Remember that time you were in the airport waiting on a flight, scrolling through Instagram, and a video popped up in your feed? Did it suddenly start blasting sound and catch everyone’s attention? Nope! Didn’t happen. That’s because most reels play with the sound off by default.
It’s so common that more than 80% of TikTok and Instagram Reels are enjoyed in silence. In other words, for every 10 prospects that watch your videos, a whopping 8 of them won’t hear a peep you’re saying.
That’s where captions come to the rescue. Slapping captions on your online videos means everyone can pick up on what you’re putting out. Here are three reasons why you should be adding captions to your videos.
1) Captions Increase Viewership by 80%
Verizon Media and Publicis Media teamed up for a study back in 2019 to explore how captions impact video watching. And guess what they found? Well, they saw that the more folks watch videos on the move or out in public, the more they’re into having captions.
They talked to 5616 folks from the US, all between 18 and 54 years old. The scoop they got was that 69% of people watch videos without sound in public spots, and about 25% do the same in private places. Get this – a whopping 80% of peeps said they’d be more likely to finish a video if there were captions. And half of the folks they chatted with really stressed that subtitles were a big deal, especially when they’re used to keeping the sound off while watching videos.
2) Captions Improve SEO
When someone searches for a topic related to your video, search engines use the captions in your video to match the user’s query, thus making your video more likely to show up in the search results. Plus, if you’ve got captions, you’re giving search engines more reasons to consider your video relevant and valuable, which can also bump it up in the rankings.
Long story short, captions aren’t just great for accessibility and engagement – they’re also like breadcrumpbs for search engines, helping your video get noticed by more people when they’re searching for content like yours.
3) Disabled People Need Them
Captions are the equivalent of superheroes for making content more inclusive, especially for people with disabilities, including, but not limited to:
Deaf or Hard of Hearing Individuals: Captions provide a written version of spoken words in videos, making them accessible to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Without captions, these folks might miss out on crucial information, dialogue, or context in videos.
Visual Impairments: Captions aren’t just for sound – they also describe non-verbal audio elements like background noises, music, and sound effects. This helps people with visual impairments to get a fuller picture of what’s happening in the video.
Language Barriers: For those whose first language isn’t the same as the video’s spoken language, captions can be a lifesaver. They can read along in their preferred language and better understand the content.
Cognitive Disabilities: Some people might have difficulty processing spoken language but can understand written words better. Captions provide an alternative way for them to engage with video content.
Noisy Environments: Imagine watching a video in a noisy place where you can’t hear well. Captions come to the rescue by letting you read what’s being said and stay engaged.
Different Learning Styles: Everyone learns and absorbs information differently. Captions cater to those who prefer reading over auditory learning.
So, captions aren’t just about being considerate; they’re about ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can fully enjoy and comprehend the content you’re sharing. They’re like the bridge that connects diverse audiences to your videos.
