The Importance of Subtitles: How One Request Transformed Our Video Strategy

While I was working as a marketing lead for a health media center a few years back, we released an engaging and educational video. It was received positively, with a high number of views and comments.

However, shortly after it was released, someone reached out to us and made a request that would change the way we approached our video content.

This person explained that they loved our content, but they had a hearing disability. They requested that we add subtitles to our videos so that people like them could understand the content too. We realized that we had been neglecting this audience, and that we had been missing out on potential viewership.

After this encounter, we decided to prioritize adding subtitles to all of our video content.

We wanted to make sure that our content was accessible to a wider audience, and we didn't want anyone to miss out on the valuable information we were providing.

As we started to add subtitles to our videos, we noticed an immediate impact. Our engagement rates increased, and we were reaching a wider audience. In addition, we also saw improvements in our search engine optimization (SEO), which helped us rank higher in video search results.

In the end, that one message we received about adding subtitles opened our eyes to the importance of accessibility and made us more aware of the needs of our audience. It was a valuable lesson that we continue to apply to this day, and it has helped us to create content that is both engaging and inclusive

37% of people say they'll turn the sound on because the subtitles make the video more interesting

Why Adding Subtitles to Your Video is a Must in 2023

Adding subtitles to your video is important for several reasons:

• Accessibility: Subtitles make your video accessible to a wider audience, including people who are deaf or hard of hearing, non-native speakers, and those who are watching in a noisy environment where they cannot hear the audio clearly.

83% of people watch video with the sound off on any device

• Improved comprehension: Subtitles can improve the comprehension of the content by reinforcing what is being said, and also by providing clarification for any technical terms, unfamiliar words, or accents that may be difficult to understand.

A study by the University of California, Berkeley found that adding subtitles to educational videos improved test scores and comprehension for both native and non-native speakers of the video's language.

• SEO benefits: Subtitles also help improve the search engine optimization (#SEO) of your video, as search engines can crawl and index the text in your subtitles. This can increase the visibility of your #video in search results, and also help it to rank higher in video search engines.

Google can crawl and index the text in your subtitles, which can improve the search engine optimization (SEO) of your video.

According to a study by Backlinko, videos with subtitles and closed captions had 17.7% more views on average than videos without them.

• Better engagement: Adding #subtitles can also lead to better #engagement with your audience, as it allows them to follow along with the video more easily and reduces the chances of them becoming distracted or disinterested.

In a study by the BBC, 80% of viewers who use subtitles do not have any hearing impairments. This indicates that adding subtitles can improve engagement with a wider audience beyond just those with hearing disabilities.

Our experience at the health media center serves as a reminder that we can't neglect any part of our audience when it comes to video content.

Overall, subtitles can increase views, view time, and search engine visibility, while also improving comprehension for a wide range of viewers. So next time you create a video, remember the power of subtitles and the impact they can have on your audience

To your success!

Samuel Alabi