From bombastic and neon-colored calls to action, dramatic Calligraphy-like notes on video, all the way to plain typewriting effects, you must have seen that adding text to videos can be a real scroll-stopper. When creators choose to insert text in videos, it’s often a great strategy that can help boost viewer engagement and create an overall more pleasant watching experience for the audience. If you’ve ever wondered how simply putting text on a video can directly impact view rates, keep reading to learn more.
How to add text in a video
When you insert text into a video, remember that it comes in different flavors. And no, we’re not talking about fonts and colors alone.
Captions
The importance of captions is highlighted for multiple reasons, and we’ve been using them for a long time now. From translations to accessibility, they are a key element for videos shared in any medium, not just motion pictures alone.
Transcript
A transcript is a literal translation of spoken content into written form. They sometimes inlcude sound effects, music cues and other narrative elements, making it a complete written record for any video. Many YouTube videos feature transcripts in the description seconds, similar to how digital courses provide online students with transcripts of learning material.
Annotations
Any academic professional will swear by adding annotations in their presentations. Highlighting key concepts and ideas automatically helps anyone get a better understanding of any topic at hand, not to mention that it efficiently helps sediment knowledge.
Calls to Action
The already classic “Like, Share & Subscribe” speech we’ve come to know, use, and love can really use a little extra oomph. What better way to jazz it up than by adding text calls to action in support of speech?
Animated motion titles
Whoever said text only has to be static clearly hasn’t tried adding animated motion titles as a dynamic element. This type of text insertion is an eye-catcher and can significantly increase the engagement of your videos, so if it fits with your aesthetic, it’s a must.
Now that you know how many possibilities are out there, you just need to make sure you find a tool that’s not only capable of helping you with one kind of video text but also packs a complete toolkit that lets you work with all text types. An option that checks all the boxes is Flixier, the intuitive video editor that lets you add text to videos online. The best part is that this tool runs entirely in your browser, so you can get all the editing done right in a browser tab. The user-friendly interface lets you effortlessly put text on video as annotations, animated motion titles, and even colorful calls to action. You can automatically generate captions and full transcripts for any video, saving you precious time and a lot of effort. Simply power up Flixier, upload and edit your video however you want, and head to the Text section on the left side of the interface. Experiment with over 1000 font families or upload your own custom font, then play with text color, placement, weight, shadows, and backgrounds.
Why you should add text to videos for boosted views
We’ve covered the HOW, so now it’s time to take a deep dive into the WHY. No matter how you choose to integrate text messaging in your videos, it’s good to know that this will directly contribute to a better view rate and an overall better viewing experience for your public.
An added layer of understanding
Establishing a connection with the audience through more than just image and sound is possible through text, no matter its format. You can insert text in the video either as a hook to reel the audience in from the very beginning or through colorful calls to action. Visual learners can also highly benefit when you add text to videos because the content is a lot easier to follow. The human brain creates a stronger association between image, sound, and text rather than by using only one of the senses, like sight or sound alone.
Achieve a cohesive brand look and aesthetic
What would the Star Wars movies look like without the iconic text intros? Now, this is a question we don’t even want to find the answer to because the “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” just wouldn’t be the same without the now famous font. When you insert text in the video, you should consider how the text works in your favor by keeping a coherent look that’s in tune with your branding. Having an easily recognizable and original type of font that’s associated with you as a creator is yet another reason why your digital presence would enjoy a boost. After all, some examples are so good that they become memorable by themselves and as an integral part of pop culture, much like how specific gothic fonts are now referred to as Tim Burton-esque. Pretty cool, right?
Improve video discoverability with SEO
We’re letting you in on a little secret: video SEO. This has a significant impact on your video views because it basically provides search engines with information about your content and can make or break its ranking. At this point, search engines cannot crawl videos, meaning that they take into consideration information that is purely text-based. This is perhaps one of the strongest arguments when it comes to making videos with text. Adding captions within the video automatically optimizes your content and how it’s viewed by search engines, therefore increasing the chances of it being shown to more and more people. Adding a transcript in the description would automatically incorporate some key words and phrases, thus boosting your visibility.
Enhanced video accessibility
Not only is video accessibility through subtitles mandated by law in some regions and specific contexts, but it’s also a nice thing to do. When you choose to put text on video through captions, you are helping people with hearing difficulties be able to access your content. Besides, many studies show that neurodivergent people also benefit from a smoother watching experience by following captions. Last but not least, many of us are guilty of scrolling on mute or watching videos without any sound in certain situations, and that’s when we’re grateful for creators who choose to make videos with text.
Clear content structure
When you add text to videos you’re making it a lot easier for viewers to extract information from it. Take chapters, for example: including a text-based frame that covers what specific sections of your video are about makes it a lot easier to place timestamps. The same goes for including a full transcript. This way, viewers can look up specific segments and topics of interest, making the watching experience more pleasant and easier to follow.
Final thoughts on why it’s important to insert text in video
By now, we’ve looked into why it’s a great idea to add text to videos, starting from establishing and fostering a deeper connection with the audience, well-rounded and recognizable branding, video accessibility, and last, but certainly not least, boosted video visibility through SEO. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to add text in a video remember to opt for a reliable tool that doesn’t limit your creativity and provides high-quality results.