Why It’s Important to Have Subtitles on Your Videos
We live in a time where most people spend their free time on social media platforms like Facebook, Tiktok, Instagram, and Youtube. What do all of those have in common? Videos.
Many, including myself, are creating and sharing video content to at least one or all platforms. If you’re not the one trying to post or sell content, you’re definitely the one watching the content.
If you’re posting content, let’s break down why it’s important to always have subtitles / closed captioning on your videos.
Not Everyone Can Hear
Over 28 million american adults are deaf or hard of hearing.
2. Some People Watch Without Sound
Did you know that 85% of Facebook users watch videos without sound? I am absolutely one of them. When it comes to watching tiktok at night, some times I just don’t feel like turning the audio on. So if there’s a video without subtitles and it isn’t clear what’s happening in the video, I’ll simply just scroll past if I can’t infer what is happening. Or if I’m in a public place, I don’t want to make a scene with the audio on.
3. Your Viewers are More Likely to be Engaged
PLYMedia found that 80% more people watched a video to completion when subtitles were included. Videos without subtitles were watched to 66% to completion, compared to 91% with subtitles on average.
4. Subtitles May Help With Comprehension
Not everyone is a visual learner. Some people comprehend better by reading.
5. They May Increase Your Views & View Time
A recent study by PLYMedia saw a 40% increase in views when videos were captioned versus when they were uncaptioned. A study by Facebook found that captioned video ads increase video view time by an average of 12%.
Auto Captions or DIY?
Yes, Youtube has auto captions, but sometimes it’s just better for everyone to do it yourself. Here’s why according to Google (who owns Youtube): “We know there are issues.” says Brad Ellis, the Product Manager at Google. “With over 80 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, technology is a necessary aid to help as many creators as possible to add video captions…It’s ultimately up to the content creator. If the video uploader did not add captions themselves, we do the best we can to help somebody who needs captions. It’s not perfect, and we have a lot of errors…we’re doing more work to make this better and better.”
Tiktok now also has auto captions, but its comprehension isn’t always right. It’s best to go back and edit what you’ve said after it does its work. Otherwise, what’s the point of subtitles if viewers can’t comprehend what they’re reading?
When is it Okay to Not Use Subtitles?
If you aren’t talking, if your video doesn’t have audio, or if the music is not pertinent to your video, it’s okay to not opt for subtitles.
In conclusion…use subtitles!
The data shows that subtitles work and are more inclusive.
