About 16% of the global population (1.3 billion people) have some kind of disability. These individuals face many challenges, and some of them relate to modern technology.
It feels like the internet is an unlimited source of media, but it’s not always accessible to everyone. For people who have hearing impairments, videos can be almost useless without accurate subtitles. The demand for accessible content is on the rise, and closed captioning is helping on this front.
Let’s take a look at some of the key benefits of closed captioning services. Keep reading for more.
Accessibility for More People
Perhaps the main benefit of closed captions is that they improve overall video accessibility. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may not be able to enjoy or understand a lot of videos online. With closed captions, they can get a much better understanding of what a video is about and what’s happening in it.
Large organizations and individual content creators can add closed captions to their videos. This will help them include more users and engage with them more effectively.
Closed captions are mostly used for dialogue so users know what’s being said. However, they can also describe sound effects and other audio elements to give clearer context to any video. On top of helping improve inclusion, using closed captions shows your viewers that you care about getting your message across and providing content to as many people as possible.
Improved Understanding and Comprehension
While closed captions are typically used with people who have hearing impairment in mind, they can also benefit those who don’t natively speak the language that a video is in. When someone is watching a video that’s in a language they speak but not quite fluently, it can be difficult for them to understand it properly.
The world is more globalized than it has ever been before, and people are constantly accessing content from different countries. There can be a bit of a language barrier, especially in videos that are fast-paced or quite complicated.
If there are closed captions, viewers can read along while listening. They’ll typically have a much easier time keeping up and understanding in this situation. This is especially important for educational videos, as it will help people understand things far more clearly.
Enhanced Search Engine Optimization
SEO has become incredibly important for modern businesses. About 5.53 billion people worldwide use the internet, so having a strong online presence is ideal for getting more eyes on your brand. With enhanced SEO, your website will be more likely to show up in search engine results pages.
Accessibility is a key SEO factor. As such, adding closed captions to your videos will improve your SEO. This will help bring more organic traffic to your site.
You can benefit even more by using relevant keywords and phrases in your closed captions. This will make your videos more likely to show up when people make common searches. Effective keyword research will help you find keywords relating to your industry that could be ideal for your videos.
Better Audience Engagement
Improving SEO will get more people watching your videos, and your captions will also encourage more engagement. People tend to focus more on videos that have captions. They also typically retain the information better.
Reading along with the audio makes the information stick in people’s minds. This can be especially helpful when the content is quite technical or complex. Having the information presented in different modalities will improve retention.
All of this will increase engagement and make your viewers more likely to share your content with others. As people will retain the information better, this will also help with brand awareness.
Catch Viewers Attention
People often come across videos when they’re not actually listening to their phones. For example, someone could be scrolling through Instagram while on their phone in a coffee shop, so they may have the volume turned down. Plenty of videos will show up, but if the viewer can’t hear them, they may not have much interest.
If a video has closed captions, they’re more likely to stop and pay attention. Even if they can’t hear it, they’ll be able to follow the video. This will help ensure you get your message across to more people.
Compliance With Accessibility Laws and Regulations
There are various accessibility laws and regulations in place. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was established to help ensure equality for those suffering with disabilities.
It’s important to make sure your company sticks to the compliance put in place by this act. Businesses must provide accommodations so that the services and programs they offer are accessible to everyone. This includes people with disabilities.
Bear in mind that these accommodations can vary significantly depending on what your company offers. For example, a brick-and-mortar business will need suitable wheelchair access.
For online videos, closed captioning is essential. This is even more important for organizations that receive federal funding, such as colleges and universities.
Preparation for Translation and Localization
As mentioned above, closed captions can be incredibly helpful for people who don’t speak a given language fluently, but what about people who don’t speak it at all? Depending on the video and its distribution, translations may be necessary. If a video has closed captions, translation can be significantly easier.
The clearer the original message of the video is, the more accurate any translations will be. This will help ensure those watching videos in other languages still understand the video properly.
It can be beneficial to transcribe closed captions from videos. This is a good way to get a headstart on preparing the video for translation. Translation experts will be able to do their job more effectively with a reduced risk of errors.
Using Closed Captioning Services
Closed captions can be a great addition to videos to significantly improve accessibility. They also provide various other benefits such as enhanced SEO, more engagement, and compliance.
Talking Type provides broadcast-quality audio description, subtitling, post-production scripts, and closed captioning services. We’ve been in the industry since 2003 and provide these services worldwide. Take a look at our samples and prices to find out more about what we offer.
