Why Video Subtitles Matter And How To Make The Most Of Them

December 13, 2021 Rachel Fox Design, Insights  

It’s no surprise that social media platforms have started to push video content more and more to users over the past few years. In fact, studies show that 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support. But do you know how often these videos are watched without any sound?

 

Subtitles support ‘sound off’ preferences

During a study carried out by Verizon, it was discovered that 50% of participants tend to watch videos without sound – rising to 69% when watching in public places – and that 80% are more likely to watch an entire video when captions are available. 

It has also been widely reported for years that Facebook users watch up to 85% of videos on the platform with the sound off. These studies strengthen the idea that in order to portray your message successfully, whether sharing content from your personal account or brand, it’s worth adding subtitles in order to keep viewers engaged.

 

Subtitles make your content more accessible

If the reason above hasn’t sold you on the idea of using subtitles on all video content you are sharing, this one should do the trick. More than 5% of the world’s population require rehabilitation to address their ‘disabling’ hearing loss. If you take inclusivity and accessibility seriously as a brand, you will have acknowledged the importance of subtitles for video content in this context.

Whilst we are on the topic of accessibility, subtitles can also be a great way of expanding your audience to a global level. Perhaps the best-recognised use of subtitles is to make video content available in different languages. Translated subtitles are usually faster and more cost-effective to create than recording a different soundtrack for each language you’re targeting.

 

Subtitles improve video SEO

Lastly, subtitling can also help improve SEO! As long as your subtitles aren’t embedded directly into the video image, search engine crawlers and algorithms will be able to pick them up…and who doesn’t want to improve their SEO so that their videos are easier to find?

 

So, how can you make the most of subtitling?

  1. Make sure there is a high contrast between the text and background
  2. Ensure your guidelines meet industry guidelines and are large enough to read
  3. Spend time perfecting the subtitles when translating into another language
  4. Avoid presenting too much text on-screen at a time
  5. Offer an additional option to display closed captions
  6. Use a clear, legible typeface
  7. Allow enough time for each subtitle to be read
  8. Position subtitles at centre/bottom and avoid clashes with other UI elements
  9. Distinguish between speakers
  10. Ensure subtitles cover all important dialogue and can be turned on before any need to be displayed

 

Need some inspiration for your social media marketing? To get a free audit of your current social strategy, get in touch at [email protected].

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In Other News: LinkedIn Shares Gen Z Insights, Facebook Launches Podcasts and Twitter Tests Livestream Shopping

December 8, 2021 Lucy Booth Facebook, In other news, Insights, LinkedIn, Social Media, Twitter  

Welcome back to another week of digital insights from the latest news in the digital marketing world!

 

LinkedIn Conducts Survey on Gen Z ers

This week, LinkedIn have posted their findings from a survey conducted on Gen Zers (people born between 1997-2012). The survey helps to explore engagement trends, popular content Gen Zers are consuming as well as how and why they are the most likely age group to use LinkedIn. 

We have put together some key points below that have been picked up by the data analysts: 

  • Gen Zers believe LinkedIn is trustworthy and they feel safe posting/interacting on the site 
  • The content they see on their feed is mostly relevant to them, no nonsense! 
  • 80% of Gen Zers say they are interested in following more businesses/organisations on LinkedIn and they are more likely than other age groups to follow people like Melinda Gates, Bill Gates and Jeff Weiner 
  • 75% say that businesses/organisations post valuable content 
  • For networking, learning and research purposes, Gen Zers say they prefer LinkedIn over other platforms 
  • Gen Zers are highly focused on their career 

The results show Gen Zers believe LinkedIn to be the safest site. This is likely to be because it is one of the most ‘professional’ platforms we use and people really do get hired via LinkedIn! With the content said to be mostly relevant to the user, this would suggest there are less time wasters applying for jobs outside their field if people are only really seeing content they are interacting with. The study concludes that Gen Zers are quite highly focussed on their career path and are keen to learn tips and tricks for presenting/bettering their digital marketing skills. 

 

Facebook Launches New Podcast Feature 

With podcasts becoming more and more popular recently, Facebook has published a new guide on how to link and promote podcasts on the platform using Facebook’s features. 

Creators can now add and promote their podcast on Facebook. They can build direct connections with fans so their content is seamlessly distributed to their listeners as and when new episodes are released. At the moment, this feature is only available to select content creators in the US – presumably whilst they test it! 

The new update allows listeners to engage in conversation with one another in the comments section whilst still listening to the podcast. This feature should allow podcast creators to branch out through another platform to engage more listeners whilst giving them a space to stimulate conversations with one another. 

 

Livestream Shopping Being Tested on Twitter 

Twitter have recently revealed they are following in the footsteps of Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest & Tik Tok by carrying out a livestream shopping feature.  With the rise of online shopping during the pandemic, Twitter carried out their first live shopping event in collaboration with Walmart in a bid to keep up with the latest trends. This new feature creates a pathway from viewing a product, discussing it on the Twitter timeline to then being able to head straight to the check out. With the Shopping feature enabled, users can browse products via a carousel, read more about them and finally purchase the item – all within the Twitter app! In retrospect, this probably means whilst all social media platforms offer similar features, they still need to fight against one another to stay relevant and remain somewhat unique all whilst pushing the social media trends. 

 

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How to Choose the Right Digital Marketing Agency for Your Brand

November 29, 2021 Lucy Booth Insights, Small business  

Finding and choosing the right digital marketing agency for your brand can sometimes feel like a dreaded or daunting task. With the sheer power of social media nowadays, it’s super important you spend time digging through agencies to find one that suits your needs. A solid marketing campaign can lead to business-changing results. 

 

We’ve put together some top tips for you to consider to help you find the right digital marketing agency for YOU. 

 

1. Build your foundations 

Whether it’s a mind map or a bulleted list, brainstorm your business’ needs and aspirations. What are your core values? Think about your digital marketing goals. Are you keen to increase your following? Perhaps you want to target a different audience and form more of a community amongst your followers. You may even wish to generate more leads and sales by jumping on the paid ads wagon. There are a variety of ways in which the right digital marketing agency can elevate your brand. However, it is key that you think about your own business needs first to ensure you find an agency suited to you and your brand. 

 

2. Research 

This is often the most tedious step because the internet is FULL of so many different digital marketing agencies. The best way to go about this is to filter your searches. You’ve done the first bit, you know what goals you want to achieve so try to find an agency that supports this. Have a look through their previous work, have they worked with brands similar to yours? Even if the brand itself bears little resemblance to yours, they may have similar aspirations. Dig around the agency’s social media content. How do they run their own social media platforms? Finally, ask around. See what your peers think and stimulate conversation. Perhaps they will have an agency in mind that you can explore! 

 

3. Communicate 

Once you have narrowed down your choices, the best thing to do is reach out to the agency and speak to them. Make sure you tell them who you are (ie. what’s important to you) as well as what you are hoping to achieve and take away from the partnership. Prepare a range of questions to ask them – this will help you to compare answers against the other agencies and make your final decision. 

 

4. Meet the Agency 

Holding a meeting with the agency in person is the most effective way to find out if they are the right fit for you. This will give you both a chance to understand each other’s strengths and determine whether they are the one for you. 

 

 

Start the process today and get in touch with us to see if Pilot Fish Media would fit your brand today at [email protected]!

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In Other News: CSR Grows Larger, Holiday Shopping Goes Hybrid and Tik Tok Unveils Community Tok

November 24, 2021 Maya Benabdelhadi Business, eCommerce, Holiday sales, In other news, Insights, Social Media, TikTok  

It’s this time of the week again: let PFM give you the lowdown on what’s been happening in the digital marketing world this week. Get ready for the latest social media news and digital marketing insights!

 

 

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) gets bigger and bolder

While consumers’ interest in CSR is not new, the pandemic has shown us all how much of an impact businesses can have on the wider society beyond just selling their products. In our home city of Edinburgh, for instance, who could forget when, at the very start of Lockdown, Leith Spirits started manufacturing hand santisers for free when it was virtually impossible to find any!

Now more than ever, consumers expect more from brands. Not only do they value companies with sustainable (environment- or social-oriented) activities, an increasingly large proportion of consumers purposefully choose the brands they purchase from and work for based on their sustainable agenda and stay away from companies without one.

“More than ever before, brands will need to have an opinion on issues that affect our world. From racial issues to environmental topics, consumers want to see what brands will say and act and hold them accountable.” Chris Asahara, Global Head of Content and Social Media at Les Mills

What does it mean?

In short, it means that integrating CSR to your business strategy will be critical in 2022. But in more details:

  • Brands need to contribute to society at large to be noticed and valued;
  • To communicate this effectively, brands’ social media need to become value-oriented;
  • To show that they walk the talk, brands need to consistently weave their CSR agenda and efforts through their multiple channels and touch points.

 

Holiday shopping experience becomes increasingly hybrid

Here are some key metrics to get started

  • 48% of worldwide consumers plan to do 75% or more of their holiday shopping online
  • In that group, 47% shop on their mobile phones
  • 64% of US consumers use retail apps

In 2020, consumers got used to shopping online as physical options were limited or undesirable. This year, while most UK consumers are in a position to visit a store physically, they have had a taste of the ease and convenience of online shopping. As such, consumers will want to combine the best of both worlds this holiday season.

What does it mean?

The hybridisation of the consumer’s shopping experience has a few consequences, the first one being the need for an eCommerce platform. Beyond this, however, are the following:

  • For conversions, digital shopping experiences will need to be pleasant, fast, and seamless;
  • Investments in server capacity may need to be explored to make sure your website can cope with the increased traffic;
  • Successful digital shopping will require flexibility in delivery options (ie. home delivery, pick-up from store…) and returns;
  • Consumer service both online and offline will be paramount.

 

Tik Tok introduces ‘CommunityToks’

In its latest promotional campaign, Tik Tok introduced CommunityToks, which consist of subnetworks within the app linked by a single shared topic or interest, and are marketed at advertisers. CommunityToks focus on driving engagement, fostering rich subcultures and allowing for more personalisation.

What does it mean?

CommunityToks make advertising more effective via more precise targeting and more personalised content:

  • Businesses can reach and leverage segments interested in the same key topic;
  • It’s easier for brands to become part of relevant conversations;
  • Brands can share their content with smaller audiences that are more in line with their strand of content, which increases their resonance with the content;
  • It’s an opportunity for branded content to be seen as peer-to-peer communication, leading to deeper connection with the audience.

 

Wondering how to successfully meld physical and digital shopping this holiday season? Book a complimentary consultation with us at [email protected], we’d love to chat!

 

Sources

Hubspot 2022 Social Media Trends Report

https://www.marketingdive.com/news/future-of-holiday-retail-is-mobile-app-blended-experiences/609826/

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-launches-new-communitytok-promotional-push-to-highlight-subculture/610388/

https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/blog/communitytoks-authentic-connection-creativity-joy?platform=facebook&attr_source=social&attr_source=social&channel=social-organic-post-community-tok-44519&attr_medium=organic-post&attr_campaign=social-organic-post-community-tok-44519&attr_agency=gbmhq

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