In today’s digital world, video content is becoming increasingly popular on social media and online platforms. With platforms such as Tik Tok and Twitter (X) being very influential among the youth in South Africa, content creators need to up their game and make their video content easily accessible to a wider audience. One of the best ways to get your content in front of a broader audience is to add video subtitles. With millions of viewers in Africa and around the world, adding multilingual subtitles to your videos is a smart move.
Subtitles offer several benefits that can enhance the viewing experience for your audience, making your content more engaging and inclusive. All types of video content can benefit from subtitles. Subtitles can be used for social media videos, training videos, tutorials and more.
Let’s look at 3 reasons why South African content creators should subtitle videos
Benefits of Adding Subtitles to Your Videos
Subtitles can open doors to new markets in Africa that South African content creators may not be able to reach without them. By subtitling your videos, you break down language barriers and make your content accessible to a much wider audience. Whether you are a South African creative or a marketing manager for a South African brand, if you are producing content for an African audience, subtitling will become an essential aspect of your production process, ensuring that you can effectively connect with people and potential customers from all corners of Africa.
Studies show that subtitled videos engage viewers for longer periods of time. People are also more likely to interact with content they know their followers understand, which can lead to increased shares and engagement.
Improve Searchability
Subtitles can dramatically increase the searchability of your videos. Search engines like Google use several metrics and algorithms to rank online content, including engagement and accessibility. By adding subtitles, you provide search engine bots with additional valuable metadata that increases the visibility of your videos and makes it easier for visitors to find your material. Subtitles also enable deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers to view your videos, extending the reach of your material.
Subtitles can also improve the user experience by allowing viewers to watch your videos in noisy or quiet environments without turning up the volume. This can increase engagement and watch time, which can help your search rankings.
In addition, multilingual subtitles can help overcome language barriers by making your content more accessible to non-English speakers. This can also increase your reach and improve your search rankings by making your content more relevant to a wider audience.
Inclusivity
Subtitling your videos can make your content more accessible to a wider audience, including people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Subtitles are a great help to the general public, but they are absolutely essential for viewers who are hearing impaired or deaf. Adding subtitles to your South African content makes it easier for people with hearing impairments to follow your content. According to a recent study, there are over 12 million people in South Africa who may be affected by hearing loss, and subtitles help ensure that these viewers have access to your video content. Subtitles can also help people with cognitive or learning disabilities to better understand your content. This is especially true for people who have difficulty processing auditory information. Subtitles provide a visual aid that can improve their understanding.
Boost African Reach Online
Although English is the most widely spoken language in South Africa, not everyone in the SADC region speaks it well (or at all). In Mozambique, the official language is Portuguese, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it’s French. Adding French or Portuguese subtitles provides a written translation of the spoken content in your videos, allowing viewers who speak a different language to understand your message. This can significantly expand your audience and increase the potential for engagement and interaction with viewers in Africa.
By providing subtitles in multiple languages, you can cater to the needs and preferences of viewers from different regions and cultures. This can help build trust and rapport with your audience, increasing loyalty and engagement over time.
Take care of the foreign language audience and offer them subtitles. It is a good opportunity to create a global outreach and make your brand recognizable in many other countries.
Best practices for subtitling
- Use professional subtitling software or work with professional subtitlers. These are creative professionals who know how to capture your video’s message perfectly in easy-to-read subtitles.
- Avoid overly long subtitles. Make sure each subtitle is concise (no more than one complete sentence on screen at a time). Professional subtitlers can condense information into shorter, more readable sentences to avoid overwhelming the viewer.
- Place subtitles at the bottom centre of the screen to avoid clashing with other text or images on the screen.
- Use a large, easy-to-read font size and style
- Have your subtitles professionally translated and give viewers the option to view your video with subtitles in multiple languages relevant to your markets.
Finding the perfect language service provider for your video content can be a daunting task. But fear not! By partnering with the right company, you can effectively overcome language barriers and achieve greater success in the African market.
At Frenchside Translations, we offer high-quality transcription, multilingual subtitling and translation services, advanced technology and exceptional customer service. Contact us today for more information.
