Everyone’s on social media these days. And who can blame them? What was seen as a silly novelty for funny cat videos in the early 2000s is now a multi-billion-dollar industry. Content creators left and right are scrambling to find the next trend—or ride a current one. Everybody’s got the “magic recipe” and tips for growing your platforms. Unfortunately, many content creators fail to grasp basic tips, such as increasing their social media audience through professional video transcription or legal transcription services.
So, what should content creators do to ensure their audience stays engaged through subtitles? How can content creators ensure that their subtitles accurately convey the intended tone and emotion of the spoken content?
In this article, you’ll learn how:
- Subtitled videos boost watch time by 12%, according to Facebook, keeping your audience engaged longer.
- Subtitles make content more inclusive, helping people with hearing impairments and non-native speakers connect with your message.
- The ideal subtitle lasts 3–7 seconds and should avoid covering important visuals to ensure clarity and impact.
What Does It Mean to Have a Wide Social Media Audience?
Today, having many social media followers means something, whether for an organization’s reach or an individual’s influence.
Having a large audience on leading platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter means the influencer can connect with people from diverse backgrounds. That kind of reach is powerful. It lets people and corporate entities promote their content or engage with their audience on a massive scale.
Plus, when someone has a broad social media reach, it can boost their brand as followers share their content with their own networks. A strong social media presence can also open up opportunities for targeted marketing campaigns for businesses. To make the most of this reach, partnering with professionals offering video, legal, or trial transcription services can help ensure that every piece of content—spoken or written—resonates clearly and accessibly with a global audience.
Social Media Sites That Support Video Content
Before we discuss the finer details, below are platforms where you can increase your reach.
| Platform | Year Established | Description | Users As Of 2024 |
| YouTube | 2005 | Video Sharing | 2.7 billion |
| TikTok | 2016 | Short-form Videos | 2 billion |
| 2010 | Photos & Videos | 1.4 billion | |
| 2004 | Social Networking | 3.07 billion | |
| 2006 | Microblogging | 336 million | |
| Snapchat | 2011 | Short-term Content | 513 million |
| 2003 | Professional Networking | 1 billion | |
| Twitch | 2011 | Live Streaming | 140 million |
| 2010 | Idea Sharing | 544.29 million | |
| Vimeo | 2004 | Video Hosting | 260 million |
Strategies to Grow Social Media Audiences Effectively Using Subtitles
There are multiple ways for a content creator to be relevant to the algorithm, such as using hashtags or captions in the post description; however, below are some ways to use subtitles and captions.
| Strategy | Key Points | Examples / Insights |
| Prioritize Subtitle Integration for Inclusive Content | – 69% of people watch videos on mute (Verizon Media).- Subtitles improve accessibility for viewers with hearing issues or language differences.- Boosts engagement, shares, and earnings potential. | – Netflix: Higher views for Squid Game and Money Heist after multilingual subtitles.- Facebook study: Subtitled videos = 12% higher view time. |
| Optimize Placement and Duration of Subtitles or Captions | – Avoid blocking key visuals.- Ideal duration: 3–7 seconds per subtitle.- Keep text concise and easy to follow. | – Clear, well-timed subtitles maintain viewer attention and improve comprehension. |
| Leverage Subtitles for Multilingual Expansion | – Subtitles open doors to new global audiences.- Ensure cultural relevance through native speakers or professionals. | – YouTuber Xiaomanyc: Gained international following with multilingual subtitles.- Netflix: Invests in culturally accurate translations. |
| Incorporate Relevant Keywords in Subtitles | – Subtitles can enhance SEO visibility.- Include keywords naturally—avoid keyword stuffing.- Helps content appear in suggested feeds and boosts organic reach. | – SEO experts (e.g., Brian Dean) stress keyword optimization across all content types. |
| Enhance Subtitle Design for Visual Impact | – Use fonts, colors, and styles that match brand visuals.- Maintain readability and contrast across backgrounds.- Visual consistency enhances brand perception. | – Designer Will Paterson emphasizes cohesive visual branding in video content. |
| Maintain Consistent Subtitle Branding | – Use a unified subtitle style guide for fonts, colors, and formatting.- Consistency reinforces brand recognition.- Regular quality checks ensure uniformity. | – BuzzFeed and Tasty: Strong visual identity through consistent subtitle styling. |
Integrating subtitles strategically is no longer optional—it’s essential for inclusive, engaging, and globally appealing content. Partnering with professionals offering video, legal, trial, and deposition transcription services ensures accurate, high-quality subtitles that elevate your brand’s communication and connect authentically with audiences worldwide.
What are the Ways to Get Transcripts for Accurate Subtitles and Captions?
One or more 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 video content 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 trending automated speech-to-text tools to transcribe audio and caption video recordings.
Platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok offer built-in auto-generated closed captions. These captions are also often included as free transcription features in popular word processors such as Google Docs and Microsoft Word.
While this might sound like a fast, cheap option, transcribing Instagram videos with AI will result in lower accuracy, as automatic verbatim transcription is typically only 61.92% accurate.
Manual Transcription Is The Best Way To Put Captions on Social Media Videos
In all honesty, professionals are best at handling transcribing social media videos, and Ditto Transcripts is your best option. We’ll take your video or audio file and produce transcripts and captions that are 99% accurate, created by 100% human transcriptionists. This ensures that inaccuracies do not affect your overall marketing and engagement strategies.
We offer manual video transcriptions, verbatim transcription services, and captioning for YouTube and Facebook videos, Instagram stories, TikTok clips, recorded Zoom meetings, and other social media posts. Our team handles a wide range of spoken content across various industries and also provides translation services with the same 99% accuracy guarantee.
Tips To Grow Your Social Media Audience With Subtitles? We Got You Covered
Growing your social media audience isn’t a walk in the park, and you don’t want to mess up your video content with inaccurate subtitles that take more time to fix.
Get Ditto Transcripts, the best transcription service provider with our 100% U.S.-based staff with >99% accuracy rates, fast turnaround times, and excellent customer service. More importantly, we do not break the bank! Check our legal transcription prices to know more. And after all that, you still don’t believe us? Here’s what testimonials say:
Ditto Transcripts is a Denver, Colorado-based FINRA, HIPAA, and CJIS-compliant 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.