If you run a business and haven’t taken a dive into video content creation then you are seriously losing out.
It’s no secret that everyone and their mother regularly sifts through digital media to connect, shop, share news, and seek out information.
Yet what might be less well-known is that the big winner in terms of the form of media most used is video.
YouTube alone is growing 79% year on year according to software company, HubSpot, while stats show 47% of Gen Zs and a third of millennials love to watch social media videos and live streams.
However, videos are no new kids on the block. Even if you’ve been making them for a while, you may have to up your game to keep consumers engaged and coming back to your content.
That doesn’t always mean making them slicker, however.
Current and up-and-coming digitally savvy generations want authenticity and real connection through videos. While older and other audiences may simply want to better understand the videos their watching.
So how can you boost the experience for all?
Three effective ways are by bringing voiceovers, subtitles, and digital adoption platforms (DAPs) into play.
The Benefits of Voiceover, Subtitles, and DAPs
The big benefit of incorporating voiceovers, subtitles, and DAPs into video users’ experience is that, straight away, your content becomes much more accessible.
In particular, audiences with visual impairments or individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can now sit back and soak up your content without issue.
By boosting your videos’ accessibility, you’re also broadening the path for a more diverse range of audiences to enjoy them.
For instance, you can create subtitles for different languages. Similarly, voiceovers can help viewers who are non-native speakers to better understand what’s been discussed.
You can also incorporate DAPs–typically designed to be user-friendly—as a crutch for those who need more time and guidance, say, when watching an instruction video.
However, you don’t have to immediately load up your website content with voice-overs, subtitles, and DAPs. You can start by using just one strategy.
To figure out which might work best for your needs, let’s check out how each can contribute to a boosted user experience.
Voiceovers
Voiceovers are a fantastic way to retain video viewers’ interest. Social media shorts, for instance, can be given an audio lift with a fun and well-narrated VO.
Additionally, ads can grab attention by employing low-pitched or sultry-sounding voices.
Science has shown that hearing various vocal tones can kick-start certain emotions.
A sexy, evocative voiceover can increase the sense of connection between the viewer and your ad.
A male bass-baritone on a DIY commercial can make you feel powerful enough to want to go right out and buy those darn drills and tool belts!
Of course, voiceovers have other benefits beyond getting you to feel all the feels.
Video viewers are more likely to absorb and retain information if a voiceover leads them through the visual content.
This is not just important for e-learning. A good voiceover can also clarify an electronic user guide or technical manual.
Subtitles
The big benefit of subtitles is that they allow non-native speakers to follow the contents of a video.
However, even those who potentially understand what’s been said may see subtitles as a boon.
For starters, accented voices, fast talkers or even below-par sound might make your content hard to hear.
Similarly, trying to tune into a video in a noisy environment will also hamper your listening experience.
Subtitles kick those challenges to the curb by cranking up comprehension with written cues to match the visual info.
This not only enriches how you’re experiencing the content but once again, it widens your audience, including the hard of hearing, non-native speakers, and folk in a wide variety of private and public spaces.
DAPs
A digital adoption platform (DAP) is simply a digital tool like a website, app, or software that incorporates user-friendly features, making it accessible to individuals with diverse abilities.
These platforms can include features such as large fonts, high color contrast, captioning, and transcripts.
One key DAP functionality is keyboard navigation. This enables users to navigate without a mouse and can make life a whole lot less headachy for people with motor disabilities.
By utilizing audio descriptions and captions and supporting keyboard navigation, videos become easier to view and enjoy for people with various disabilities or who need a bit more time and effort to take in details of a particularly complex video.
Best Practices for Voiceovers and Subtitles
To ensure you’re checking the boxes on all of the above, be sure to follow some best practices when adding voiceovers and subtitles.
Voiceover Best Practices
Depending on the nature of the video, you may want a professional voiceover artist or be happy to run the lines yourself.
1. Professional Quality
Use a high-quality microphone (preferably a condenser mic) and record in a soundproof, acoustically-treated environment to ensure a clear, professional sound.
Any background noise or echo will have consumers clicking off faster than you can say ‘Testing 1,2,3’.
Alternatively, work with a professional voice actor to get broadcast-quality audio.
2. Prep the Script
Write your script beforehand and practice it, or give it to the voice actor so that they can practice it.
Sounding natural on VO takes time and talent.
Make it concise, and park the complicated wordplay. You want people to engage from the get-go. So, let the script hook them early.
3. Pace and Tone
If you’re the one doing the voiceover, focus on speaking clearly and at a moderate pace.
You may want to adjust your tone too depending on the nature of the content.
The more your tone matches the content, the easier it will be for those listening to understand.
4. Sync with Visuals
Ensuring the timing of the voiceover matches the visuals of your video is essential for coherency. So, don’t take your eye off that ball.
Subtitle Best Practices
Again, when it comes to subtitles you can write them yourself, use a free app to transcribe what’s being said, or work with a professional transcription service.
1. Accuracy and Clarity
Whichever route you choose, make sure that the subtitles match what’s being said in the video, are free from spelling and grammar errors, and appear in a clear, simple-to-read font.
2. Take your Time
Subtitles only work if the audience has the time to read them. That means they’ll need to be on screen for at least 2-6 seconds, depending on the length of the text.
3. Use Concise Sentences
You don’t want your video to look like it’s been vandalized! So, don’t overcrowd it with subtitle text.
Ideally, limit the number of sentences that appear on screen at any one time.
Additionally, to avoid cluttered-looking sentences, don’t use more than 40 characters per line.
4. Language Options
Depending on who your audience is, you may want the option of providing subtitles in multiple languages.
This can really help you reach a wider viewership.
We recommend, that unless you’re pretty fluent in the language you’re translating to, you go to the professionals for this.
Voice Crafters can certainly help with its FREE AI transcription tool which currently supports 57 languages, or our video translation services.
Final Words
Videos are the way forward for any business, but with so much competition for viewers, you need to ensure yours are going above and beyond when it comes to offering a great viewing experience.
Incorporating voiceovers, subtitles, and DAPs are three strategies that will help boost engagement, inclusivity, and, as a result, audience figures.
We can help if you need support with professional voice actors and with translation and transcription services.
Heck, we offer the whole post-editing kit and caboodle so you get a video that sounds professional, looks fabulous, and truly connects with your audience. Contact us at any time.
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