Video content has become a pivotal tool for B2B marketing. Whether you’re an e-learning creator or e-commerce marketer, videos are an effective way to engage with and educate your audience.

However, one often overlooked yet crucial aspect of video marketing is accessibility. Ensuring your videos are accessible can significantly broaden your reach and impact. This guide will delve into the importance of accessibility in video marketing, practical steps to enhance it, and specific strategies to apply when using platforms like Kinescope.

Why accessibility is important and how it can positively affect your audience

1. Broadening your audience

Accessibility in video content means making your videos available and understandable to a wider range of people, including those with disabilities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over one billion people worldwide have some form of disability. This means video content is not accessible to 15% of the world’s population.

By making your videos more accessible, you're not just complying with legal requirements but also demonstrating inclusivity, which can enhance your brand’s reputation and expand your audience base.

2. Enhancing user experience

Accessible videos improve the overall user experience for all your viewers. Features like captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions benefit not only those with disabilities but everyone in various viewing contexts. For example, captions can be useful for someone watching a video in a noisy environment, while transcripts can aid those who learn better through reading than watching videos.

3. Boosting SEO

Search engines can’t watch videos but they can crawl text. By providing transcripts and captions, you can improve your video's search engine optimization (SEO), making it easier for people to find your content. This increased visibility can lead to significantly higher engagement rates and traffic to your site.

4. Compliance and legal protection

In many regions, accessibility is a legal requirement. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the US and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) globally set standards for accessible content, and non-compliance can lead to legal repercussions. By making your videos accessible, you mitigate this risk and show your commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility.

What you can do to improve video accessibility

1. Add captions and subtitles

Captions and subtitles are text overlays that represent spoken dialogue and important non-verbal sounds in videos. They are crucial for people with hearing impairments and beneficial for non-native speakers of the language your videos use. 

Ensure your captions are synchronized with the audio and accurately represent the spoken content. If applicable, make your video captions and subtitles available in a number of different languages to accommodate international audiences.

2. Provide transcripts

Transcripts are textual versions of video content, including dialogue and relevant audio cues. They are essential for those with hearing impairments and helpful to viewers who need to refer to or quote any part of a video. Transcripts can be useful for SEO purposes. Offering downloadable transcripts can be a simple yet effective way to enhance video accessibility.

3. Use audio descriptions

Audio descriptions provide information about important visual elements in your videos, making them accessible to visually impaired users. These descriptions are inserted into natural pauses in the video's dialogue and describe actions, facial expressions, scene changes, and other relevant visual details.

4. Ensure keyboard navigation

Some viewers use a keyboard instead of a mouse to navigate content. Make sure your video player supports keyboard navigation so users can play, pause, and control the volume using keyboard shortcuts.

5. Choose accessible video players

When it comes to accessibility, not all video players are created equal. Select video players that support captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions. Ensure individuals with disabilities can easily navigate the player itself.

6. Mind your contrast and font choices

The text in your videos, including captions, subtitles and any other on-screen text, is legible. Use high-contrast color combinations and readable font sizes and styles. This helps visually impaired individuals, as well as those watching on small screens or in bright light.

How to make your videos more accessible in Kinescope

Kinescope is a powerful platform for video hosting and management, offering various tools to enhance video accessibility. Here’s how you can utilize its features to make your videos more accessible:

1. Include captions and subtitles

Kinescope allows you to upload caption files (like .srt or .vtt) directly to your videos. Ensure your captions are accurately timed and provide a clear, readable font. Kinescope also offers automated captioning services but remember to review and edit these for accuracy.

You can also try Kinescope's newest feature - manual subtitles editor, directly from the dashboard. Simply upload a video, add and edit subtitles based on your timestamps.

Additionally, Kinescope recently introduced an option to auto-generate captions; this is still in its beta version but can be activated for your account if you want to try it send us a message.

2. Provide transcripts

Upload transcripts as supplementary files or include them in your video descriptions. This practice not only aids accessibility but also improves SEO. Kinescope supports attaching various file formats, making it easy to provide comprehensive transcripts.

3. Implement audio descriptions

For videos hosted on Kinescope, you can create versions with audio descriptions and label them accordingly. Alternatively, you can use Kinescope’s editing tools to integrate audio descriptions into your existing videos. Make sure these descriptions are concise and provide essential visual information without overwhelming viewers.

4. Enhance player accessibility

Kinescope’s video player is designed with accessibility in mind. It supports keyboard navigation, allowing users to control playback without a mouse. Familiarize yourself with these controls and ensure your audience is aware of them by including instructions in the video description or accompanying materials.

5. Customize visual elements

Kinescope offers customization options for player controls and captions. Use these features to ensure high contrast and readability. Customize the appearance of captions to match your branding while maintaining accessibility standards.

Conclusion

Making your videos accessible is not just a legal obligation but a moral and strategic imperative. By embracing accessibility, you can reach a broader audience, enhance user experience, and improve your SEO.

Platforms like Kinescope provide innovative tools to help you achieve these goals. By implementing captions, transcripts, audio descriptions, and ensuring navigable interfaces, you can create an inclusive viewing experience that benefits all users.

Investing in video accessibility is investing in the future of your business. It reflects a commitment to inclusivity, social responsibility, and excellent UX. Start today by exploring how you can customize your video player using Kinescope.