And you’re no dummy… right?
Whether it’s the newest Netflix series or a clip on TikTok, 50% of Americans turn on subtitles when watching videos. If we focus only on Gen Z Americans, that number jumps to a whopping 80%.
But why?
It’s definitely not because we Americans prefer to read over watch videos all day long. No, it’s actually because we love watching videos so dang much that we want to watch them in the most difficult places to even watch them: on the bus or subway, at work quietly while avoiding doing work, at the library quietly while avoiding reading books (hey, reading the screen still counts as reading!)
Here are five ways captions help videos get seen no matter where your audience is watching them.
1. Captions Make Your Video Easy to Watch
Captions make videos watchable anywhere. Think about how most of us are watching videos these days: on the go, in noisy public places, or in quiet places where playing a loud video might get you kicked out of that place.
Check the numbers:
- 83% of U.S. viewers watch videos with the sound off. (Verizon Media)
- 80% of viewers are more likely to watch an entire video when captions are available. (Facebook IQ)
Captions give people the freedom to engage without the noise, making it easier to watch videos in any location—on the train, at the gym, or even while watching another video (I can’t be the only one who scrolls IG while the TV is on in the background, I have a problem).
2. Captions Help Viewers Learn
Captions help drive the message home, especially for educational videos.
A survey by The Audience Agency found that 42% of people use captions to help them concentrate. Captions visually reinforce your message, making it easier for viewers to focus and process information.
We all run to YouTube for cooking lessons, car repairs, and even for the newest phone comparisons. Imagine watching any of these videos without captions that help you understand exact measurements, tools, and tech specs.
Fun Fact: Captions aren’t just for casual viewers—students and professionals use them to enhance learning and comprehension. A ScienceDaily study showed that captions improved understanding of complex topics and boosted retention rates.
3. Captions Make Your Video Viral
Over 430 million people worldwide experience significant hearing loss. For this audience, captions are more than helpful—they’re essential. (World Health Organization)
430 million people
worldwide experience hearing loss
Captions help viewers who are non-native speakers. Honestly, some of us can read other languages but can’t speak them as well. This gives people all over the world an opportunity to understand your message.
Check the stats:
- 67 million Americans speak a language other than English at home. (U.S. Census Bureau)
- 80% of YouTube’s views come from outside the U.S. (YouTube Blog)
Adding captions is a foolproof way to get your videos watched around the globe. Nothing quite as satisfying as those international views, ya dig?
4. Captions Improve Your Video Retention
What the $%#$ is video retention?
Simple. It’s how long your video is getting watched from beginning to end. It’s the number one way these platforms can judge whether your video is worth showing to more people.
Videos with captions are watched 85% longer on social media. Facebook even found that captioned videos were watched 12% longer than non-captioned ones. (Facebook IQ)
Creating videos can be a tough game, but the secret sauce is in the data.
Pro Tip: Use captions to nail crystal-clear calls to action, whether it’s a live event you’re promoting, selling merch, or sending people to other social channels
5. Captions Help People Find Your Video
Believe it or not, search engines can read the captions in your video to get a better understanding of what it’s about. Pretty cool, right? Adding captions just gives your video another chance to tell Google (or any search engine) what’s happening in it so it can reach more people who might be interested in it.
Case Study:
When BuzzFeed added captions to its video library, it saw a notable increase in traffic and engagement. Additionally, 3Play Media reported that pages with transcripts earned 16% more revenue than those without.
Should I Let The Platform Auto-Generate Captions?
Uhhh, no.
Platforms like YouTube and Facebook offer auto-generated captions, but these are not indexed by search engines. That means they’re not only often wrong, they don’t help people find your video.
Whether you add them manually or let the editing software auto-generate them, the cold, hard truth is captions need to be added when editing. Transcripts (e.g., .srt files) can be indexed by search engines.
Pro Tip: Turn your video transcript into a blog or social media post. Stretch your content out in one effort so you don’t get burnt out.
Captioning Videos is Boring Work
We get it. Editing can be a real time suck, and captioning adds more time to something that already takes forever.
Here’s how we make them stand out:
- Custom, On-Brand Captions: Fonts, colors, and styles tailored to your brand.
- Precise Timing: Synced perfectly for a smooth viewing experience.
- Visual Enhancement: Subtle design elements that complement rather than distract.
Short on time? We’ll caption your videos. Drop us a line. 😉
To your success,
The Fenik Media Team 🦊