Content creation is not exactly a new concept, but the way content is being created, shared and viewed is definitely changing. In this article, Saads Abrahams from media update is taking a look at the battle of the content titans — blogging versus vlogging.
A few years ago, if you had to tell your mom you were going to be a blogger or that you were quitting your job to focus on your YouTube career, she would probably have looked at you like you'd grown an extra head.
Nowadays, the creator industry has expanded significantly, becoming a legitimate career option. Choosing the right path can be challenging, so we're exploring the differences between blogging and vlogging to help you determine which one suits you best.
What Is Blogging?
A blog is a shortened term for weblog. What started as a digital diary has now grown into an essential tool for businesses, brands and individuals to share their insights and information.
Blogs are seen as sources of opinion, knowledge and advice and because many of them have a conversational tone, they are more appealing to the average reader.
What Is Vlogging?
A vlog, on the other hand, is a video log where you express your ideas, experiences, or information via video rather than using written text. It's a favoured type of content on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Vlogs provide a more intimate and captivating method to engage with your audience. Through video, you can express your personality, share snippets of your everyday life, or demonstrate skills. Vlogs rely on visual storytelling where you can incorporate clips of your activities, speak directly to your viewers, or enhance your content with music and special effects to make it more engaging.
The Core Differences
Content
Content on a blog is in a written format that can be accompanied by images, graphs and infographics. Whereas the content on a vlog is purely video content that can be both long- and short-form.
Platforms
Blogs are available on webpages and use platforms such as WordPress and Wix. Vlogs are shared on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
Frequency
This would depend on each creator, however, blogs are typically created weekly to monthly, and vlogs are usually created daily or set up episodically.
The Pros and Cons
Pros
Blogging
- easier and cheaper to start
- better for evergreen content
- better for SEO purposes
- more ideal for creators who are camera-shy, and
- provides a lot of flexibility when it comes to style and tone.
Vlogging
- more beneficial for engagement rate
- easier to go viral
- easier to connect with your audience, and
- provides the ability to share content on more than one platform.
Cons
Blogging
- known for slower organic engagement rates
- outdated according to some younger audiences, and
- requires SEO skills and knowledge.
Vlogging
- requires video editing skills, software and hardware
- can be extremely tiring and time-consuming
- harder to repurpose into long-form content, and
- success often lies in the hands of the algorithm.
Monetisation Opportunities
Both blogging and vlogging can generate income for you, which is great even if your content creator journey is part-time.
Monetisation for Bloggers
Monetisation opportunities for bloggers include:
- affiliate marketing
- display ads
- selling digital products like ebooks or online courses
- writing for other publications, and
- email marketing (promoting products and sending affiliate links to your subscribers).
Monetisation for Vloggers
Monetisation opportunities for vloggers include:
- earning through ads (YouTube's Partner Program)
- contributions from fans
- brand collaborations, and
- exclusive paid memberships to your content.
The Hybrid Approach
However, the beauty in being a content creator is that you do not have to choose a single path — you can be both a blogger and a vlogger. Many platforms such as WordPress allow you to share video content, or you can link your videos on your social media platforms to your written blog and vice versa.
The main thing when it comes to being a successful blogger, vlogger or both is passion. Viewers are able to pick up on authenticity very easily, and without passion, your content will ultimately fall flat.
Did you find this article insightful? Let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Canva