For many people when they think of blogging they think of written words on a computer screen.
However, blogs can be filled with much more than words. They can also be visual in the form of pictures and video.
For this post, I’m going to focus solely on why video (also referred to as a vlog) is important for blog sites.
Add an extra element to your blog
Vlogs help readers get to know the person behind the blog because the visitor can see and hear the blogger. This creates a different level of connection that cannot be attained with written word.
YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine
YouTube is great for SEO and is in fact the second largest search engine right behind Google. Make a video, upload it to YouTube and add tags to the edit screen that you think users would use when searching for your video. After that, upload your video to your blog post, finish editing your post screen and hit publish. Now your video is on YouTube and your own blog and you benefit from search on both sites.
Brands like video
If working with brands is something that you want to do in the future, then you should start incorporating video into your repertoire now. Many brands are starting to look at using vlogs instead of written posts to talk about their products. By showing that you vlog already it will put you ahead of the competition in terms of working with certain brands.
It’s FUN!
Creating video takes a different type of creativity than writing does. It challenges your mind to develop an idea, act it out on camera, and then edit (or not) to put together a show that people can watch. Yes, it might be scary at first to put yourself in front of the camera, but after the first time you will get over the fear and start to enjoy making vlogs.
It is true that not all people like to watch vlogs and that is okay. By doing something different and adding video to your site, you are helping your readers get to know you in a whole new light and you can make yourself stand out in the sea of bloggers on the Internet.
What do you think, are you willing to give vlogging a try?
About Jessica Torres
This definitely doesn’t come easy to me and I’ve been meaning to start doing this! Video of different kinds that go along with your blog (not just the standard vlog) would be great to reach out and expand your audience.
A great video to start with for your blog is a welcome video. It ties in nicely on the about page and is a bit easier to record than a standard vlog.
Ive always wanted to add vlogging to my weekly posts but it always seems to sit on the backburner until I do giveaways. Maybe I should try again. Great post, J!
Thanks Kristi. I think video is one of those things we have to make time for because it’s not as easy as writing but I do believe it has value.
I actually just started my YouTube channel so I can connect with my readers through videos. I’ve tried a few times to start making videos, but I always messed it up or didn’t know how to do it correctly. I’m going to be diligent and keep going with it. This is a wonderful article
I suggest recording small clips of video and then editing them together. It’s easier that way and you don’t have to worry so much about messing up.
I’ve played with making videos of my kids and had a lot of fun with that, but I don’t share pictures/videos of my kids online so I’m not sure what I’d vlog about if I tried. I do have one video on my blog of me reading. Honestly, doing a video kinda scares me… like public speaking…
I also find that when I’m reading blogs, I just want to read the blog quickly and not turn on the video and wait for it to play.
That is how many people feel so you are not alone in your feelings.
Video is not for everyone but it can be a great addition to blog sites.