While iPods and other mp3 players have taken the world by storm, I'm still a visual girl. For me, that means I'd much rather read something than listen to it. If it's a video of a software or service demo, I might be persuaded to view that, if I have the time and if I have no other choice. For the most part, I'd rather read about it. I have tons of audio files stored on my hard drive, to most of which I've never listened. They'll probably languish away on my computer, only to be deleted one day when I've forgotten why I downloaded them in the first place.

However, the ones I have "listened to" are the ones which also offered a written PDF transcript. Okay, so it's cheating a bit to say that I've "listened" to them, but those files that came with transcripts got my attention much more quickly than those without.

I realize that I'm in the minority here. The audio and video methods of conveying information online are here to stay, and the majority of Internet users like and prefer those methods to reading. Studies also indicate that when an online business owner adds audio or video to a site, traffic and conversion rates increase dramatically.

The written word, however, is far from dead. I'm discovering that there are more and more people who prefer to learn by reading (or maybe we just attract one another). If you offer teleclasses or webinars as a part of your business model, here are 5 reasons you should offer transcripts with your teleclass recordings:

1. Multiple Learning Styles. As previously established, offering both an auditory version and a written version of teleclass content appeals to both kind of learners. Granted, transcribing can be tedious if you're doing it yourself. However, most one-hour teleclasses can be transcribed for about $100 USD. If this investment resulted in a 30% increase in your conversion rate or download rate, it would be a worthwhile investment, don't you think?

2. Printable Format. Unlike audio files, which require some type of device to play them, PDF transcripts can be printed and carried with you. So, if your portable device battery dies or if you're in a situation where electronic devices aren't permitted, you can get the information that you need from the printed transcript instead. Call me hopelessly out-of-date, but I even print out and bind larger (greater than 100 pages) PDF ebooks if I believe they are something to which I'll continually refer. I still prefer to go to my office bookcase and pick up a resource rather than search for my copy of the same resources in my computer files. I've had my readers tell me that they regularly print the PDF files they buy from me and refer to them constantly. Perhaps your readers will do the same?

3. Upsell New Products. Transcripts, unlike audio files, offer the opportunity to upsell your reader to new products or services. In the transcript, you can add several pages that serve as a sales letter for a new product, or include an order form that is similar to one that appears on your site. You can easily update the offer in the future by inserting new pages.

4. Immediate Gratification. If your reader is viewing the electronic version of your transcript, she can immediately click on the hyperlinks you include and see the sites to which you refer in the teleclass. The mp3 listener, on the other hand, may not have Internet access at the time she's listening to the audio file, and consequently has to write down the URLs mentioned and then view them when she's back online. I've lost more slips of paper in this situation than I care to remember, which is yet another reason that having a transcript appeals to my learning style so much.

5. Second Profit Center. If you're selling the audio of a teleclass or webinar, you can offer the transcript as an add-on to the price of the teleclass for an additional fee. I constantly see online entrepreneurs offering a teleclass for $29 and then permitting the buyer to add a PDF transcript for just $10 more. This method offers visitors a choice and appeals to a wider variety of buyers than offering only one option might.

Teleclasses and webinars are a profitable way to boost your online business. Add transcripts to your offerings, and see your profits increase even more!

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