We are hearing it from all sides – video is the new black. It’s where most of your audience are spending their time, and it’s one of the most successful (if not currently the most successful) content online.
Technology evangelist Brian Fanzo tells us that video is the future. If you’re not producing video on your blog and social channels, you are missing out.
However, through conversations with other bloggers (aka people who started a blog to write, not necessarily to be an online influencer jumping on each new trend to stay current), I’ve noticed that people aren’t experimenting with video if that’s not their passion and that’s not what they started blogging to do.
So it seems bloggers are divided. Yes video gets eyeballs but if you don’t love it and it’s not what your current audience wants, do you bother with it at all?
I’m interested in what the audience here at ProBlogger does, and is considering doing in the future. Will you be leveraging video for traffic? Do you already? Are you a vlogger? Do you shy away from the camera and prefer your words to do the talking? I’d love to know where you’re at in the comments.
I am all for video! I was/am “shy” but I feel that video allows you to actually be your unadulterated self because you control your environment. The camera is in the space you decide, when you want, in front of an audience of none!
Now what happens after you post is a whole different story. I post my videos on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. You can’t really control who sees it or what they may say. But you can delete comments you don’t like or block comments altogether on YouTube. I know this can really bother some people to have to read them before deleting them but you can’t let that stop you. This is your business, right?
Ahhh yes, the reaction comments! can be utterly terrifying!
I’m a writer, voracious reader, and an Introvert, so it’s pretty easy to guess which side I fall on. But it’s more than a simple aversion to speaking on camera. For years I worked in hotel sales and traveled all over the world speaking to groups so I’m not shy about sharing a message.
The truth is I just don’t care for video posts. If I land on a blog and the post is video, I won’t stay to watch it just because I find them boring. Would I be able to expand my audience in a new direction if I made videos? Maybe, and I will likely experiment at least a little prior to introducing several new courses in January, but only after everything else is in place.
I’m a little bit like you actually :)
I’m a travel blogger and started adding video a few years ago. I started recording scenic areas and events. I then added a dashcam to record some scenic roads. I do short clips and then edit them together into a video. I started doing some vlogs last year.
I try to keep my videos to 5 mins or less. I usually imbed the video into a blog post.
Here’s what I’ve noticed. Not everyone looks at the video in a blog post. About only half the bog viewers look at the video when I first publish it in a post.
I make the videos so they can stand on their own on Youtube. It’s interesting that the YouTube views tend to grow overtime, while a blog post tends not to have the same legs. The other thing I’ve noticed is that I don’t get any referral traffic to my blog from my videos even though I reference my blog in the video and in the video description.
It seems like my YouTube audience is totally different from my blog audience.
Overall, I enjoy doing both print and vlogs. For me, they’re both good ways to depict my travel subjects.
oh great tip about making them standalone content!
Hi Stacey,
I record 2-3 videos a week. Sometimes I churn 1 out daily when I’m really in the flow ;) I find videos rock because my natural ham comes out through this medium, LOL. Cool too for developing an authentic, human touch, when viewers can see and feel and connect with an actual talking head versus words on a screen. Some folks will always dig blog posts, others, video and others, podcasts, so my courses and blogs will integrate all these forms of content to vibe with the preferences of my audience.
Thanks for sharing :)
Ryan
Ha I know what you mean about the natural ham! Sometimes it’s just too much fun to pass up, and also lets you show a different side of yourself. I’m a fan, I probably don’t do video often enough!
Hey Stacey,
I haven’t tried the video marketing for my blog. The visual content always works the best than just the text.
If I would go for videos then it would be twice a week. For a blog, two videos are more than enough.
~Ravi
Agree!
Hello Stacey,
I can relate my thoughts with your to an extent. Over the time, video has become a vital item for all kind of internet marketing. However, not everyone willing to click on that triangle button as it consumes much of time and data. Of course, it contains larger info. But, if we rely on some other alternative that comes with a lightweight, that sounds better for me.
It is such a personal decision, huh :)
Vlogging to me seems overrated maybe because I have not tried it not would I try it but some people, it is natural to them! When sitting on your PC I prefer video but on mobile I want to read, works better for me. :D
I change my mind about it all the time!
I find that starting discussions about videos _that someone else produced_ is a low-cost, effective way to satisfy people’s need for video content. ;)
I think that can be one strategy, yes!
I realised this just few days back after posting my videos & response I got.
We have to learn making videos to make a better reach.
It can definitely help!
A year or two ago, I noticed many marketing blogs promoting the rise of video marketing as a sort of new way to engage audiences better. Being a small web development company, we started to promote video creation services on a small scale but the upsell wasn’t greatly received (in terms of replacing text content that you’d usually find in blog posts). What our clients are sometimes more interested in, this will differ on the market you service, is the power of intro. videos to sum up the problem being solved by a client’s business.
Ah that’s such an interesting perspective!
I run a video based resource blog and, while challenging at times, feel that videos are the future of online media. 1-2 new, polished videos a week can really grow your blog!
Glad to hear it’s working for you!
I was so hesitant to start doing video because I didn’t want to be on camera. I’ve had a YouTube channel for about six months and it’s had a huge impact on my business already! I love doing video now.
Ah I love a success story! well done :)
I’ve been embedding video. But I’ll never do full video blogs (blogs).
Actually I shouldn’t say never, but probably never!
haha I know what you mean!