WHY DO YOU NEED A TRANSCRIPTION?
Here are 10 reasons to have your audio/video files transcribed.
1. You increase the value of your content.
You can do a lot more with your content when you have a high-quality transcript. The transcript can become an article you publish in a different medium, an eBook, a presentation, one part of your website content. It can be used for marketing and training. You can use the transcribed text to create multiple social media posts. Also, adding subtitles or captions to your video benefits viewers who have to watch with the sound off. It can be used as an additional resource for customers. The written version of your audio/video allows you to link to other sources you mention so that your transcript becomes a source for those who want to do more research. And, if you make your transcript available, you can be quoted in an article, a tweet, a post.
2. You can enhance your blog posts.
If you blog about a talk you gave, you can embed pictures and audio/video of the talk and include a full transcript (“Is There”, n.d.). Longer posts are easier to find for people looking for specific information through word searches.
3. You benefit much more from SEO value and indexing.
When you put your audio/video in text format, search engines like Google and YouTube can locate its content much more easily. A targeted keyword or phrase in the search engine can pinpoint your audio/video fast because the search engine finds matching words or phrases in the transcript. Optimize your audio/video content for search engines so that Google can crawl and index your content (“5 Reasons”, n.d.). A properly indexed video/audio ranks higher, which allows more viewers to see it and click on it. Sofia Enamorado (2018) advises, “Use your transcript to find prominent keywords mentioned in your video, then adjust your on-page video SEO elements to match the phrasing of the keyword
4. You offer an alternative to listening.
Listening and/or watching does not have to be the only way for people to access your content. When listening is inconvenient or impossible, people can still browse through the text version of the content. By providing a high-quality transcript, you can grab the chance to interest the visitor, and you are letting them access your content in another way. As a result, people can watch your video anywhere, anytime, even when they can’t hear it.
In addition, some people would rather read part of the transcript before they decide to watch a video or listen to a podcast. A transcript increases your chances to attract traffic and interest.
One more thing: Some people learn more when they read. In fact, if they see the text as they are listening, they process the information faster and more efficiently. As Finney (2018) puts it, the transcript “will help your viewers engage more with your video content and brand.” By adding text to your audio/video, you make it easier for some people to take in the information you have.
5. Your transcript becomes an easy-to-access resource.
A text file is much easier to search through than an entire audio/video file. The transcript of your audio/video is a resource that you—and others—can access more easily when it is in a text format. Instead of watching the entire video, trying to find the place where you talked about something specific, you can you the search function of Word to find what you are looking for in seconds. What is more: You can add references to the text file for those viewers who want to do more research.
6. You don’t have to worry about unusual accents.
Speech recognition software struggles with foreign accents and fast talkers. You need a live transcriptionist to understand and transcribe more accurately the words of a foreign speaker or a fast talker. The human ear is more intuitive, flexible, and experienced in sorting out different types of speech.
7. You can make your podcasts available to more people.
A study by the Concordia University, St. Paul (n.d.) has revealed that the podcast audience is growing fast, and the popularity of podcasts continues to increase. By supplementing your podcasts with high-quality transcripts, you are reaching a wider audience and making your content available even to those who are hearing-impaired. You will also be reaching listeners whose first language is not English and who might find it challenging to understand the audio.
In addition, people who have the transcript of your podcast can go back to it again, research it, enjoy it at their leisure.
8. Your content becomes more social media friendly.
You can share segments, quotes, highlights from the text of your audio/video on social media platforms to generate interest (“7 Reasons”, n.d.). You don’t have to create new content to market on social media; use the content you already have, adjusting it to your marketing needs.
9. You can take advantage of playlist search plugins.
If your audio/video library contains full transcripts, the entire library can be scanned for specific mentions of words and phrases. A certain audio/video can be found because it discusses a specific topic that the researcher is interested in.
10. You will have a written record of the spoken word.
This one speaks for itself.
Think about it. Consider the benefits of having transcripts of your video and audio materials. It takes quite a bit longer to write something than to say it. If you say it, let me turn it into written content. Contact me with any questions you have at bory.emery@gmail.com.
REFERENCES
“5 reasons you should transcribe your podcast.” (n.d.) Sonix. https://sonix.ai/why-transcribe
“7 reasons why you should transcribe your podcast.” (n.d.) Ai-Media. https://blog.ai-media.tv/blog/7-reasons-why-transcribe-podcast
“Is there a demand for general transcription?” (n.d.) Transcribe Anywhere. https://www.transcribeanywhere.com/blog/is-there-a-demand-for-general-transcription-holy-cow-yes
Concordia University, St. Paul. (n.d.). The podcast explosion. https://online.csp.edu/podcast-explosion/
Enamorado, S. (2018, September 20). 3 reasons why you need video transcription. 3Play Media. https://www.3playmedia.com/2018/09/20/3-reasons-why-you-need-video-transcription/
Finney, J. (2018, November 1). Why you should consider transcribing your video audio to text. Rev. https://www.rev.com/blog/why-transcribe-video-audio-to-texthttps://online.csp.edu/podcast-explosion/
