal access to your content.

How to Add Captions and Subtitles Effectively

1. Use Professional Services: Work with reliable transcription service providers to ensure accuracy and quality.
2. Consider Automation: Automated transcription tools speed up the process for simple projects.
3. Proofread Captions: Select proofreading services for error-free results.
4. Select Languages: Provide multiple subtitle options for international audiences.
5. Keep Costs in Mind: Review transcription pricing and captioning services pricing for the best value.
6. Order Directly: When your files are ready, order transcription or order captions easily online.
7. Consider Subscriptions: Frequent users may benefit from an AI transcription subscription for ongoing projects.

Conclusion: Make Your Video Content Accessible and Engaging

Subtitles and closed captions are crucial for making your videos accessible to everyone. They help you connect with a larger audience, including those with hearing difficulties and people who watch videos on mute. They also improve comprehension for viewers of all backgrounds and preferences.

To ensure your videos have accurate and professional captions, GoTranscript offers solutions. From subtitling to translation services, GoTranscript covers every aspect of making your content more accessible, affordable, and global.