The Benefits of Facebook Video Captions and Subtitles

Research shows that 22 percent of the world’s population uses Facebook. Every month, approximately 1.5 billion users access Facebook through their mobile device or desktop computer. Embedded videos in a webpage are a powerful way to attract viewers, increase traffic, answer questions and drive revenue.

What are the Functions of Video in Social Media Platforms?

First, videos educate audiences by quickly and concisely introducing new information in visually compelling ways.  Using content-rich videos is a great way to establish the author’s credibility and authority. Similar to blogging, sharing objective knowledge and professional views will increase the author’s trustworthiness.  Second, videos provide entertainment and stress relief for audiences. Many Facebook users who have full-time jobs and family commitments have limited time, so informal and funny videos are a great way to engage them.

Third, videos are a discrete call-to-action that is less invasive than annoying advertising pop-ups. In fact, the official Call-to-Action button allows website owners to focus attention on a video from the Facebook cover. Fourth, inspirational videos are better marketing tools to increase shares and consumer engagement than regular sales messages. Companies that support appropriate charitable causes and public awareness campaigns will increase the integrity of their brand image.

Closed Captioning Reaches More Audiences

Many working adults discretely access Facebook while at work, church, school and the library. Closed captioning allows them to enjoy the video while maintaining appropriate social behavior. Because so many Internet users rely on their mobile devices to access Facebook, closed captioning provides universal flexibility. Closed captioning makes videos accessible to people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing.

There are also hidden benefits of closed captioned videos. For example, closed captions and transcripts improve indexing and searching because they are used as meta data. This makes the video more accessible and video search engine friendly. Next, closed captioning helps the video reach global audiences, especially viewers who are learning English as a second language. Finally, closed captioning increases comprehension and memory retention for regular viewers. This could involve a video with highly technical words and concepts.

How to Access and Implement Facebook Video Captions

Closed captioning functionality actually varies according to the mobile device. iOS devices usually display closed captions when the Facebook video automatically plays on mute. When users tap the video, the closed captions will turn off and audio will turn on. The full-screen view doesn’t allow iPhone users to turn the closed captions back on.

On the other hand, Android devices usually allow users to toggle closed captions on and off at their leisure. Anyone can easily add subtitles and closed captions to Facebook videos. Readers should note that they may need to have a professional third-party transcribe the dialogue, such as GoTranscript. These professional video services will process the video and produce a .SRT file.  The name of the completed .SRT file will have a different ending depending on the language.

Facebook users simply upload the .SRT file through the ‘Edit Video’ option to add captions to their video. Finally, the most successful Facebook videos all share things in common. They are usually two minutes or shorter with professional editing and lighting. It’s best to select an appropriate thumbnail and to use some movement in the first few seconds to attract the viewers’ attention.