Do you create transcripts for your podcast episodes?
As the digital world advances, more attention is being paid to accessibilty and inclusion. Audio content is becoming increasingly popular, but it also carries with it the challenge of accessibility. Transcriptions are an excellent way to ensure that all audiences can access your podcast and audio content regardless of any hearing or language barriers they may be facing.
Transcription services can provide you with transcripts of your podcast episodes so you can provide them for your listeners. These transcripts can open your podcast up to a wider audience and ensure that everyone can access your content regardless of their ability or other factors.
However, transcripts aren’t just useful for accessibility. They bring some surprising benefits in terms of helping grow and expand your audience. Let’s take a look at all the role transcription plays in podcasting — and why you should add them to your show.
Transcription Vs. Subtitles Vs. Captions
First, we want to be clear about the difference between transcription, subtitles, and captions. Some social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok will automatically generate captions to help their users watch videos without sound.
Captions not only include speech but give the viewer visual cues as to sounds occurring in your recording.
As such, captions and subtitles are a great way to keep users engaged while on a particular platform. However, transcripts go a step further and give your audience another way to consume your content.
What is Transcription?
Transcription is the process of converting audio into a written text document. It’s an edited version of what’s said in the audio, and it includes punctuation and any additional information such as speaker identity.
These documents make it easy for your audience to scan through content quickly and get a grasp of what the episode is about before actually listening to it. This can encourage them to engage with your podcast more and increase their loyalty.
Surprising Ways Transcription Can Help Your Podcast Grow
Now that we know what transcripts are, let’s dive into how they can help your podcast. After all, you want to make sure the effort you put into creating transcripts is worth it.
Better SEO
First off, transcription can improve your SEO rankings and help more people find your podcast. As search engine algorithms become more sophisticated, having transcripts of your audio content can help increase your visibility on Google and other search engines.
You can copy and paste them into each episode’s page on your website, or offer them as a gated download. If you choose the latter, you can enter them into your mailing list to capture lead information from your listeners.
More Options for Your Audience
Transcriptions can also help attract a larger audience because it allows people to read your show rather than listen. Perhaps a portion of your audience doesn’t like to listen to podcasts, or maybe they don’t have the time.
Transcription gives these listeners a way to quickly scan through content and get an idea of what your podcast is about without actually listening to it. This can help you increase engagement with your show as more people are able to access it.
User-generated Content
Third, transcripts increase the potential for your podcast to go viral. Having an easy way for content creators to copy and paste a snippet of text from your show can make tweeting or posting about your show a breeze.
By eliminating the barrier of having to type out a quote from your podcast, you make it easy and effortless for users to share content. This can help create user-generated content which can quickly spread across social media and bring more engagement to your show. In content creation, every second counts, and the more time you can save your audience the better.
With transcripts available, you never know who might share your podcast and bring in more listeners.
Easier Promotion
Finally, the same speed and efficiency afforded to your audience can be applied to you. When promoting your podcast on social media, it’s often helpful to include snippets of text in your captions or pull quotes in your graphics.
With a transcription at the ready, you can quickly copy and paste short snippets to help you promote your show on any platform.
Building a Better User Experience with Transcriptions
Ultimately, adding transcriptions to your podcasting or vodcasting workflow is all about creating a frictionless experience. While you can make assumptions about how your audience likes to consume media, providing options ensures everyone feels included.
Podcasting is about creating a community, and if you’re leaving some of that community in the dark, then you’re not doing it right. Transcriptions provide an extra layer of content that can help your audience get the most out of your show and keep them engaged.
Getting Started with Transcriptions for Your Podcast
We know, adding transcriptions for every episode sounds like a lot of work. But with Boomcaster, you can get started with transcription quickly and easily. Boomcaster provides high-quality automatic transcriptions for every recording.
This feature is an incredible time saver and helps make podcasting easier. With Boomcaster, you can create a unique experience for your audience no matter how they like to access your content.
So what are you waiting for? Get started with transcribing today and watch your podcast grow. Sign up to the Boomcaster platform today and see the magic happen!