Vlogging is the new age of blogging, and people are moving towards it. This post will compare Blogging Vs Vlogging and which one you should start in 2021. If you are looking for a career in blogging or Vlogging then it will guide you through.
The History of blogging
In the late 90s, people started their personal blogs to write about their personal experiences or educational purpose. Then people started blogging about everything under the sun. And then there is a flood of CMS for blogging. Initially, people relied on bloggers, but then WordPress and other platforms also came in. You won’t believe that there are more than 2 billion blogs on the internet.
Every day millions of blog posts are being published but what makes some of the blogs successful while some blogs never see organic traffic. We will discuss everything in the post.
Video platforms on the internet
Since the last two decades, video platforms are also growing, and people are becoming more attracted to these platforms. YouTube is one of the most preferred video platforms, but others like Metacafe, Vimeo, Younow, Periscope, Twitch, etc also have a huge user base.
According to a survey, YouTube has the highest number of active users among all social media platforms. Video content is more consumed nowadays as it gives more clarity in some cases than written content.
Main Difference between blog and vlog (Blogging Vs Vlogging)
Due to more demand for videos, people can now start vlogging or video blogging rather than blogging. The significant difference between blogs and vlogs is that blog contents are in writing, graphics, or pictures, but vlogging is more into video and audio.
In Blogging Vs Vlogging, blogging is an age-old medium while Vlogging is gaining popularity from the last decade. The primary reason for vlogs gaining more popularity is because of the fast and cheap internet. And with the rise of video platforms like Youtube, Metacafe or Dailymotion Vlogging became more prominent.
You can also create a blog and vlog in the same niche for a better result as there are many options to integrate both platforms into each other. For example, you can now easily embed any of your videos in your blog and vice-a-versa.
Cost
If you consider the initial cost then obviously making a Vlog is more costly than starting a Blog as Vlogging requires some special equipment like a Camera, Audio device, Editing device, and software.
You can host your vlog on Youtube, Facebook, Dailymotion, Twitch, Vevo, Metacafe, DTubes, Utreon, etc. You can start your blog with Bloggers, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Wix, Weebly, etc.
Creating a Youtube channel is absolutely free and requires no cost. If you are not willing to invest money initially then you can use your smartphone to shoot videos.
For blogging, you need to invest some money. Yes, there are some free platforms available online for blogging but free platforms have limitations. Once you start earning you have to move your blog to platforms like WordPress etc which may be hectic.
If you want to start blogging and are serious about it then I will advise you to go with managed CMS like WordPress.
Earn money
If you consider earning money then both mediums are capable of earning handsome money for you. It depends on your ability and hard work. But if you are putting some kind of effort into both then in this comparison of Blogging Vs Vlogging, Vlogging has a slight edge.
But it does not mean blogging is no less, I know many bloggers who earn good money from their Google Adsense. Apart from Google, you can also earn from sponsored posts and affiliates. You need to focus on keywords and SEO to bring more traffic to earn more money online.
Another measure difference between blog and vlog is that the latter has the capability to go viral. While a written post or blog goes viral once in blue moon, vlogs often go viral if handled in the best manner.
Skills
Both media requires some special skills to be successful. Visual content is more about presentation and you need an explanatory video for content creation. To make your video content more interesting you need to learn how to use video editing software. Posting raw videos will get you nowhere.
Blogs need impeccable writing skills to attract more users and rank on top in search engines. Though on both mediums you need thorough research before making videos or writing content. You need to learn basic skills of the CMS platform you are using for blogging like WordPress, Blogger or any other.
Research and learning are two key points for success.
Vlogger vs Blogger, Why vlogging gaining so much popularity
Many vloggers have started their vlogging about a particular niche like travelling, cooking, health, food, or something they are interested in. The major difference between normal video and vlogging is that vloggers use their own camera, audio, and other setups. They handle these rather than any cameraman or without others’ help. Most of them use GoPro cameras or vlogging cameras with flip screens.
There are plenty of vloggers on YouTube who are gaining subscribers and views and earning thousands of dollars from it while enjoying what they do. Still, it also requires some hard work and dedication from the vloggers to make their video exciting and keep their viewers on their toes for the next video.
These vlogging videos mainly come like a series; as an example, if you consider a travel vlogger who makes travelling videos. If he starts his vlog in a country of Europe, he should explore different cities of that country and then move on to the next country in a flow such that the continuity of that vlog does not break and people can co-relate the videos.
Blogging Vs Vlogging for affiliate marketing
After AdSense, affiliate marketing is the primary income source for bloggers where bloggers put some sponsored or their affiliate link on their blog. When users click that link and buy the products, then the blogger gets his/her commission. Similarly, vloggers also put their affiliate links on their vlog, and they get a commission in the same process.
A vlogger can influence his audience more to buy an affiliate product than a blogger, as vlogging is an audiovisual method where you can interact with your audience. Also, they can see the product in a better way.
Also, you will get offers from different companies to host a sponsored post once your blog or vlog gains popularity.
Blogging Vs Vlogging -Some profitable niches for both
Blogging and vlogging both have their audience, and both will stay relevant in the coming years unless we invent some new medium. If you are thinking to start a blog or vlog, then you should do proper research for both. There is plenty of niche and micro-niches which you can consider for starting your blogging or vlogging career, but be sure whichever you choose becomes your passion, or you are already passionate about those.
Some profitable niches for vlogging are
- Food Vlogging
- Child care
- Fitness
- Technology
- Movie Review
- Shayari
- Travel Vlogging
- Comedy or Pranks
- Gaming
- News
- Fashion and Beauty
- Informational Vlog
- Short Video
These are only some examples and you should start a blog or vlog about the niche you have good knowledge or keen interest.
Why you should consider vlogging
Blogging still has relevance and its audience, and it will remain so. On the other hand, audiences are growing in vlogging as the new generation prefers to watch videos more than reading. People are creating vlogs almost about everything under the sun.
As a case study, let’s consider Sambhavna Seth’s vlog, maintained by Actress Sambhavna Seth and her husband, Avinash Dwivedi. In Sambhavna Seth’s vlog, she shows their daily routine and activities. It has more than 1.5 million subscribers.
Search engine optimization for both
It does not make a difference that you are into blogging or vlogging but search engine optimization or SEO is a must. But SEO for both the platforms are different as the key difference is Blogs are self-hosted while video content is hosted on platforms like Youtube or Vimeo.
In both cases, you need to optimize your content around a keyword, be it video content or written content. Optimizing blog posts is more tricky than optimizing video blogs. Increasing traffic will need some serious effort and learning. There are hundreds or thousands of Youtube videos to learn how to do SEO for your blog or video blog.
Conclusion in Blogging Vs Vlogging
Though blogging still holds a significant value and will have it in the future, more audiences prefer vlogs as the internet is growing and has become cheaper. So if you want to think before starting either one, which medium you are more confident and comfortable with.
Blogs are an age-old thing and will remain intact. Both the medium has income potential but you have to make sure with which you want to go. Blogs are more about written posts and you have to maintain regularity in your post.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to comment below.