Video has become a critical component of any modern marketing strategy. It’s an effective way to reach new audiences, share information about your product or service, and create a more engaging experience for your customers. But with 85% of videos on Facebook being watched without sound, there’s an important element of video marketing that’s often overlooked: captions.

Captions are text overlays that appear on your video, typically at the bottom of the screen, and provide a written transcript of the audio content. They’re essential for accessibility, but they also provide a number of other benefits that make them a valuable addition to your marketing videos.

Increased Accessibility

The most obvious benefit of captions is increased accessibility. They allow people who are deaf or hard of hearing to fully engage with your video content. But accessibility isn’t just about making your content available to a wider audience – it’s also about inclusivity. By adding these to your videos, you’re showing that you value all of your potential customers, regardless of their abilities.

Improved Comprehension with Caption

Captions also improve comprehension for all viewers, not just those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many people prefer to watch videos with closed captioning, even if they have no hearing difficulties. This is because captions help them to better understand the content. Especially if the video includes technical terms or unfamiliar vocabulary.

In addition, text can help viewers who speak a different language than the one spoken in the video. By adding these in multiple languages, you can make your content accessible to a wider audience and increase your reach.

Increased Engagement

Adding captions can also increase engagement with your video content. Research has shown that videos with text are more likely to be watched all the way through than those without. This is because text make it easier for viewers to follow the content. Even if they’re in a noisy environment or don’t have access to headphones.

This also make it easier for viewers to share your content on social media. Most social media platforms automatically add captions to videos. Some of these captions are often inaccurate and can detract from the viewing experience. By adding your own captions, you can ensure that your content is shared in the best possible way.

Improved SEO

Text can also improve your search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines can’t index the audio content in your videos, but they can index the text in your captions. By adding captions, you’re providing search engines with valuable information about your content, which can help to improve your search rankings.

In addition, captions can also help to increase the amount of time viewers spend on your website. This is because captions make it easier for viewers to follow the content, even if they’re in a noisy environment or don’t have access to headphones. The longer viewers spend on your website, the better your search rankings will be.

Increased Understanding of Brand Messaging

Finally, captions can help to increase understanding of your brand messaging. By providing a written transcript of your video content, you’re giving viewers a chance to fully absorb and understand your message. This is particularly important if your video includes technical terms or jargon that might be unfamiliar to some viewers.

Captions can also help to reinforce your brand identity. By using consistent branding in your captions, you can create a more cohesive viewing experience for your viewers. This will help to increase brand recognition and reinforce your message.

Conclusion

In conclusion, adding captions to your marketing videos is an essential component of any modern marketing strategy. Captions increase accessibility, improve comprehension, increase engagement, improve SEO, and increase understanding of brand messaging. By incorporating captions into your video marketing, you’re not only providing a better viewing experience for your audience, but you’re also showing that you value inclusivity and accessibility for all.

Still have a few questions about adding video to your marketing strategy?

Schedule a Discovery Session to see how our talents can match your vision.