In a word. Yes.
With globalization and the resulting 24/7 nature of business and information flow, there is increasing pressure to make your content available to any consumer, in any location, at any given moment.
Competition with similar businesses (for the attention of consumers and revenue), accessibility of content, the ever-changing landscape of marketing and the need to keep proper records for historical data and compliance; mean that most small businesses and self-employed people get caught up in the day-to-day running of their business, rather than exploring new opportunities that lead to growth.
Services such as captioning and transcription are a simple, cost effective way to make your content – think video, podcasts, meetings, lectures – anything you can record audio for, accessible to more people.
What is Transcription?
Transcription is the converting of spoken word into simple-to-read text. Writing transcripts is the responsibility of a transcriber who trains in a specific field of typing audio into text as accurately as possible.
The transcript itself can be an exact word for word document or an edited version of the original text. Transcribers edit things out like ‘um’ and ‘ah’ that prevent clarity in the script.
Why Use Transcripts?
Accessibility and Inclusion
People who are deaf or hard of hearing can’t engage with videos or audio content without an accompanying transcript.
Transcription is more than just recorded speech. The emphasis on the identity of the speakers and sounds like laughter, silence etc result in a deeper understanding of the audio.
Social Media Outreach
Many social media users prefer to consume video or text content over audio, but 85% of video on Facebook is consumed with the sound turned off. Given that this behaviour exists across social media platforms, transcripts are a great way to increase engagement with your content.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) serves businesses that want to maximize their digital reach. Transcripts can assist in distributing content in surprising ways.
The importance of transcripts becomes apparent when you learn that Google can’t read video or audio data. This is because Google’s algorithm relies on text to understand what each piece of content is about.
Transcripts can contain many keywords which summarize your content. Keywords are the bread and butter when driving clicks to your website, so the more relevant keywords the better. This is especially important for podcasts.
Content
Transcribing audio gives visitors choice when it comes to consuming your content. Whether people miss certain words, struggle with the language, or simply prefer to read, transcripts increase the chance of engagement and potential clicks.
An added bonus is that transcripts give you the ability to create other types of content from your original work. Transcribed text can become a blog post, website copy, newsletter content and much more.
What is Captioning?
Captioning is the display of audio-visual content as text on the screen. Captions involve sound effects as well as the spoken word. Moreover, captions assist viewers with hearing impairments, deafness, or muted audio.
Take a moment to think about all the times you’ve seen captions on a Facebook video or on the news while waiting at the doctor’s office. They’re much easier to follow, aren’t they?
If you’ve considered captions for your video, but weren’t sure how to go about it, take a look at Scribblr’s easy 4 step process:
1. Upload Your Files
Upload audio or video files from your computer, safely and securely
2. We Work Our Magic
Our global team get to work captioning your content
3. Files Are Double Checked
Your captions are personally checked by our Quality Assurance Team
4. Get You Files, Fast
You receive your caption file directly in your inbox
How do I get started?
The easiest way to find out if Scribblr and captioning or transcription is right for your business is to try it for yourself.
