Blog vs Vlog

People read some 55 million blog pages every single day. That’s more than 38 thousand pages read in one minute.

After all, 4.9 billion people — more than half of the world’s population — now use the Internet. In the United States alone, 77% of the population are online daily.

With that big a potential following, starting your own blog can be your ticket to stardom. You can become the trusted go-to of consumers seeking valuable and credible information.

But first, you need to choose the “storytelling” medium you’ll use: a blog vs vlog.

Granted, they share the same goal of sharing information with people. But their method of information delivery is different.

Don’t worry! We’re here to share with you what makes the two different, as well as their pros and cons. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know which platform best suits you.

Blogging 101

So, what is blogging?

This piece you’re reading is a blog post, and what we’re doing — sharing written information with you — is blogging. Think of blog pieces as a journal (or diary) entry but published online. The act of writing these pieces is blogging.

Blogs are text-based online content aimed at sharing information, advice, views, and thoughts. They can be about any subject, like product reviews, travel guides, or DIY how-tos. Many bloggers even share their personal experiences through their blogs.

Blogs aren’t only for individual writers or professionals though. Business owners and corporations also use them to engage and attract customers. 36% of Fortune 500 companies used blogs for these reasons in 2016.

Why Blog?

About to start an online business or already own a brick and mortar one? Then you need to blog to boost your online marketing campaign results.

First, because Google’s three major ranking signals include high-quality content. Other search engines do too, but Google’s the one you want to please as it holds 87.26% of the U.S. search engine market share.

Fresh, informative content gives you the chance to appear on search engine results. Combine blogging with correct search engine optimization techniques, and you can rank better.

Also, eight in every 10 online Americans trust blogs. They rely on these so much that 60% of them buy stuff after reading a blog! For businesses, not having a blog means the potential loss of six in every 10 customers.

The Pros of Blogging over Vlogging

A blog site is easy to set up, thanks to platforms like WordPress. You can even set up a WP blog site for free! As a newbie blogger, this is a good way to get started while you’re learning the ropes.

The only blogging gear you need is an Internet-connected desktop or laptop. You need exceptional writing skills though, as well as a knack for research.

Drawbacks to Blogging

Although blogging is an essential SEO practice, you need awesome writing abilities. It’s more than avoiding spelling and grammar errors – you need topics that people want to read. Extensive research makes blogging time-consuming.

Research also includes finding and using the right keywords and meta tags in your posts. Search engines look for these, so if they can’t find it, they can’t put your blogs in the results. Blogging also requires you to write top-notch content on a regular basis.

But if you can commit to putting in the time and effort to write, then blogging may be for you.

What About Vlogging?

As crucial as blogging is for entrepreneurs, there are 30.6 million U.S. bloggers to compete with. Vlogging gives you the chance to stand out from the crowd.

But what is vlogging and how is it different from blogging?

With vlogging, you also tell stories, share advice, or disseminate information. But with a vlog, you make use of video rather than text to share information online. The goals are the same, but a vlog can make your story-telling much more interesting.

Since you’ll be doing video, having video-taking and recording gear is the first step on how to start a vlog. You can use your smartphone, which is okay, so long as it can take videos with high resolution. YouTube is the best platform to use, as it lets you record, edit, and upload videos with ease. Don’t have an office space, no problem, vlogging can be done from home as well as many people are doing these days.

Why Vlog?

A billion hours every day — that’s how much time people watch via YouTube alone. A whopping 92% of mobile video watchers also share these videos.

Those stats should be good enough reason for you to start vlogging.

More than that, vlogs make you more human, since viewers will see you in them. You’ll talk to your viewers directly through the video, so it has a more personal touch to it. This makes you more relatable and credible, as people see an actual human and not just words.

Plus, researchers found visual aids makes it easier to digest information. One study pointed out that presentations with visual aids were 43% more persuasive.

You know the saying, “to see is to believe?” That’s what videos can do to consumers.

Also, over half of all mobile traffic now involve online videos. That shows how vlogging can help you rank better on search results. But you need SEO for videos too, so you should still optimize your vlogs. There are many video marketing stats that that show how beneficial video can be.

The Cons of Vlogging

You may be a great story-teller in person, but to be a great vlogger, you need pricey equipment. That includes a video camera with HD recording capabilities and video editing software. Speaking of editing, you also need to learn this skill to produce watch-worthy vlogs.

Blog vs Vlog: You Need Both

With both offering great benefits, it’s no longer a question about whether to choose a blog vs vlog. It’s more of when you should start doing both. The sooner you begin blogging and vlogging, the sooner you can build a following.

So, this 2021, hone both your writing and video-making abilities! Tell your stories in different formats so you can offer variety to your followers.

Need more help with your online marketing campaigns? Then this marketing strategy guide is for you.