Should videos include subtitles?
Short Answer:
Almost always, yes. A large share of social video is watched with the sound off, so subtitles keep your message accessible and boost watch time. They also improve accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers and can help with SEO. For most business and social content, captions are now the norm rather than the exception.
Overview
Subtitles are no longer optional for most online video. They protect your message in sound-off environments, widen your audience, and are expected on the platforms where most business video is now consumed.
Detailed Explanation
Why subtitles matter
Sound-off viewing: much of social feeds autoplay muted; captions carry the message.
Accessibility: essential for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
Watch time: captions help retain viewers who would otherwise scroll past.
Comprehension: they aid non-native speakers and clarify technical terms.
Discoverability: caption text can support search and indexing.
Styles vary from simple burned-in captions to platform-generated ones — for brand content, well-designed, on-brand subtitles look far more professional than auto-generated text.
Example
A LinkedIn or Instagram video without captions loses much of its meaning when it autoplays silently, whereas the same film with clean, on-brand subtitles communicates instantly and holds attention.