How To Use Video Captions To Increase Video Views On Social Media

Auto-mute may be keeping people from hearing your video content, but captions can help.

If you're sharing video content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Youtube, each play reported for your videos may not actually relate to someone consuming your video content. Depending on the platform, there is a good chance that it's because the video was "auto-muted".

Auto-mute simply means that, by default, the video is muted until the viewer taps the video or manually adjusts the volume options. If you want someone to actually listen to your video, this can be a huge problem. Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube all provide auto-play features but almost always play videos with mute toggled on by default.

Here at Zubtitle, we are solely focused on helping video creators get the most views out of their content. That is why we built Zubtitle, an online tool that automatically adds captions to videos to overcome auto-mute and encourage viewers to listen.

Automatically Adding Captions To Your Video

Adding captions to your videos will take you a little more time and effort, but it can be the most rewarding. Captions or subtitles allow viewers to read what is being said in the video. They are usually added to the lower portion of the video in a dedicated space so they are easy to read and most effective when appearing as the associated spoken words are said.

Watch this quick video from Drummer's Resource which includes captions added automatically by Zubtitle:

Most video production tools installed on your desktop will provide the ability to add subtitles. Keep in mind that captioning every word can be time-intensive. Another approach is to only caption keywords that are said to help drive specific points of the video home.

Adding Captions To Your Video Automatically With Zubtitle

We built Zubtitle exactly for the reasons above. We were creating loads of social video content and realized how important it was to include captions in each one.

Zubtitle is an online tool that automatically transcribes the spoken words from your video and adds the text as timed captions. Caption text can be easily reviewed and edited by simply playing the video back and editing the text directly. Watch a quick demo here below or click here to create your free Zubtitle account and get started.

Start Strong in the first few seconds

Commonly called the "nose" of the video, the first few seconds may determine your video's success.

The truth is, the value of your video campaign is delivered in the first three seconds. Studies have shown that 65% of people that watch the first 3 seconds of your video on Facebook will watch it for at least 10 seconds. This means that you don't want to waste any time getting to the point. Be sure to include a caption with your video that explains exactly what the viewer will get out of the video and include a similar description in the social media post copy.

Watch this video created by Gary Vaynerchuck. You can tell he cut out a short statement from the video and copied it into the intro. It grabs your attention quickly and the text on the screen makes sure that you see what is being spoken, even if you can't hear it:

If you fall into the target market for his videos, it's highly unlikely that your attention won't be caught and you won't stick around for the full 45 seconds.

Add a Play Button And/Or "Tap-to-Listen" Icon

Giving the viewer a visual cue that the video should be listened to can help encourage them to unmute. This can easily be achieved during the video editing process by adding icons to the video.

Even if a viewer is browsing through their social feed and a video auto-plays on mute, the play icon will encourage them to tap the video which will automatically unmute the video and begin playing the audio.

Emojis & Hashtags

Especially on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram, try to lead off your social media post with emojis or hashtags that tell the user to listen up. We personally like kicking off every video post with #LISTEN🔊. We also see "🎙Turn Speakers On🎙"  being used with success. Try these, along with other emojis. Get creative!

🎤🎵🔈🔇📻🎧

Battling Auto-Mute With Social Videos

If you want viewers to watch and listen to your video content, it's important to take these suggestions into account. Pay attention to the platforms where you post video and make sure you understand which scenarios default to auto-mute. Taking a few extra minutes to add a play icon, improve the social copy, or add subtitles/captions can go a long way in improving your video marketing content.

Want more info? Visit our website to learn how Zubtitle automatically adds subtitles to video and makes them look good.

Have questions, ideas, or want to chat? Drop us an email or find us on Facebook or Twitter @zubtitles.