Blogging vs. Vlogging: Which Should You Choose?

The Internet has provided an avenue for people to share their thoughts, feelings, expert opinions and stories with millions of other people around the world. These can be done via writing or via videos. Or otherwise known as blogging and vlogging.

Blogs and vlogs are ways to get information to people, in short, quick bites for them to assimilate, as people spend more time moving through sites than actually settling down on one site. Blogs and vlogs are great for online businesses, as they are a way for you to market your products or services, provide customers with relevant information, and make a profit. But, which one is the best for your business?

Blogging: What It Is All About

Blogging involves using words to express oneself online, just like an online log. Blogs are used to publish relevant information for people to read, and businesses use them to write posts, reviews, or infographics relevant to their products, services, or niches.

Advantages Of Blogging

• Blogs are easy to set up. Using platforms such as WordPress and Tumblr, it is very easy to start a blog, and even free as well. With WordPress, you have the option of going for a free WordPress.com site or a web hosted WordPress.org site. Either of these sites is very easy to set up and maintain, and even if you are having some trouble with it, there are plenty of tutorials and information out there to help you start your blog.
• Blogs do not need a lot of equipment. The only things you need for a blog are a laptop or desktop, or even a tab, and an Internet connection. You will also need to have a passion for writing and reading. With these things, you can easily do your research and curate materials for your blog content without having to fork out any money for any equipment.
• Blogs are great for writers. If you are the type who expresses yourself better with words, blogs are for you. With blogs, you can express yourself in words for people to read, and you can make money off your blog by becoming an affiliate marketer. An affiliate marketer uses codes and links provided by a merchant to promote products and services on their blog or website, and they get a commission from the merchants. By monetizing your blog with affiliate marketing, optimising your blog with SEO, and consequently getting traffic to your blog, your writing could turn into a tidy profit for you.

Disadvantages Of Blogging

• You need a good handle on SEO to be able to properly optimise your blog. A good knowledge of how to find and use keywords, meta tagging, and writing great descriptions are necessary for your blog to drive traffic. Without SEO, search engines cannot index your blog. Basically, you don’t exist on the Internet.
• You need to regularly update your blog’s content. Keeping content fresh and informative is a must if you want to retain traffic and readership. You can put up a new post once every week or twice a week, but make sure it is consistent and relevant.
• You need to write captivating content to ensure that your blog stays fresh and relevant. Whether it is short-form content or long-form content, an article, a review, an infographic, a tutorial… no matter what it is you are writing should be able to catch the eye of the visitors and keep them on your blog for longer.

Vlogging: What It's All About

Vlogging involves using videos to share experiences or thoughts with other people online, but in a video format. Its difference with blogging is that you don’t write anything. You film yourself and upload on the Internet for others to watch. A lot of vloggers use YouTube to set up free accounts and share videos of themselves using a camera.

Advantages Of Vlogging

• With the right equipment, a vlog is pretty easy to set up. Once you have your lights and cameras, you can make your videos and edit them, then upload them to your vlog. For some people, a vlog is easier to set up and work with than a blog.
• Vlogs are more engaging than blogs are. With videos, it is easier to engage your audience and keep them longer on your site. Some people prefer to watch videos than to read articles, and in this case, vlogs work perfectly.
• Vloggers don’t need to be writers. No professional writing skills are needed to set up and maintain a vlog.

Disadvantages Of Vlogging

• The equipment needed to start a vlog is expensive. A vlogger needs high-definition cameras, proper lighting, and editing software to make sure that the video comes out perfect. The cost of the equipment alone can make you forget about venturing into vlogging.
• Editing a video after it has been published on the vlog is impossible. The video will have to be deleted and re-shot, or you could leave it on the vlog and apologise profusely in your next publication.
• Vlogs can be time-consuming. Making a video for a vlog takes time, from the filming to the editing, before uploading it on your vlog.
• Videos cannot be indexed by search engines, as they do not contain any written content, and it may be difficult be difficult for your vlog to get ranked in search results.

Blogs and vlogs have their up sides and down sides. It all depends on you and what you want to do and how you want to do it. A blog is great for you if you have a niche you love and want to write about, while a vlog is a perfect choice for one who would prefer to talk about what they love rather than write it down.

Blogs and vlogs can both be used for affiliate marketing, although vlogs may cost more to use for affiliate marketing than blogs. Nevertheless, blogs and vlogs can even be used side by side, maximising the potential for traffic, and making a profit from monetizing them.

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