Transcribed Podcasts, FTW!

Do you have your podcast episodes transcribed? If you just answered “no,” here are a few reasons why you need to start NOW!

SEO, SEO, SEO – If you’re content with stagnant growth of your listening base then feel free to stop reading. If you’re hoping to increase reach, on the other hand, then you’ll want to know that SEO (search engine optimization) is where it’s at.

Search engines have a far easier time understanding the content of your audio when it is accompanied with written transcripts. Transcripts allow the content of your audio to become searchable. Sure, you can manually record your audio podcast and share it on your own, but it’s nearly impossible to compete with the reach and exposure of organic searches through Google.

Once your podcast has a transcript to go along with it, people will be able to find your content through search. The fact remains that a transcript will facilitate the growth of your message and company exponentially. Why create a podcast that no one will be able to search for?

May I Quote You, Sir?

With a text version of your content, the possibility for it to be quoted and shared rises. Obviously, someone can still listen to and type their favorite part, but let’s be honest, people like things to be easy. When someone can simply copy, paste, and cite your text, it leads to more shares and more followers. Furthermore, that one citation from someone that stumbles across the transcript of your podcast could lead to more searches, followers, and shareable quotes to help you go viral.

Time is of the Essence

I don’t know about you, but it’s an extremely rare occasion that I can say “Wow, I have so much extra time on my hands.” Everyone is in a time crunch. Our current society is less about “relax and take your time” and more about “what can I move around in my schedule to cram in ALL THE THINGS?!” Someone might be super interested in your awesome 17 minute podcast, “What Produce You Should Always Buy Organic,” but she only has 6 minutes until her Hot Yoga class starts.

With a transcript, she can skim to find her favorite fruits listed, and be horrified that she hasn’t been buying organic. Without the ability to read a snippet, she would never know that her strawberries are not A-OK.

Convenience. Huzzah!

I’ve been in situations on multiple occasions where I am interested in the content of a podcast but I’m somewhere or doing something in which listening to audio simply isn’t feasible. So I save it and hope to listen later. Guess how many times I’ve actually gone back to a saved podcast… if you’re imagining a big, fat goose egg, then you would be correct. If I had a dime for every time I hoped that a podcast or other audio/video had written content as well, I’d have like $6.40. Please don’t let your podcast be stuck, wasting away in someone’s saved folder. Your podcast doesn’t deserve that kind of loneliness.

All for One and One for All!

Finally, accessibility and inclusion. Plain and simple. It is an unfortunate fact that this is often overlooked, but there are laws and guidelines to help us keep this in mind. There are some people that are very interested in what you have to say but are not able to listen to you. In a 2008 study, it was found that 35 million Americans suffer from some type of hearing loss. That’s massive! For those that are hard of hearing or have an auditory sensory issue, a written transcript may be the only way they can consume your content. You never know, it could be one person that is able to read your podcast transcript–when they can’t listen to it–that can change your life forever.

There simply is no reason not to allow people of all abilities access to the information from your podcast.