Are you a content creator? If so, you might be wondering what the best way to reach your audience is. Which platform is best for you to share your content with the world? Should you start a vlog or shift your focus to blogging? If any of these thoughts cross your mind, you’ve come to the right place to find out the answers. In this blog post, we’ll talk about vlogging and blogging, how they differ from each other, and which option is right for you.
Comparison: Vlogging vs. Blogging
The 8 Key Differences between Vlogging and Blogging
The Bottom Line: Which One is Right for You?
What is Blogging?
Blogging is the process of writing and publishing informational content on a website called a “blog.” A blog consists of both brief and long written posts, usually addressing a question or a topic that may be related to one or multiple niches. These blog posts range from educational articles and how-tos to news items and promotional articles. In addition to text, a blog post may consist of pictures, videos, infographics, and flowcharts.
What is Vlogging?
Vlogging is the process of making video blogs, commonly known as vlogs. Similar to blogging, vlogging is also an approach to delivering one’s content to the audience, with the exception that all the content is in video format. A vlogger usually makes a video of himself or herself while talking to the camera about a certain topic. This topic can be anything from sharing one’s daily activities to reporting an event or evaluating a product.
Comparison: Vlogging vs. Blogging
Let’s go over a short comparison between vlogging and blogging quickly:
Let’s compare blogging and vlogging in detail now!
First, blogging is often written in the first person, while vlogging is typically filmed in the first person. This means that when you’re vlogging, you’re sharing your thoughts, experiences, or information with your audience through a video camera. On the other hand, when you’re blogging, you’re usually sharing your thoughts, experiences, or information through writing.
Second, vlogging is usually more personal and less formal than blogging. When you deliver your ideas through visual content, your audience can see your facial expressions and body language. This can make your vlogs more personal and relatable than blogs.
Third, vlogging is more spontaneous than blogging for the most part. When you’re vlogging, you’re filming all the happenings around you, which means that your vlogs can be less planned than blogs. On the other hand, all the content you post on your blog is generally planned and pre-formed.
Finally, vlogging is far more visually appealing and interactive than blogging. When you vlog, you talk to the camera while showing all the things and events around you. Therefore, your vlogs are more likely to be visually interesting than blogs. Moreover, the audience can interact with you through comments and questions in vlogs. Blogs sometimes include visual content as well, such as images, videos, and infographics.
The 8 Key Differences between Vlogging and Blogging
Do you have any plans to start a blog or vlog? Or maybe you already have one but you’re looking to shake things up a bit. No doubt, both vlogging and blogging are great ways to connect with your audience. However, there are some significant distinctions between the two methods of content delivery. Each of vlogging and blogging has perks and drawbacks of its own. Let’s evaluate how they differ from one another in eight different ways.
1. Content Format
The most obvious difference between vlogging and blogging is the format of the content. Vlogs are video-based, while blogs are text-based.
If you’re a vlogger, you’ll be creating videos to share with your audience. So, vlogging is all about creating video content. This can be anything from a daily vlog filming your life, to more scripted and edited videos about a particular topic or niche.
Blogging, on the other hand, is all about creating written content. If you’re a blogger, you’ll be sharing your ideas or some information through your writing. This can be anything from a lifestyle blog documenting your personal experiences to a more professional blog about a specific niche.
2. Content Type
You can vlog about anything you want, from your daily life to your thoughts on current events. Generally, there are three types of vlogs:
- How-to Vlogs: these are the vlogs featuring DIY videos or tutorials. These may be related to gaming, technology, cooking, etc.
- Reality Vlogs: these are the vlogs featuring a person’s real-time activities. These are mostly related to beauty, food, traveling, etc.
- Talking Head Vlogs: the vlogs in which the vlogger films his face while discussing certain subjects are called talking heads.
Blogging also covers a wide range of content types. You can write about anything you want, from academic content to how-tos and news articles. Generally, there are 4 types of blogs:
- Personal Blogs: these blogs usually document one’s personal experiences or life stories. This type constitutes most lifestyle blogs out there.
- Business Blogs: these blogs are mostly available on a business’s website. The purpose of these blogs is to inform the audience about a business’s services or products in detail.
- Affiliate Blogs: all blogs created with the intention of promoting the goods or services of another are considered affiliate blogs.
- Niche Blogs: the blogs that feature informational articles and guides related to a specific niche like pets, technology, health, finance, etc, are called niche blogs.
3. The Equipment
Another key difference between vlogging and blogging is the equipment you need to get started. To start a vlog, you’ll need:
- Smartphone or vlogging camera
- Tripod
- Microphone
- Lighting equipment
- A free or paid video editing software
- A decent internet connection
To start a blog, you’ll need:
- Desktop computer or laptop
- Camera or smartphone to capture images and videos
- Internet connection
- Domain name and hosting
- Blogging tools
4. Production Value
The production value of your content is also the major difference between vlogging and blogging. Vlogs can be as simple or as complex as you want, but they are generally less polished than blogs. This is because they are often less edited and more spontaneous.
On the other hand, all the content you publish on a blog is generally planned and pre-formed. Since written content is not as engaging as video content, it must be polished and error-free enough to deliver the utmost value to the audience.
5. Platforms
The platforms for blogging and vlogging also vary greatly. For example, the most popular platform for vlogging is YouTube. If you plan to vlog on this platform, you must first create a YouTube channel. But vlogs are not limited to YouTube only. There are a number of other vlogging platforms, like:
You can start your blog on a number of different blogging platforms, including free and paid ones. But these platforms are different from those that are used for vlogging. Some popular options include:
6. Audience
The audience for vlogs and blogs is also different in terms of age groups. Blogs, which make up 77% of all sources used by individuals to consume information on the internet, are more popular with older audiences than vlogs. On the other hand, younger audiences, who find reading to be a tedious activity, frequently prefer vlogs.
7. Monetization
The monetization options for vlogs and blogs are also different. Vlogs can be monetized by:
- Displaying ads
- Sponsored videos
- Affiliate marketing
- Product placements
On the other hand, the monetization options for a blog include:
- Displaying ads
- Affiliate links
- Selling merchandise
- Selling digital products or services
- Sponsored posts
- Offering premium content
8. Time
Usually, blogging takes less time to get started but more time to build an audience. In other words, a blogger doesn’t need to record, edit, or post regular videos. All he/she needs to do is publish articles on his/her blog every now and then. A vlogger, however, needs to make scripts for all videos, then shoot them, edit them, and post them regularly. All of this can consume a lot of time.
On the other hand, building a loyal readership for a blog takes time because blogs are less interactive than vlogs. To make your blog posts as interesting as possible, you must improve them on a regular basis. All of this surely requires time and effort. But the process gets easier and more lucrative once you start gaining some audience.
The Bottom Line: Which One is Right for You?
There’s no right or wrong answer to which platform is better for you. It all depends on what you’re most comfortable with. You might find that you like vlogging better, or you might
