6 Reasons to Transcribe Video Content into Text

Video content has become a popular means to record disseminate and store information for many organizations across multiple sectors. It has the benefit of being the most interesting form of content and the easiest to grasp for most people.

That said, it is often paired with corresponding transcribed text to optimize it further. Text attached to the video often increases the viewers focus and stirs engagement which means the viewer can get more value from the content compared to video with no text or captions.

Below are several reasons to transcribe video content into text.

1. Inclusion of the deaf and hard of hearing.

Video content will be lost on anyone with a hearing problem or is completely deaf and this is a huge demographic. According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are at least 70 million people who are deaf.

The figure could be higher and does not account for those with difficulty hearing, only the completely deaf.

Transcribing video content into text includes this huge number of people allowing them to participate meaningfully with the rest of the world.

2. For Search Engine Optimization

It would be rather cumbersome to attempt to optimize or even search for videos online without tagged text that search engines can recognize. Even more difficult is to sift through thousands of content blocks without specific words that make videos identifiable in searches.

Conversely, professional video to text transcription renders video content easy to find, reference, organize, utilize and store which is very useful in the current digital environment. In simpler terms your videos will attract more users if users can find them easily.

3. To enhance user experience

Open and closed captions as well as subtitles are a game changer for your videos. Captioning in particular is a great way to emphasize and focus the viewers’ attention on key points and parts of the video.

Even for the most avid viewer, captions create a singular experience for each video often one that they can remember or even reference later. This is also an effective way to secure key words recognition.

4. Adequate for noise sensitive environments

Videos are watched anywhere including the train station, bars, stadiums, hospitals, in meetings and in entertainment theatres. Basically, your audience could whip out their phone anywhere to watch a lecture, a tutorial, a talk show or any other content.

Often enough they find that they should not be disruptive or the environment is too noisy to fully enjoy the video. A pair of headphones would do but even better would be captions and subtitles that will give your viewer the best of both worlds.

A transcribed video will work better in such circumstances and your viewer will be able to get maximum value from the video.

5. Solves the language problem

Without subtitles, you would never be able to enjoy your favorite Asian action flick. Additionally, you would never be able to enjoy a show or a video whose content may be in a language you understand but the dialect throws you.

Transcribed videos bridge this gap and allow videos to entertain and inform audiences the world over. A viewer can simply toggle between the speaker and the text to better grasp what has been said instead of looking for a different version of the same content in their language.

Many world renown professionals do not speak more than one language and their tutorials and videos should only be transcribed and translated for tutelage by the best professionals to avoid critical errors.

6. To better capture derivative content

Imagine having to explain without captions and subtitles, tables, graphs, charts and figures. It would be a nightmare and the viewer would promptly leave your site. While video content is suited to capture abstract content, text better explains the derivative aspects of the content.

Difficult concepts to recall immediately such as numbered designations are better recorded as text and not just as audio.

Conclusion

Video transcription is not only necessary it is the only way to go about creating exceptional video content that achieves its goals and provides value to your customers.

In the coming years, video content transcription may become industry practice to rid the digital space of videos that may not advance the interests of viewers and creators as well.