What’s the difference between a blog and a vlog?: While most people turn to writing blogs and making vlogs as a hobby, they’ve also become one of the most popular ways to earn money through the Internet.
Regardless of what age you are, as long as you possess a few general skills, you’ll be able to start vlogging or blogging.
However, if you’ve just heard these words being throw around in conversations about making money online, then you’re probably confused about what they mean, so let’s clear that out!
What is the difference between a blog and a vlog?
The fundamental difference between a blog and a vlog lies in the media they use to communicate with people. When it comes to blogs, all of the content is in text form, with the addition of images, charts, and occasional videos, etc. In comparison, vlogs are essentially video diaries, usually filmed to document people’s experiences edited and uploaded by their creators.
Depending on your preference, you can either write a blog post or film a video to upload on platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo.
Now let’s look at this in greater detail.
What is a blog?
A blog is a type of website or web page containing content in the form of text that provides information on a specific topic.
The information is published in blog posts by various companies or individuals who are known as bloggers.
Apart from texts, blogs can also contain pictures and entire videos!
The style and layout of the blog are entirely up to the creator, and each blog will be different from another.
Their content can range from product reviews to food blogs, fashion blogs, gaming blogs, self-help blogs, mom blogs, etc.
Essentially, with a blog, the writers will pick a niche of their interest and write content related to that niche on their blog for the readers.
For example, fashion bloggers might write articles about outfit ideas, latest trends, seasonal outfits, favorite clothing items, etc.
Whereas a travel blogger might use their blogs to document their travel adventures, offer tips to fellow travelers, give reviews on the places they’ve visited, and upload pictures of their trips alongside.
Small companies might use their blogs to engage with their followers and provide details about their products and as websites for their online shops!
If you don’t want to be tied down to a specific niche, you can also use your blog to share the parts of your life you find interesting.
What is a vlog?
When talking about vlogs, think about YouTube videos where people film their day, edit it into a proper video and upload it.
Vlogs or video logs are usually video diaries of people’s lives.
The people who make vlogs are called vloggers. Vloggers essentially use their smartphone or a camera to film whatever interests them and then they upload it to an online platform such as YouTube.
However, vlogging goes beyond filming whatever your daily life looks like!
Different vlogs that people can film include daily family vlogs, study vlogs, get ready with me vlogs, product reviews, clothing hauls, travel vlogs, and so much more.
Similar to blogs, the content will vary according to the preference of the creator.
Although YouTube is the most popular vlogging platform, it is not the only one. Other vlogging platforms include Instagram IGTV, Vimeo, Twitch IRL, DailyMotion, Flickr, and d.tube.
Nowadays, even celebrities use vlogs to connect with their fans and audience better instead of simply doing press interviews.
Unlike blogs, vlogs can be much more personal and interactive since a person directly talks to you through a screen.
Blog vs. Vlog: What one is more popular?
Both vlogs and blogs are effortless ways of reaching big audiences and interacting with them, but which one is more popular?
When we look at the stats, about 80% of the Internet’s incoming traffic is for video content, which essentially means that users are more likely to watch vlogs than spend time reading through blog posts.
This is because videos are simply easier and usually more entertaining to watch. It’s much more effortless to pay attention to a video playing on a screen rather than having to read an article.
However, both vlogs and blogs can be dominant in their niches depending on the quality of the content, their ability to connect with their audience, and their ability to maximize the use of search engine optimization techniques to rank on Google.
What makes Vlogs popular?
When we consider popular vlogging platforms such as YouTube, which provide the audience with a wide range of content, users can remain engaged for hours, watching video after video!
Along with uploaded vlog content, most video platforms also give their users the option of conducting a live stream to interact with their audience in real-time.
Not only will this be more engaging for the audience, but it will also make them feel more connected to the vloggers, making it likely for them to keep coming back for more content.
People use personal vlogs to showcase their talents and share their personal stories, advice, life experiences, etc.
Apart from personal vlogs, many small businesses and even larger companies have now been using vlogs to promote their content rather than written ads.
With bright and aesthetic visuals, excellent graphics, and a catchy, modern soundtrack, it’s easy to capture the audience’s attention!
What makes Blogs popular?
While vlogs seem might seem highly convenient for making money on the Internet, blogs do not shy in comparison either!
Regardless of how popular vlogging gets, blogging will not go out of style simply because of user requirements.
Think about it…what’s the first thing you do when you have a quick question?
You Google it!
You’re most likely to click on the first website you see and skim through to find your answer rather than play a YouTube video to look for it.
Although the initial setup process might take a while, once you get past that, blogging isn’t much more complicated either- given you have the required skill set!
What makes blogging especially popular is the ease and frequency with which you can get content out.
It’s usually much quicker to research, write, edit, and publish a blog post, especially with a team, than to produce a very high-quality vlog, which could take an entire day of filming alone.
Along with that, blogs are especially popular amongst businesses.
Although it is much more appealing to the audience when they promote their content through visual ads, it’s impossible to provide details about all their products with a minute-long video.
So what do they turn to? Blogs!
Most businesses dedicate entire websites to talking about the whole production process of their products along with detailed reviews and information about their products.
People on the internet also review a lot of these products in the form of blog posts which are very helpful for users.
Blogs are also prevalent in the affiliate market because they can be used as a platform to promote the sale of products.
Making money through vlogs and blogs: Similarities and Differences
You can make money through both vlogs and blogs by the process of monetization just means making money through your content by features such as AdSense, utilizing sponsors, using affiliated marketing, etc.
Although the amount and way you make money will be different depending on which platform you use, AdSense and sponsors are the most common way of making money through both.
Making money through Vlogs
The most common vlogging platform is YouTube. With YouTube, you can get your channel monetized after reaching 1000 subscribers and 4000 total hours of watching time.
Once your channel is monetized, you will make money from viewers simply by watching your videos.
To make money through Google AdSense, you’re going to create a Google AdSense account and link it to your YouTube channel. This will allow Google to put ads on your YouTube videos. As the viewers watch these ads, you will receive a certain amount of money, so the more ads they watch, the more money you make!
Along with that, when you gain a substantial following on YouTube, you can make money through sponsorships and brand deals as well, where companies will sponsor you to promote their products in your videos. The important thing to remember with brand deals is to always work with brands that you trust and genuinely love.
Promoting products you don’t use and trust will create a lot of mistrust between you and your audience and make them less likely to purchase things you recommend in the future.
Once you’ve established a good following, you can also make money by selling your brand’s merchandise.
Making money through blogs
The easiest way to make money on your blogs is once again through Google AdSense. Essentially, after you make your Google AdSense account and link it to your website, Google will put ads on your blog, and you’ll get paid when people click on those ads.
When talking about brand deals or sponsorships, similar to vlogs, brands will pay you to either advertise their products in your blogs or send them to you to review them.
For your blogs to make more money, you need to learn search engine optimization skills to get your content to rank on Google.
Another widespread way you can make money through blogs is by affiliated marketing. In affiliate marketing, the blog or the website associates itself with a company and links its products in its blog posts. Each time a customer purchases a product through that link, you will get a percentage of the sale!
Blog vs. Vlog: Which one is better?
Although both blogging and vlogging are a great way to share your ideas and experiences with the world, they still vary from each other quite a bit.
To decide which one will work better for you, you have to assess a couple of things.
What does your skillset point towards?
Are you more comfortable with writing or talking to a camera and filming a video?
What kind of an audience are you trying to reach, and what kind of content are you interested in?
To start making a substantial income with both of them will not be easy, so when you’re deciding which one to go for, we suggest looking at your skill set and available resources rather than only the money-making factor.
What you need to start vlogging
Naturally, if you prefer to spend your time talking to a camera rather than writing, vlogging is the better choice for you.
Some of the few essentials of vlogging include a good quality video, overall good presentation skills, basic editing skills, and the simple ability to keep an audience engaged!
As long as you seem natural in front of the camera, are engaging with the audience, maintaining eye contact, and are easily audible, your videos will turn out well.
Having a better quality will definitely give your videos a boost as viewers are more likely to enjoy them and stick around for more.
However, this doesn’t mean that you need a lot of fancy equipment to get started. If you have a good camera lying around, then well and good, but if you don’t, you can always get started with making vlogs by recording on your smartphone.
Now, gathering your equipment will be of no good if you don’t have a niche to work with. This allows you to target a specific audience. Picking the right niche will also help with the early monetization of your blog.
People make vlogs on various platforms, each of which you’re going to have to create an account for.
Before uploading, make sure to edit your videos, add a catchy thumbnail, a catchy title, and a lively introduction.
What you need to start blogging
If writing is more your style and the thought of speaking on camera is highly daunting, then blogging is the better option for you.
To start off blogging, you’re obviously going to need excellent writing skills. However, keep in mind that you should also have the ability to connect with your readers through words and keep them interested in your content!
Along with that, when blogging, make sure that whatever you’re doing is of great interest to you, whether that’s food, photography, fashion, etc.
Unless you pick a specific niche and write about something you’re actually interested in, you and your audience are both probably going to lose interest very quickly.
Different platforms that can help you start your blog are, WordPress, Weebly, Joomla, Blogger, Wix, Squarespace, and more.
Conclusion
The difference between a blog and a vlog lies in how they display their content. For blogs, it’s through text, whereas for vlogs, it’s through videos.
Depending on your skillset and interests, you can pick which one is better for you.
With a clear goal in mind, dedicated hard work, and exciting content, you’ll be making money with either one of them in no time!