Why You Should Use Translations to Boost Your Channel

If you want to boost on your channel, look into translations. It’s an often ignored element on YouTube because it requires effort.

You need to write out the content of your video and then translate it into another language. As such, for most channels, the default Google translations are all a video receives.

But... consider this:

English is only the 3rd most spoken language in the world! Estimates suggest that only 360 million people speak English as their primary language. Another billion know English as a second language.

Even if we assume ALL 360 million English speakers watch YouTube, that's only 30% of YouTube's audience. 930 million people speak Mandarin, while 395 million speak Spanish. They have significantly larger potential audiences!

Now, let’s take this information and apply it back to your channel. By adding Mandarin or Spanish translations, your video has 3-4 times the potential audience.

That means they will watch longer, they may watch more of your videos, and they may even subscribe.

It’s creating a compelling reason to watch, where most people ignore it.

How can I get translations and captions on my video?

There are a few methods of how you can make this happen. For starters, Google has a built-in translation tool. It first transcribes what you’re saying (to the best of its ability) then translates those notes.

The end result is something that resembles a different language but doesn’t convey real meaning.

If you wanted to improve Google’s translation, you should transcribe your own videos. Listen back and type out a script of exactly what you said.

Then you upload those notes to the video itself. Google then has complete thoughts and sentences to be able to translate from. It’s a far better option, but still leaves something to be desired.

The best option would be to take your transcription of your video and submit it to a translator.

There are many who do it at an affordable rate (usually less than $10 per 100 words). Or, you could even look at a discount site like Fiverr, where translations come in $5 increments.

Are there any benefits to having better captions?

Yes! Another major benefit to having captions on your videos is that it makes them accessible to hearing impaired or those who have hearing loss.

An estimated 3 out of every 1000 people in the US are born with hearing impairment. Also, 15% of people experience hearing loss during the course of their life.

By providing captions to your videos, you are giving access to your videos to millions of people in North America and around the world.

That’s not just a new audience, but in a world that should be accessible to everyone - the right thing to do!

If you’re STILL not convinced that translations could give you a boost, take it from YouTube directly:

“YouTube’s a global platform that connects creators like you with millions of viewers all over the world. It’s easier than ever to offer a multilingual experience on your channel and reach a worldwide audience.”