Webinars have become very convenient for spreading information across different fields. They’re now one of the most efficient ways for organizations to connect with their target audience—no matter where they are. However, a webinar’s success depends on how well it conveys its message. That’s the primary reason for having your webinars captioned by professional transcription providers. Transcripts can also address issues about audience accessibility by allowing content producers to put captions on webinar sessions—more on that later.
In this article, you’ll learn how:
- The World Health Organization reports ~430 million people worldwide have significant hearing loss.
- A study by the University of South Florida found that 99% of students thought captions helped them learn about a topic.
- When captions are available, 80% of people are likelier to watch a video from start to finish.
Importance of Video Captions in Webinars
Ensuring everyone can access webinar content is crucial in many ways, and adding captions to this content is another way to increase its accessibility.
The regulations emphasized that people with disabilities should have the same access to electronic information—including webinars—as everyone else, and a part of this compliance is providing accurate captions.
However, the importance of captions extends beyond legality. They also help those with hearing issues or non-native English speakers tuning in from noisy spots. Plus, captions improve the overall user experience by allowing viewers to follow along with the content more easily.
Types of Videos Where Captions Can Be Useful
Before we dive into the finer details of the reasons to caption your webinars, below are the kinds of video content where captions can prove their weight in gold.
| Video Type | Description |
| Educational | Helps students follow content, especially in non-native languages or with hearing impairments |
| Instructional | Ensures access to information for all employees or learners |
| Social Media | Conveys message effectively, even when watched without sound |
| Marketing | Delivers intended message to a wider audience, including those with hearing impairments |
| News | Makes news content more accessible in various environments |
| Entertainment | Enhances viewing experience for people with hearing impairments or non-native languages |
| Podcasts and Interviews | Makes audio content accessible to a broader audience, including those with hearing disabilities |
| Multilingual | Helps reach a global audience and makes content accessible to non-native speakers |
Reasons To Caption Your Webinars
There are many reasons as to why captions should be implemented for every video posted on the internet. However, let’s only focus on the major ones—for now.
Enhance Content Accessibility for All Viewers
Most of us would probably agree that captions are the way to make webinar content more inclusive, especially since ~430 million people worldwide have significant hearing loss—more than 5% of the global population, according to the WHO. Therefore, providing accurate captions means that individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can fully understand the presented material.
Offering transcriptions and audio descriptions allows viewers with different needs—language barriers or simply those who prefer to read while listening—to consume the information effectively.
Increase Viewer Comprehension
Captions are also a great way to help viewers understand webinars better, as they can make the content more engaging for all kinds of viewers. Studies have repeatedly shown that captions can significantly improve how well we understand the contents of videos we consume.
One study by the University of South Florida found that 99% of students thought captions helped them learn about a topic. More studies showed that captions have even improved reading skills by giving learners more exposure to written language, even with native English speakers.
Enable Silent Viewing and Broader Reach
Silent viewing is becoming a thing for people who are constantly on the move, and captions are the best way content creators can implement to boost engagement from this new norm.
Statistics show that 83% of media consumers in the US watch videos without sound. This shows how crucial captions are for making content engaging for viewers in all settings—whether on public transport or in a quiet spot.
That’s not all. Captions have also been proven to greatly impact viewer behavior. When captions are available, 80% of people are likelier to watch a video from start to finish instead of skimming through it.
Boost SEO and Repurpose Content with Transcripts
For content creators, the best part of implementing captions is that they don’t just improve the viewing experience. They also give you a valuable bonus in the form of transcripts, which can significantly boost your SEO.
Regardless of how you got your transcripts—through professional captioning services or a DIY method—they allow search engines like Google or Bing to index your video content since these search powerhouses aren’t yet capable of processing audio info directly, and it looks like it’ll stay that way for a bit longer.
Also, transcripts offer a convenient way to repurpose your content into different formats, like blog articles or targeted email campaigns.
What Are Your Transcription Options For Webinar Captions?
Several transcription methods for audio or video files might sound like excellent ways to make your content more accessible and engaging. However, not all of them are appropriate for webinar transcription. Here’s why:
In-House Transcription
In-house transcription refers to you or a hired employee transcribing video to text. This has certain significant disadvantages, the biggest of which is that transcription is time-consuming. Furthermore, having a professional employee transcribe audio to text can be expensive.
Automatic Transcription
Automatic transcription uses machine learning, AI transcription software, or other automated speech-to-text tools to transcribe and caption video or audio recordings automatically.
Platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, also offer built-in auto-generated closed captions- and I wouldn’t blame you for relying on them. Then, there’s the free transcription functions in popular word processors like Google Docs and Microsoft Word.
While they might sound like a fast, cheap option, transcribing webinar videos with AI will be inaccurate. To be exact, as automatic verbatim transcription is proven to be only 86% accurate, in the best of circumstances.
Manual Transcription Is The Best Way To Put Captions on Webinars
It’s best to leave the transcribing to the professionals. And, I humbly believe Ditto Transcripts is your best option. We’ll take any video or audio file and produce transcripts and captions that are 99% accurate all the time, made by 100% human transcriptionists.
Ditto Is Your Webinar Transcription Partner
Hosting a webinar or virtual event is a long-winded process, and you don’t want to mess up your presentations with inaccurate subtitles that need more time to fix. Get Ditto’s video (and audio) transcription service provided by our 100% U.S.-based staff with >99% accuracy rates, fast turnaround times, and excellent customer service.
Ditto Transcripts is a HIPAA and CJIS-compliant Denver, Colorado-based transcription services company that provides fast, accurate, and affordable transcripts for individuals and companies of all sizes. Call (720) 287-3710 today for a free quote, and ask about our free five-day trial.
