Video blogging is certainly nothing new. Although text-based content has always been the foremost blogging medium, bloggers have been using video for several years now in an attempt to diversify their offerings, post updates more quickly, and to convey certain ideas and information that are most easily understood through visual means. But video blogging has only grown in popularity over the past year. I’d venture a guess that this is the result of two factors: one, that embedded video advertising has become incredibly popular and profitable, and two, that the corporate world and business speaker for conferences are increasingly using video communication, in turn causing a trickle-down effect into the blogosphere.
The growth in its popularity, however, should not underscore the fact that video blogging is not for everyone. If you’re considering adding some videos to your blog, here are a few considerations to keep in mind:
What does your reader want?
The mantra that the “customer is always right” applies just as well to the blogging world as it does to a traditional small business. The satisfaction of your customers translates directly into Page Rank and advertising revenue. When contemplating the addition of video to your blog, then, you should keep the needs and wants of your readership base foremost in mind. Would your readers appreciate diversification or would they rather stick with pure text? Would their comprehension of your content be enhanced with the addition of video? Don’t pursue this any further if you cannot satisfactorily answer these questions.
Can it help SEO?
The addition of video blog posts can have a beneficial impact on a site’s SEO practices. This will only happen, though, if videos are posted with appropriate keywords and tags, if a portion of the site can be established as a dedicated video archive, and if all videos will be embedded into the site. If you’re able to make these modifications alongside your switch to video blogging, then the move may bring your some highly worthwhile benefits. If not, you may only harm your SEO by adding video.
Can you keep it clear and professional?
Some people are better at speaking in front of a camera than others. Along these lines, some bloggers are far better at writing text content and find themselves out of their element when they start incorporating video into their blog. If video blogging is to be worthwhile, the blogger should be able to clearly convey the content in a video post in a manner that is professional, engaging, and consistent. Do a test run, film a couple video posts, and see if you have what it takes. Since the quality of your content should ultimately be of utmost importance, don’t diversify simply for the sake of diversification if you expect that your quality levels will decrease in the process.
Conclusion
Hopefully these tips can help you decide whether video blogging is right for your site. A successful video blogger can widen his readership base, breed a livelier blog, boost SEO, and attract more lucrative advertisers. But all of these benefits can get turned on their heads if video blogging is not done well. Before taking the plunge, it’s important to make sure that video blogging is right for your blog – and for you.
12 Comments
Hi Brad, I really appreciate this blog post for I have been contemplating doing videos for 3 months now… Wonderful advice! I will be back! I wonder if you know where I could go to get information on how to go about doing a video… maybe something like Video for dummies..lol
This is really interesting, You are a very skilled blogger. Ive joined your rss feed and look ahead to in quest of extra of your fantastic post. Additionally, I have shared your website in my social networks!
This is one of the areas that I am contemplating. I am a little self-conscious. Should I just disable the comments section? I do not think I am tough enough for the criticism of You Tube. What is your experience with you tube?
I really enjoy video. I feel it makes the reader stay on a site longer and offers a secondary alternative to text content. Don’t forget to make the alt text relevant to the content.
Great Post. What is your take on a pure video blog or vblog like that of Bob of gaodaddy?
Diversifying your traffic source is a search engine metrics that only a few SEO’s recognized. They are more on search engine based traffic. Sometimes they result to unethical link acquisition and many other techniques to destroy the competitor.
Hi Brad,
I love to learn more about adding video to blogging. I have always been interested in video and I have certainly found other bloggers videos very useful, but I have never really taken action as far as creating my first video.
I think I will give it a try and see how it turns out. After all, as I tell my readers, it’s important to take action if you want to see results.
Take care,
~Jeremy
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Hi Brad,
I have just recently started using video and the results have definitely been worth it
I was always shy but now it doesn’t bother me i think it’s definitely worth using video on your blog.
Thanks
Joe
Interesting article Brad. Video is a very effective tool to make your visitors staying in your website and provide information by sound and image. It’s also a great way to reduce the bounce rate.
Nice to see you comment on the pro’s and con’s of ( or vlogging). I think, video blogging is definitely good for blogs but videos have to be:
1. High quality
2. On topic
3. Short (around 5 mins max.) if posting regularly or 10mins for a couple of posts a month
You have a very good and informative blog! Thanks for this again.
So how long have you had this blog for?
Shuaib
These are the things to consider in video production, worthwhile to note. I’ll put this in mind the next time I record a video.