Transcription Services for Bloggers » video transcripts

5 Reasons to Have Your Video Blogs and Podcasts Transcribed

Carey — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:37:15 +0000

Podcasts and video blogs are great for allowing people to express their ideas, opinions and views in a more natural form with facial expressions and vocal tones. They prevent the loss of such visual and vocal cues like sarcasm or anger, which can be misconstrued in the written form. Despite this, there are still many reasons to have video blogs, or vlogs, and podcasts transcribed.

photo credit: sukiweb

Search Engine Indexing

One huge benefit to transcribing podcasts and video blogs is because in their audio form, content from podcasts and video blogs cannot be found by search engines. By transcribing these, the written form becomes searchable by search engines, thus increasing the podcast or vlog’s accessibility.

A Wider Market

Simply put, some people simply don’t like listening to podcasts or video blogs and instead prefer to read the information. The instant gratification of visual accessibility of written words may be preferential to certain people; though others may simply prefer the written format because they retain the information better when it is read rather than listened to. By accommodating these people, a podcast or video blog can create a larger following.

Creating Accessible Quotes

Some vlogs and podcasts benefit from being ‘quotable’ and this is even more true when those quoting can easily find the quote they are looking for without having to listen to the entire broadcast. Having quotes around the web on other websites can help drive more listeners and readers to the podcasts or vlogs.

Additional Product

By transcribing a vlog or podcast, the creator has the potential to turn these transcriptions into additional products. This could include eBooks, print books, blogs or other websites. This can lead to additional monetary income through advertising and additional page views as with online publication. Additional products translates into additional income and a larger following.

Personal Reference

Transcripts do not have to be published, but having them on hand can benefit the creator. After so many podcasts or vlogs have been produced, it can be difficult to remember exactly where or if something was said. Having transcripts can help the creator or followers search back to find quotes, references or specific guest speakers.

In short, transcribing a video blog or podcast has a number of benefits. Not only does it create a written record, it also can help promote the podcast or vlog through search engines and create a larger following. It can create additional income for the creator or it can simply be a reference point for future needs.

About the Author: Patty Kleen is a full-time writer with a passion for helping entrepreneurs find their way, no matter what business they’re in. She enjoys writing about personal finance, credit repair, and secure bad credit loans.

Using ID3 Tags for Your Podcast

Carey — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 22:28:18 +0000

Hopefully, your podcast is going to be widely distributed. It can be distributed via your website, someone else’s website, sites such as iTunes, and more. Because of this, it is important to understand and edit the ID3 tag that gets distributed along with your podcast.

Podcasts are distributed as MP3 files. These types of files contain information about the content, such as the author, known as the artist, the album, the genre, and more. You may think that since you are not trying to become a rock star that this information really doesn’t matter. But it does.

You see sites such as iTunes, and even software such as Windows Media Player, display this information on the user’s end. They even use the information to organize the MP3 files on the user’s machine. This is your opportunity to share vital information with your listeners, to help them keep your podcasts organized on their machines, and more.

Regardless of how your listener obtained your podcast, you want them to know where it came from. So, obviously, you want to include your website address in the ID3 tag. You also want them to know who the author of the podcast is, so it should include your name, and possibly even your company’s name. This is one way to get them to visit your site to listen to more of your podcasts. There is additional information that can be added, but at the very least, the ID3 tag should contain your name and you’re URL!

You can change the ID3 tags before you upload it. Just right click on the file, and choose properties. The ID3 information should be under a tab called ‘additional information.’

If for any reason you can’t edit it in that way, edit it with your media player or iTunes player. Highlight the file, right click, and select Get Info. You can fill in the information here.

Also, don’t forget to include the title of your podcast, the date, and possibly some related keywords. This will not only help with SEO, but it will make it much easier for listeners to organize your podcasts.

Why Have Youtube Videos and Podcasts on Your Blog?

Carey — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 05:44:51 +0000

Many bloggers have started doing Youtube videos and podcasts on their blog – apart from writing regularly on their blog.

Isn’t that too much of an effort?

How does it even matter? If you are writing regularly on your blog isn’t that the most you could do to grow your blog or your brand online?

Turns out posting Youtube videos and producing podcasts on your blog is the smartest move a blogger can make – to build and grow a blog and a brand.

In his post Are Youtube Videos and Podcasting Worth the Effort Pat Flynn gives reasons why his Youtube videos and podcasting are growing his blog and brand….of his income as well.

Youtube is a huge search engine itself and referrals from Youtube to his blog grows significantly from his videos on Youtube
Some came to know about Pat’s blog through his podcast fee on iTunes!
Tapping into iTunes and Youtube brought more subscribers to his blog
Some people prefer listening to reading.
Your brand will shine through with videos and podcasts.

Being a Podcast Transcriptionist and Lovin’ it

Carey — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:22:22 +0000

Podcast transcription is my main interest.

Podcasts can be audios or videos of bloggers talking to their audiences or interviews and product reviews. However the bulk of the podcast transcription that I do consists of interview podcasts.

That means that I get to listen to interviews of very cool people before others do.

Also the fact that I’m very much interested in the subjects of discussion really helps. Usually the subjects are niche marketing, building online communities, blogging and site flipping.

Those are subjects that I’m exploring and learning every single day. I read them on blogs and listen to podcasts.

Instead of paying for premium podcasts I get to listen to them and get paid too. How cool is that!

It’s true that people talk much faster and therefore more words to type for a podcast transcriptionist in a recording like podcast because it’s not a dictation.

Podcast audios are meant for listeners, dictations are meant for transcriptionists. So podcast transcription has more words per minute. A 30-min audio podcast could contain as many as 5,000 plus words!

However, in podcasts it’s the people who speak and the content of the podcasts that makes it so interesting and lively and insightful at times.

I hope to apply some of the insights I gain from these podcasts into my transcription business.

So, what are the podcasts you listen to? Do share!

6 Reasons For Podcasting or Video Blogging

Carey — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 16:09:48 +0000

There are actually many reasons why one might want to podcast or to produce a video blog. The reasons are as varied as the people who do it. Some people just want to be heard. Some people want to increase business. Some people just want to draw attention to issues that they care passionately about.

Before you start podcasting or video blogging, it is important to have a good sense as to why you want or need to do it. This reason will have a great influence on the format of your podcast or video blog, as well as on the content that you cover in each type of media.

Here are 6 powerful reasons for podcasting or video blogging:

1. You have a voice – and podcasting and video blogging gives you a platform. There was a time that only media personalities had a voice. The Internet changed this, and although we all had a voice, we weren’t able to use it, because developing a platform was too hard and too technical. That is no longer the case.

2. Podcasting and Video blogging makes you human to others. It is so easy to forget that the person on the other side of the computer screen is in fact a human being. But with the sound of your voice, and/or moving images of you, nobody can doubt that you are flesh and blood.

3. To earn money. If your podcast is good enough, and becomes popular enough, you can earn money either through subscriptions to your podcast, or by selling ad space in your podcast. Money can also be earned by recommending products. Not only that, utilizing podcast transcription service you could repurpose your podcasts into ebook and premium contents like paid email newsletters and paid membership site contents or ecourses.

4. To raise awareness. We all have topics and issues that are important to us. You can use podcasting and video blogging to bring your message to more people, in a more effective way.

5. To teach others. Once, learning was only available in a classroom setting. Education by mail came along and gave us more options. The Internet was invented, and courses were available via email or website, which pretty much gave us unlimited choices. Now, courses are available via podcast and video blog, which still gives us even more choices. Those who had trouble learning just from what they read can now hear and see the course material as well.

6. A podcast or video blog can be a great complement to other forms of media that you are using for your promotions. It is another promotional outlet, regardless of what you are trying to promote.

There are other reasons for podcasting, but even if you can’t think of a reason that suits you, let’s look at the reasons why people actually listen to podcasts and watch video blogs:

• They are busy. They can download podcasts onto their mp3 players and make constructive use of their time when walking, working out at the gym, and waiting in line, driving, etc.

• They like advanced selection. Instead of just listening to a radio station that caters to their particular taste, and being subjected to whatever programming that station throws at them, they can make their own programming choices.

• Some people don’t like to read. Some have a hard time understanding what they read. They want to see and they want to listen, and podcasting and video blogs are an answer to those desires.

• There is a wider selection of entertainment when it comes to podcasts and video blogs. Right now, in terms of watching television and movies, we are limited by what the powers that be in Hollywood or the networks think that we want to see. With podcasts and video blogs, because there is so much diversity in the world, and because anyone is able to blog or podcast, those limitations are removed.

• Like television, people come to enjoy listening to certain podcasts or viewing certain video blogs. They ‘tune in’ week after week for the new content, and they are part of a community that is being built. Those who don’t like your broadcast simply unsubscribe.

• You can listen to podcasts even without an MP3 player, or ipod. They are also accessible via the World Wide Web. Alternately, video blogging can be done in a style that makes it accessible via a video enabled MP3 player, but then it isn’t called a video blog, it is called a vodcast. The point is that the technology is available through a couple of different media devices, instead of just one.

As you can see, there are really numerous reasons as to why one would want to podcast or video blog, as well as reasons why people want to listen to podcasts or watch video blogs.

The bigger question may be ‘why would you not want to podcast or video blog in today’s technologically advanced world?’

The Power of Podcast Transcripts

Carey — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 16:35:07 +0000

I’ve been raving about the benefits of podcast transcripts for bloggers and online entrepreneurs for some time now on my blogs.

However, when a blogger like Pat Flynn of SmartPassiveIncome.com writes The Power of the Written Word for Podcasts and Videos everybody listens and recognizes what transcripts can do and how they can make transcripts work for them.

I’m really happy with Pat’s article.

However, if you want to read more articles on podcast transcripts I have some here.

11 Benefits of Podcast Transcription for Podcast Bloggers

Carey — Thu, 20 May 2010 21:31:32 +0000

Do you have transcripts of your podcasts on your blog or website? Do you know why Problogger, one of the biggest blogs, is providing transcript of his video podcast?

Most podcast bloggers fail to take advantage of their podcasts fully.

Providing transcripts of your podcasts demand more time and effort on your part. It is hard work. If you can’t do it yourself it will costs money to provide transcripts of video posts and audio podcasts.

It’s also true that some people prefer listening to podcasts on their iPods and iPhones. But it’s also true that most online readers would rather quickly skim blog posts.

Here are 11 Reasons why you should provide transcripts of your podcasts:

Posting the transcripts of your podcasts to your blog/website provides the rich text content for search engines to index. Most search engines do not index your audio file. To get traffic to your site, you need regular, quality text content.
Your podcast listeners will enjoy having a text version side by side while listening for reference and skim. By providing all the options for your audience, they will remember which podcasts are more user friendly than others. What is important is that the audience is given a choice.
Some people simply prefer to read the content rather than listen. Many use the content as a reference for further studies and research. Reading a transcript can also be helpful if the voices on the podcast are hard to understand.
By providing podcast transcripts, you are broadening your audience and reaching more people like hearing impaired people.
The transcripts of podcasts can be used as blog posts.
Transcripts of your podcasts can also be turned into ebooks.
It’s easier to monitize your podcasts with accompanying transcripts using contextual ads like Google AdSense.
You are over-delivering when you provide transcripts of podcasts.
You are one step ahead of your competition, who has no transcripts, with podcast transcription.
It is possible to link to other relevant blog posts and resources from within the podcast transcripts.
For most people English is their second or even third language. They may not comprehend fully from what they hear, but with transcripts it becomes easier for them to understand what you say.

As bloggers and online content producers we must always look for ways and means to improve our blogs. One simple way is to utilize podcast transcription to multiply and repurpose our blog contents. Podcast bloggers especially cannot afford to neglect their reading audience. Bloggers should help their readers as much as they can – including providing transcripts of their podcasts.

When you provide transcripts of your videos and audios, it makes your offering more special and therefore, premium. And, that is what each podcast blogger should aim for – quality contents.