YOUTUBE VS BLOGGING: WHICH ONE IS BEST?
If you're reading this right now, I know you want to blog or vlog. So stop telling yourself you can't, because you're great, and you can.
I just want to make a sort of public service announcement - blogging and vlogging or video blogging, are both really effective strategies for working towards your next breakthrough.
You know, there are lots of people now who make a living through generating content for their blog and YouTube channel, and it’s also a great way of attracting more customers.
But before you decide which one to start or whether to do both, it comes down to deciding what’s best for you.
And I know it can be a hard decision to make so I wanted to take you through some of the main advantages and disadvantages, plus some of the things you need to consider.
#1 | WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT?
The first and most important thing you need to consider is what you’ll actually talk about. And the great thing is blog posts and videos are great for providing all sorts of different information.
Generally speaking, YouTube works well for people who have things to show. That’s why beauty tutorials are SO popular on YouTube.
If on the other hand you’re explaining information in a complex way or you’re teaching a certain strategy, it’s best to write that as a blog post. This way, you can use subheadings to split your content up and it makes it a lot easier for readers to consume.
It’s also a quicker way for people to scan through and see if they can find what they’re looking for without sitting through a video.
Or, you can throw the generals out the window and combine the two which is what I do.
So I talk about straightforward, quick, actionable strategies through vlogging. But then I also go into a lot more detail through my blog content.
You’re giving your audience the best of both worlds this way.
#2 | WHAT SKILLS DO YOU HAVE?
The next thing you need to consider is what skills you have…Or what skills you need to learn.
So with a blog, you need to enjoy writing and be good at it. When you look at it, it’s that simple.
Like we said in yesterday’s video, spelling and grammar errors will make you less credible to readers so proofreading your blog posts is going to be a must.
You’ll also need to have creative ability when it comes to designing your website. You can pay someone else to do this but it’s best if you have some sort of control so you can make changes if you want to.
Another key skill you’ll need to develop if you’re running a blog is SEO or search engine optimisation.
So this is all about using keywords in your blog posts that relate to what people are actually searching for so your blog posts will be shown in search engines.
That’s the basic outline but as we know, it can be a lot more complex than that, I mean, most big companies have their own SEO department!
With vlogging, SEO still applies, but there’s something else you’ll need and that is the ability to be confident on camera.
It’s the biggest thing isn’t it, people always say to me that they don’t want to start vlogging because they’re so nervous.
At their core, vlogs need to be engaging. No one will watch a video if the host is boring, they just won’t.
So if you honestly feel like you can’t get your message across well on camera in an engaging way, then you’re probably best sticking to blogging.
And just one more note about vlogging, it’s definitely worthwhile putting some sort of script together before you film.
So many people think it’s just as simple as sitting down and hitting record, but do you know how much prep goes into a video before you even film it? It’s a lot. A lot.
#3 | WHAT DOES YOUR AUDIENCE WANT?
Online video is blowing up because they’re easy to share and they appeal to a really wide range of people.
You know, you watch a cooking tutorial online and it could be made interesting and entertaining even for someone who hasn’t followed a single recipe in their life.
And travel vlogging? Well that’s just perfect for people watching because it’s like an escape for them.
Watching vlogs is a much faster way of consuming information and being in the generation we’re in, it also allows us to do other things. People watch videos while they’re cleaning, getting ready for work and even at the gym.
Blog posts on the other hand appeal to people who want MORE information which is why they’re so valuable.
With a blog post you can go into a lot more detail and include internal linking so you’re leading people to other articles on your website that will help them.
You can do that on YouTube too, but it may not be as effective because people are more likely to muli-task when watching a vlog than reading a blog post.
#4 | WHAT DOES IT COST?
Vlogging is usually more expensive than vlogging, especially if you want to take it seriously, because of the kit you need.
You know, you’ll need one or two microphones, a good camera or two depending on what type of videos you create and somewhere to actually create videos if you’re like me and usually create the talking head type videos.
Some vloggers even have their own set or studio with a separate crew and editing team, and makeup artist.
With a blog, you need access to the internet, a website and you’re good to go.
I think it’s also becoming harder to make money on YouTube than it is from blogging, especially due to the recent changes that have been made.
There are various different ways to make money through blogging and obviously the more revenue streams you use the more you’re setting yourself up for success. But you don’t necessarily get that with YouTube.
#5 | SO WHAT WOULD I DO? BOTH!
And I know, I know, you might be thinking, Holly I hardly have time to create one blog post right now let alone start thinking about YouTube!
But it doesn’t have to be YouTube. There are so many ways you can incorporate both blogging and vlogging into your online presence.
And a really easy way to do it is write a full transcript for your video and just copy and paste that into a blog post. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing with this series to make sure that I appeal to all my audience.
You know, if you talk about a specific tool in your blog post, you can just record a really quick 1 minute video with QuickTime and that’s as simple as it can be.
Blogging and vlogging are both great ways for you to promote yourself.
So I'd love to know, which do you prefer? Are you a blogger, a vlogger, or both? Which do you think is more important? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Remember to be the boss of blogging and vlogging so you can get one step closer to a breakthrough.
