Can you read this?

 Can you read this while paying attention to the image?

If you struggled to read this, so do your viewers.

I’ve analyzed hundreds of vertical videos for social media, and these errors show up constantly:

1. WALL-OF-TEXT SYNDROME

❌ The mistake: Too many words per subtitle. Viewers can’t read fast enough, so they scroll.

✅ The fix: Keep it to 25 characters max per line. Break long sentences into 2-3 quick captions.

2. INVISIBLE TEXT

❌ The mistake: White text on bright backgrounds, tiny fonts, or captions placed over faces/products.

✅ The fix: Add a dark outline or semi-transparent box behind text. Position captions in the lower third (never over key visuals).

3. ROBOT TIMING

❌ The mistake: Captions that appear too early, stay too long, or cut off mid-word.

✅ The fix: Match caption timing to speech rhythm. Each caption should pop in as the words are spoken and disappear right after. Sounds obvious, but most auto-captions butcher this.

Want to master this?

My next course covers mobile-first subtitling in depth (timing, placement, styling, and tools that speed up your workflow).

When?  Nov 25–26 | 18:00 CET | 2h/day

Enroll now: https://www.translastars.com/course/vertical-video-subtitling