Why is a transcription of video recordings a good idea? Video is the future of business – according to Cisco’s research, in 2022 even 82% of all content on the Internet will be in this form. And no wonder – videos are extremely engaging and do not require the viewer’s attention as much as, for example, reading an article. Hence, it is worth using them in your actions, not forgetting that video and written content is an even better and more effective combination.

There are at least 7 reasons why you should do the transcription of video recordings:

The possibility of playing a movie in any situation

Facebook statistics show that up to 85% of its videos are played without sound. Today, most content is consumed on the go, in places where you can’t turn up the volume – e.g., in public transport, waiting rooms. This gives a huge advantage to movies with subtitles, which can be watched (and understood!) regardless of the circumstances.

Reinforcement and consolidation of the message

It’s a well-known fact that the information we remember longest comes to us simultaneously through several channels. Therefore, if the viewer watching your video can also follow the subtitles, they will better understand the key elements of the video and recall them more easily in the future.Increased viewer engagement

When creating video content, you should aim not only to reach new viewers, but also to engage them. And the fact that it’s much easier to achieve greater engagement with written content is confirmed by numerous studies:

  • Adding subtitles to videos posted on Facebook increases playback time by at least 12% (source: Facebook),
  • Transcription of recordings makes videos get up to 40% more views (source: PLYmedia),
  • The chances of watching a movie to the end increase by up to 80% if it is subtitled (source: PLYmedia).

Improving access for people with hearing loss

More than 5% of the world’s population has hearing problems (WHO data). Introducing subtitles to your videos makes your content more accessible to a huge group of deaf and hard-of-hearing people.

The basis for creating diverse content

Transcription of video recordings is a great base for creating various types of content – both promoting the video and constituting a separate value. You can use the content from the recording to write an article or a chapter of an e-book, and then supplement and update it with current data as needed. Quotes from the video work well in graphics that can be published in social media, and it’s easy to create infographics from headlines and keywords. By publishing content in both video, graphic, and written form, you greatly increase the chances of your message reaching your target audience.

Transcription of video recordings and SEO results

Adding subtitles to your video is one of the best ways to improve its visibility in search engines. The video itself, without subtitles, is indexed only by the title and possibly the description underneath (like on Youtube).

By introducing transcription, search engine robots are able to read the entire content of the video, with all the details and nuances. Thanks to this, they are more likely to direct an Internet user who is looking for similar information to your video. Of course, the content of the transcript should correspond to what is happening on the recording, but nothing prevents you from including frequently searched keywords related to the topic. You can read more about tools to help you choose keywords and ways to write texts that are visible in Google in the article SEO copywriting – 7 things to remember when creating SEO friendly content.

Building international reach

There are many translators available online that can quickly and fairly accurately translate subtitles embedded in a video into other languages. Therefore, all it takes is a one-time effort – creating subtitles in your native language – to be able to reach audiences in different locations with the same video. Developing and adding subtitles to a video takes some time, but it’s an effort that definitely pays off. From improved SEO, to easier accessibility, to a stronger message, both your audience and your business benefit.

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Author: Zofia Lipska

With over 10 years of experience in digital marketing, Sophia not only knows the rules of this industry but above all knows how to break them in order to achieve outstanding and creative results.