If you’re a blogger, chances are you enjoy writing. Either that or you live a pretty miserable existence. Very few bloggers would pass up the chance to do a little bit less of it however. After all, there are only so many days in a row that you can spend furiously typing on your computer before that dreaded creative block begins to approach.
A highly productive way to take a few day off from crafting word perfect posts is to experiment with video posts. While most bloggers focus exclusively on text, there’s actually a lot to be said for video posts. Should you be considering creating your next post with a camera rather than a keyboard, here are the primary benefits of doing so.
Some Topics Are Easier Explained With Video
If you like to educate as well as entertain, incorporating video into your posts could seriously benefit your blog. While there will always be a place for text based instructions, some things are just easier to illustrate with video. Not only will your life be made easier by not having to type a twenty step tutorial but your readers are also likely to find a video much easier to follow.
Market Your Blog on YouTube
YouTube is probably the single most underutilized platform when it comes to blog promotion. Considering the ridiculous levels of traffic that the site receives on a daily basis, it always surprises me how many bloggers have yet to establish a presence there. The primary reason behind most bloggers absence is simple, they don’t create video posts.
Video Posts are More Engaging
Successful bloggers always aim to engage with their readers as much as possible. While engaging content can of course be textual, video content is always going to be superior in this regard. In my opinion, a simple video in which a blogger discusses a particular topic is always going to be significantly more engaging than a post in which he writes about the same thing.
Highly Effective for Personal Branding
Personal branding is something that all clever bloggers care about. Some include a photo of themselves on their blog but such photos are rarely remembered. On the other hand, spend five minutes watching a particular blogger talk and you are far more likely to remember him. Video posts are therefore highly effective when it comes to marketing yourself and getting your face, rather than just your blog, out there.
Attract a Different Audience
Most web users are more than happy to take their entertainment in text form. A single look at the popularity of YouTube however should illustrate the fact that video is also extremely popular. Some web users simply prefer to sit back and watch somebody explain something rather than read a long post. Adding video posts to your blog can allow you to target such web users.
Video Posts Are Still Unusual
Finally, the biggest advantage of video when it comes to blogging is probably how rare it is. Text based posts are always going to be significantly easier to create and are therefore always going to be significantly more common online. Video requires a decent webcam, video recording software and the ability to make yourself look respectable, or at least presentable, on camera.
Provided you are willing to make the effort required to create a video post, your blog is going to stand out. And considering the number of blogs currently online, isn’t that what it’s all about?
Brian Wills is a freelance writer and an internet marketer. He writes about blogging and also advises about the use of various internet marketing strategies like opt-in email marketing, social media marketing, SEM etc. for a successful online presence.
