Does Vlogging Still Exist?
Well, Sort Of…
Vlogging is a term we really haven’t heard in a while. Doing a quick Google search, you’ll see that the term “vlog” was really popular around 2011–2012, but its usage has really dropped off since then. Does that mean that video blogs have dropped off as well? Or is this term just old? I took a dive into the world of vlogging to find out.
What “Vlogs” are Popular?
For the most part, the most popular video blogs are video tutorials on YouTube — many are known as YouTube stars. Comedian Jenna Marbles, and video game commentator UberHaxorNova are two that come to mind; both of these users have created careers out of video blogging (and made large earnings as well). When searching around for popular video blogs, a theme really comes up: comedy, video games, and beauty (tutorials). Those topic areas produced hundreds, and probably thousands, of video blogs (mostly hosted on YouTube) that capture a wide audience and a lot of views.
But what about a video blog for businesses? If you don’t fall into those categories, can you ignore video blogging completely? Well, not exactly.
Do Companies need to Vlog?
Having a blog that is solely video is not necessary right now. However, including some videos in your blog is key right now. For example, Moz hosts Whiteboard Friday where the Co-Founder of the company posts a whiteboard video every Friday. This has helped the company build a following, as they know the video will be coming and it will discuss a useful or interesting topic related to the company.
So what if you’re shy? Not everyone likes to get in front of the camera. Most teams can find someone to throw up for a promotional video, but you may find yourself on a camera-shy team — but that’s OK. With the popularity of animation, live action videos are no longer the only way to go. Now, of course, being a video animation creation company, we tend to favor this route, but it’s also good for those team members that prefer to create the video rather than star in it.
What Should you Talk about?
Our team typically takes a blog post and makes a Wideo about it. Our users know that they can watch a short, descriptive video so they know what will happen in our blog. They can then choose to read on or not. This is something we do consistently so our users know they get a sneak preview of what’s to come.
Companies that decide to dive into video should remain consistent. That doesn’t mean you have to post something every week, but try starting out by creating a monthly wrap-up video (even internally) that can be shared to keep everyone in the know. You can discuss new clients, new team members, and any upcoming events so your employees are all on the same page. You can also discuss industry trends and news, giving a personal take on what you think. Keep viewers coming back by keeping a schedule about when you’ll post — every two week, last day of the month, etc. Keep the topics in the same genre and you’ll end up with a growing numbers of users that keep coming back for more.
This blog is by Agu De Marco, Co-Founder of Wideo, a DIY animated video production platform.
Looking for a community contributor for technology, startup or entrepreneur related stories? DM me on Twitter @agudemarco or email agu@wideo.co
