#AutismAwarenessMonth
All great marketing starts with an amazing strategy and one of the hot topics in marketing strategy right now is the imperative need for closed captioning. If video content is a part of your marketing strategy, and it most certainly should be, then you’ll want to be sure to have all of your content properly captioned and subtitled. There is a multitude of reasons why businesses should be utilizing CC’s, some of which are need-based while others are simply due to preference, nonetheless, closed captioning is totes necessary.
Being that April is Autism Awareness Month it is very important to point out the most obvious reason for closed captioning – Accessibility! When content is accessible, you afford people with a range of special needs to be better engaged! Closed captioning is not just for people with hearing loss; CC’s also serve non-native English speakers by assisting with their comprehension of the material and providing additional context and allows people with Attention Deficit disorders to better focus on the subject matter.
For those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), captions are able to assist the individual with auditory processing issues as well as reinforcement of what is happening visually and what is being said. While neurotypical individuals may not think much of various sounds and background noise, closed captioning provides persons with ASD a more detailed understanding of the context of a video. When it comes to auditory processing issues, if the autistic individual is overloaded with a bunch of noise any subsequent audio may as well be useless – closed captioning the perfect alternative solution. Whatever the case may be, CC’s are one of the best ways to break down barriers and foster inclusivity within your brand.
Another added benefit of utilizing Closed Captioning is their ability to grab people’s attention! CC’s are a great way to capture and hold attention, hooking people to watch your video to completion. Video content is more likely to be watched at length and shared when bolstered with written text which is key for engagement.
For your audience, being able to enjoy content regardless of their environment is also essential! A recent study by Facebook found that 80% of viewers understandably have a negative reaction when a video plays at a startling volume. Have you ever tried to watch a video discretely at work (or anywhere else for that matter)? For this very reason, Closed Captions provide subtlety for people who could otherwise not engage.
One more extremely important reason for adding closed captions to your videos is SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. Search engines are not able to easily search the contents of videos, but they are definitely able to search any associated text! If you want your videos to be optimized for better results in search engines, pad your video with captions! Captions get results. PERIOD. As an added bonus, having a written transcript from closed captioning produces content that can be repurposed for email campaigns or blog posts. The multipurpose of closed captions and a written transcript is undeniable.
While these are all legit reasons to close caption your video content, consider that people enjoy closed captioning for a variety of reasons. Some people appreciate reading the nuance of the script as they listen to it play out. Viewers also welcome the clarity that CC’s bring to the storyline. Others, myself included, enjoy the hilarity of caption writers’ attempts to illustrate various noises (I never knew that a horse could neigh, bray, nicker, AND whinny but thanks to closed captioning I am more informed!). And we ALL know the pain of trying to hear a video over the sound of the chips we are crunching on – with closed captioning this becomes a non-issue!
As always, Holy Hill Media is your friendly neighborhood digital marketing agency, so shoot us a message or an email! We would love to link up with you and help you learn more about closed captioning and how to make it happen! Also, if this email has been forwarded to you, be sure to sign up for the newsletter at www.holyhill.media to gain access to amazing resources on other relevant topics and stay plugged in for more.
