When creating content, as a podcaster it is important to realize that transcripts can be a huge part of your content base. There are many different ways to consume information, and everyone has different preferences. Audio content is incredibly convenient and easy to absorb, for most. However, some consumers prefer video, and some prefer written. The easiest solution to this ‘dilemma’ is to offer a combination of content types.
One of the best combinations for podcasters is to provide your listeners with a written transcript of each episode. Here are the benefits of including a transcript with your podcast episodes and how this will help you to reach a wider audience.
1. SEO Optimization
Optimizing your is critical when it comes to growing your podcast and increasing your audience. Ultimately, the more written content you have on your site, the more search engines have to pick up and index. Having a transcription for every episode will not only increase your website rankings, but it will also make you more discoverable. Relying solely on audio to increase discoverability will take a lot longer, therefore providing a transcript with give you the content you need for great SEO optimization.
2. Catering to Different Content Consumption Styles
As mentioned previously, there are many different ways to absorb content. Some people prefer purely reading, others strictly need audio, and yet others will benefit from having both. Providing a transcript with give your listeners the option to read along as they listen. If someone is listening and their attention is distracted for a minute or two, they can quickly refer to the transcript to catch up as this is much easier than trying to find a certain point along an audio track. People love options, so give them every option available.
3. Facilitating the Hearing Impaired
For those that have hearing disabilities, audio just isn’t an option. While this seems contradictory to the podcasting concept, it is important to take everyone into consideration. A transcript is a great way for you to tap into a whole new audience that is previously untouched by your message. By giving them the option to read through your podcast episodes, you are essentially opening the door to impacting and connecting with a huge readership base.
4. Compensating for a Lack of Audio Capabilities
It’s becoming more and more rare these days, but some people still lack audio capabilities on their devices. Whether that be incompatibility or lack of access to new technology. Whatever the issue, these individuals should be given an option to access your content visually. By providing a transcript you give your audience the option to catch up on episodes by reading along. Another scenario that relates is if someone is in a situation where they can’t listen to audio at the time, or perhaps they just do not have the time to dedicate to an entire episode. A supplementary transcript will give your listeners the option to skim through the episode. These are several examples of where written content can be the best way to still deliver your message.
5. Providing Convenience for Your Listeners
Many podcasters, like you, have shows with high quality and in depth education material within each episode. This requires their listeners to take notes and jot down important points for future reference. Providing a transcript would be a helpful complimentary aid to ensure that your listeners do not miss any important details during dense information sessions. This will allow them to read through the episode and pick up on any key points that they may have missed during their first listen through.
A great way to make it even more convenient for your listeners is to give them the option to click on a link embedded within the transcript that will take them straight to any websites or resources mentioned during the episode. Having a clickable link will be convenient for your listener and will help them keep their focus on what’s valuable.
6. Creating a Global View of Episode
When listening to audio, you only hear what’s being said at that present moment. Whereas with writing, you have the ability to read multiple words at once. Additionally, if you need to find something while listening to audio, you have to click through the track until you find what you’re looking for. By providing a transcript for the listeners, they can quickly skin through as they will be able see all the content at once. This provides a much better overview of the episode, tying in all the points into a larger global perspective.
7. Optimizing Future Content
One of the greatest points of providing a full transcript of each episode for your listeners is how it can actually benefit you, the podcaster. After several episodes have been released, you will start to build up a huge wealth of knowledge that you can later use to create additional content pieces such as courses, ebooks, comprehensive blog posts, or even a published book. Valuable content can be extracted from each transcript and combined to create a master piece of the overall theme and key learning points from the podcast.
Another great way to optimize this content is to combine tips and strategies from experts in the field into a valuable resource for your audience. For example, if you have interviewed 100’s of financial experts and asked them all what their greatest financial lesson was, you could create an ebook each lesson and how this can help your audience avoid critical financial mistakes and learn from these financial industry experts.
The biggest takeaway is that there are many benefits to providing a transcript for your podcast episodes, not only for your audience, but for you as a podcaster as well. Audio content is definitely the content of today, however expanding your reach by adding transcriptions for those who either require it or prefer it can help you to impact and penetrate a whole new listener base.
