If you aren’t blogging or vlogging for your small business yet, now is the time to get started! Both are super effective ways to market your business by speaking directly to your audience and letting them know what you’re all about. Getting personal with content that adds value in a conversational tone helps you connect with your potential leads.
Blogging is wildly popular, with more than 6 million blog posts per day (that’s more than 2.5 billion annually!). Using blogs to create a brand voice allows you to incorporate SEO keywords to appear in online searches—that explains why businesses have begun to utilize the secret weapon of blogs!
We know blogging has been all the rage for personal and business purposes, but where does vlogging fit in? Vlogging is the new tech-savvy cousin of blogging. YouTube has an average of 2 billion logged-in monthly users. If you’re one of the billions who use YouTube, chances are you’ve also seen a vlog.
Do you know the difference between a blog vs vlog? What about the benefits of using a vlog vs blog marketing strategy for your business? Both blogging and vlogging can be good strategies for small businesses, depending on what you’re looking to accomplish. As your blogging vs vlogging superheroes, we’re here to banish any confusion and save your content!
What’s the Difference Between Blogging and Vlogging?
Simply put, one format involves text, and the other uses video. The term blog is a shortened version of “weblog,” which describes an online page that’s used as a journal or a source of information. Posts in a blog show up in reverse chronological order, so the latest posts appear at the top as you add more. Blogs are created by a writer or a group of writers that share their views or expertise on a certain subject.
Vlog comes from combining the words “video” and “blog.” If you’re watching a video where a person is filming themselves and talking to the camera, that’s most likely a vlog you’ve stumbled upon! The content usually stems around someone sitting in front of a camera speaking directly to the audience or filming themselves throughout their day. This format is hugely popular on YouTube and increasingly so on Instagram Reels and TikTok. These videos require minimal editing, if any at all, and get posted usually immediately or quickly after filming.
The main difference between blogging vs vlogging comes down to turnover time, the amount of editing required, the subject matter, and the media platform where posts are uploaded. Both have the same goal of getting more readers or followers to the blog or vlog, who can then be directed to something you’re promoting or selling, which is especially useful for small businesses.
The History of the Blog vs Vlog
When Did Blogging Start?
Let’s take it all the way back to the 90s when the Internet was still a relatively new phenomenon. In 1994, the first “blog” was created, but it was just referred to as a personal home page at the time. A few years later, in 1997, the term “weblog” was coined, which was followed by Open Diary’s launch in 1998 as a community blogging platform. The term was eventually shortened to “blog,” leading to the creation of early blogging sites like Xanga and LiveJournal.
When Did Vlogging Start?
Many people might think of YouTube as the first vlog source, but the concept of a video diary can be traced back to the 80s with camcorders. But the first official “vlog” was uploaded in the early 2000s on YouTube, and the term eventually took hold. From 2005 to 2010, vlogging took off on the Internet with video diaries creating YouTube stars and vloggers.
How To Decide Whether Blogging or Vlogging Is Best for Your Business
So, which one is best for your business—is it blogging or vlogging? There are benefits of using both strategically for your business. But if you’re choosing between a vlog vs blog, start with a blog as your primary foundation.
Blog Advantages
A blog can use SEO keywords to drive traffic to your website. You can post long-form articles with helpful information your target audience will appreciate. Having various blog categories related to different aspects of your business is essential for covering a wide range of topics that will ultimately bring more potential leads to your blog (and hopefully result in a conversion!).
Vlog Advantages
Using vlogs in combination with or in addition to your blog is a great way to expand your reach on other platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok. Vlogs published on YouTube can also be posted on your company website or embedded in blog entries. Video content can be repurposed and is a valuable resource for your business marketing strategy.
The Bottom Line for Blogging vs Vlogging
When it comes to blogging vs vlogging, keep in mind as you go over your marketing budget that videos can be more expensive to produce than blogs (we can help you with our blog writing services!). Take a look at your business goals—blogging is critical for SEO rankings and content repurposing, whereas video can be crucial in establishing trust and building authority. If you can, do both blogging and vlogging for your business, as they serve different purposes and often different subsets of your overall target audience.
Looking for vlog tips and blog best practices for your small business? Follow The Written World on Instagram for valuable tips and tricks. And if you need extra help, check out our services page for website copywriting, blogging services, and more! We’re here to help make your life easier, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
