According to the dictionary, a vlog (or video blog) is “a video journal uploaded to the internet.” Vlogs are essentially bite-sized chunks of video that can detail a certain aspect of your business, demonstrate a product or educate your target audience on the topics that interest them. Many people prefer video to other media because of how fast and easy a video can tell a story.
Are People Even Watching Online Videos?
YouTube, a “small” video hosting site owned by the relatively “small newcomer” Google, has released some of its statistics concerning video consumption.
- YouTube has approximately 1 Billion active users each month
- Users are uploading 300 hours of video every minute
- YouTube has over 4 Billion hits every day
With sites like Vimeo, Viddler, Veoh and DailyMotion, web video is a force to be reckoned with. It’s hard to imagine just how much video is on the internet, but it’d be unwise not to capitalize on the story-telling and attention-grabbing potential that online video offers.
Why Should My Business Have a Vlog?
No one will deny that creating a vlog takes time. Some might argue that it’s the time you and your company don’t have to spare. But, if you can set up a series of vlogs, you’ll find that the benefits outweigh the time investment. For example:
- You’ll keep visitors on your blog longer, boosting your search ranking
- You will reach a new audience of people who don’t have time to read articles
- You can demonstrate your products and services without leaving your home or office
- You can train independent contractors directly from your blog, and many more…
Who Should be in My Vlog?
More often than not, if you’re planning to talk about your business, you’ll want to be the subject or narrator of your own vlogs. Not that you can’t have an actor or friend on camera, but the most natural explanation of service will come from an expert in the field, which is what you are. This approach will ensure that your information is correct, and people will be more familiar with you when they decide to pull the trigger on your product or service.
What Do I Do With My Vlogs?
Share Them on Social Media
Facebook supports videos of all lengths natively, which means you can upload your video directly to Facebook without posting it to YouTube first. Twitter and Pinterest both support videos from external links. You can even edit your longer vlogs into shorter videos and upload them to your company’s Instagram or Vine, which let you record 15-second and 6-second clips respectively that loop as long as someone is viewing. This is a perfect way to repurpose your video content and get the most out of a single vlog.
Publish Them on Your Website
Vlogs can also be posted to your company website to either accompany an existing blog post, or stand alone. If you’d like to have something to catch a visitor’s eye when they visit your site, feature a video on your homepage and grab their attention early. Or use a series of vlogs to showcase your different products or services and make your portfolio more interactive. The possibilities are endless and will bring you new clientele with a greater understanding of what you offer.
Add Them to Your YouTube Channel
Nowadays, everyone and their grandmother has a YouTube channel, and your business could use one too. Take your newly minted vlogs over to YouTube to share with a whole new subset of viewers. And via YouTube, amplifying your video through email, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Linkedin, Digg, Blogger, Pinterest and other social channels is as easy as a click of a button. The reach of YouTube is undeniable, so why not take advantage?
How Do I Get Started With a Vlog?
As you consider adding vlogging to your marketing strategy, you may realize that you have no idea where to start or even what to vlog about. That’s what we are here for! Give Advantage Internet Marketing a call to discuss your business goals and how online video can help you achieve them. We’ll not only produce and edit all of your videos, but also publish and promote them to ensure they realize their full potential.