Why You Should Transcribe Your Podcasts
One of the most important items you can place in your toolbox for marketing is transcribing your podcast. Why should you transcribe your podcast? Your transcription will become an invaluable source to draw in a wider audience to your podcast by making it more accessible to those who may not have the ability to listen to the audio for any number of reasons.
In this article, we’ll be going over the benefits of transcribing your podcast, as well as how to transcribe your podcast.
Accessibility
People may be consuming an episode on a busy train or loud bus, where they can’t quite hear all of the audio. Or, maybe they’re at work and they’re not allowed to wear headphones, but they’re eager to consume your content.
This is where giving people the option to read an episode creates an advantage for you. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to consume your content.
Transcription Boosts SEO
Transcription is also beneficial because of all the identifiable keywords and phrases that Google will pick up when you post your transcription on your website.
This is huge for SEO.
If you recall in our show notes article, Google can’t yet index audio, so, the more written content you have in relation to your podcast, the more likely it is that your podcast will show up in Google when people type in search terms that are related to your podcast, or a specific episode of your podcast.
Search ability is key and if you want to gain new listeners, you must transcribe your podcast.
The goal is that newcomers searching for something of interest to them will come across your transcription (because of the keywords they’re searching for), enjoy your content, and start subscribing.
Also, some people just straight up like reading more than listening to something.
Repurposing Transcription For Blog Posts
You can and should, turn your episodes into blog posts.
Highlight the main talking points of the transcript, and begin writing a summary of what was talked about in the episode. Be sure to include links, and reference anything that was mentioned on the show.
Ideally, this will draw listeners even deeper into your ecosystem/brand and influence them to take action on the products or services you offer.
Use your transcriptions as a guide for your blog posts, but take a slightly different angle. Ideally, you want your transcription, show notes, and blog posts to be similar in nature, but, provide the listener with a different lens to view your content.
Social Media Sharing
I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for good quotes. They always seem to evoke some kind of emotion out of me.
Pulling quotes from your transcription and sharing them on social media is an excellent part of an overall content marketing strategy.
It’s easy to copy a quote on your phone and then paste it into a Twitter or Facebook post. It’s likely that your really engaged audience members are excited to do the same, and share your ideas.
Copy-paste an intriguing quote from your latest episode, drop it on social with links to the audio version of the podcast and or the transcription and you’re in business.
How To Transcribe Your Podcast
There are several ways to transcribe your podcast.
- Hire an Individual or Company
- Use an Automated Transcription Service
- Pick A Podcast Hosting Platform That Offers Transcription
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Hiring Out
If you have no desire to do transcription yourself, you can hire a professional. There are a lot of freelance writers that specialize in transcription.
Human transcription is the most accurate. You can usually get 99% transcript accuracy.
However, human transcription is typically expensive, coming in at around $1 per minute, or more.
Places like Upwork, and Fivver have freelancers that post their experience and availability along with their rates.
However, the best human transcription service is Rev.com. The Podcast Haven has hired Rev hundreds of times.
Simply upload your audio file, along with host and guest names, and Rev will take it from there. Rev boasts a 99% accuracy rating and can usually turn around a podcast episode in 12-18 hours.
Be sure to make your needs clear to whoever takes this job by giving them clear instructions of what you are searching for, the format you’d like to have your finished product appear in, and the deadline for having it completed.
If possible, include timestamps in your podcast. This makes it easier to reference different sections of the show. Keep in mind, Rev does charge more for including timestamps in their transcripts, and chances are other transcribers will as well.
Using An Automated Transcription Service
The most budget-friendly and fastest route is to use an automated transcription service. This option is a good in-between for your time and your pocket change.
With automated transcription, you can send out your audio file and have it processed through software that will automatically transcribe your episode. But, A.I. services are only about 80-90% accurate. So, you will need to go through the transcription and make some changes to ensure accuracy.
Otter is great for automatic transcription. Originally this software was designed for meeting notes, but it’s now really popular for podcasters.
Its voice recognition distinguishes between each speaker, making it a great tool for episodes with multiple guests. Otter.ai offers a free trial with up to 600 audio minutes in their basic plan. This resets every month.
Scribie is quickly becoming a favorite among podcasters. Scribes’automated transcription service is fast and super affordable.
Boasting a 90% accuracy rate and a 10-minute turnaround, Scribie will get you real close to what you need for $.10 a minute. Simply upload your audio file and you’re off to the races.
In past posts, we have mentioned Descript for editing. But naturally, Descript transcribes every file you upload. If you are a monthly subscriber, transcription is included, although you’ll need to make some tweaks to the copy.
Transcribing Your Podcast Via Your Podcast Host
Nowadays it seems like all podcast hosting platforms offer transcription.
Getting your episodes transcribed through your host is an easy and effective way to take care of transcription.
Podcast hosts that offer transcription will cost you a few extra bucks a month, but it’s definitely worth it.
Podcast hosting platforms that offer transcription:
Don’t get overwhelmed or paralyzed by the options.
The best tools and services are the ones that fit your budget, your needs, and your workflow.
This goes for choosing a transcription service but is also equally important for finding an editor, marketer, host, etc…
Find something that works and roll with it. Always keep moving forward and when something isn’t working, make a pivot.
The most important thing is to keep creating and keep building momentum with your podcast.
Fourth Pillar Completed!
Wow, just wow. Look at what you have built. It’s so impressive I can’t stand it. You created, recorded, edited, launched, and marketed your very own unique podcast. Way to go!
Think of all we have posted and learned as a networking spider web. Intricately designed and connected to entrap…no wait…seduce…no, more like lure…okay ummm…
Seriously, all that we have discussed will put your podcast out there in a plethora of forms so those eager listeners can find you and be led by the strings of your planning to arrive at your podcast.
By following The Four Pillars of Podcasting you have created a product that can bring in a new audience, as well as keep your established listeners interested and impressed with your piece of the internet podcasting sphere.
As you continue creating and placing your podcast out there for others, remember you have a strong foundation to hold you as you continue to build and improve upon your knowledge, adding value to your podcast, which in turn will add value and enjoyment to your audience.
If you would like more information or need assistance with what has been discussed in building your pillars, feel free to contact Podcast Haven for any additional help or with any additional questions. Live long and PODCAST!