What You Need to Know Before You Start a Video Blog
Love it or hate it, video is here to stay. Despite those who need to read and don’t like videos, there are others who think video is the next best thing.
And it could be. In our human need to desire fulfilling all our senses, video blogging (or vlogging) seems the next natural step in the evolution of blogging. We could read posts, then we could listen to audio, and now we can see.
A vlog might sound like a fun idea to start up. When done well, it can be a useful tool, too. But there are a few important factors to consider before the cameras start rolling:
Satisfy All Types of People
Many people are attracted to moving pictures and static images, because it helps us visualize and understand while our minds are stimulated. For example, think of a little kid who picks up a book and questions, “Where are the pictures?”
But children grow up, and many adults come to appreciate the written word more than a picture book that tells a story. This means you can’t really create a vlog expecting everyone to love it.
Many vlogs have good ‘content’. They also take patience and time on the part of the people who have to sit and watch you talk. Not everyone fits that profile.
Using video in conjunction with written content creates a winning combination. Write a script and publish it with your video, or add a written summary of key points that you cover in your spotlight moment. Doing so goes a long way to satisfy many different types of people, and the hearing-impaired as well.
Blogger Exposed!
There’s no doubt about it. People love seeing faces and real people. Video blogging helps add that level of personality to your site. Your readers get to see you and hear you, and they relate to you more as a genuine person.
But recording yourself for the whole world to see and hear isn’t something you may be comfortable with. Everyone can see you – your shining moments and not so shining ones, too. Putting yourself in front of the camera sometimes feels as if you’re reducing your level of privacy online.
What about screen presence, too? Are you great on the stage? What if you just don’t have the training or practice to be a good public speaker? Vlogs have to be maintained by people who can come across just as well on the screen as they do in the written word.
You have to be articulate, as well, and you’ll need charisma along with the ability to hold viewer attention. Plenty of actors were turned down for jobs because they just didn’t have that magical appeal on the screen.
So before you put your mug shot up for the world to see, do a few test runs, see how well you can act on stage and think about how you feel. Get some friends to tell you honestly what they think of your performance, too.
The Entertainer
Visual aids help add some punch to your presentation. You can use vlogging to help get the point of your post across or provide some additional instruction and a demonstration. It’s entertaining, too, and gives your viewers more. Just as with static images enhancing written posts, video enhances your presentations as well.
Remember that while you’re trying to get a message across, you’re still entertaining your viewers on some level. No one wants to sit through a dry, boring snoozer of a video or listen to someone who speaks with rigid movements and a flat monotone voice.
Most videos go viral because there’s something amusing or poignant about them. They reach out and touch people. They flow and almost come alive on the screen. They give to people and they entertain while they do so.
Tech Support, Please?
Text blogging is easy. Toss up your theme and start writing. You can go as plain or elaborate as you feel like it, and you can write when the mood strikes you. Video blogging takes a little more than that.
Bandwidth
Video files suck up a lot of space and bandwidth. Before you start vlogging, check to make sure that you have enough room on your server to fit these files and enough bandwidth with your internet provider to fulfill your needs.
Many web host packages are limited in space and many internet connections charge extra for going over bandwidth limits, too. You might find out that you need a more expensive package or connection to get what you need to do video.
Time
If you think maintaining a text-based blog is time consuming, take a moment to consider the time that goes into creating a good video. Having worked on many video projects myself, I know it’s not something you can slap together on a whim – unless you don’t care about quality.
First, you have to film the video, edit it and upload it. You might need to write a script beforehand, too, so that you’re not stammering or rambling away at your screen trying to think of what to say next.
Then you need a quiet location, a good setting and backdrop and you can’t record when you have the family screaming in the background.
If you want a soundtrack to add some punch, or animation to look pro, then you have to hunt those down or create them yourself. That means you need…
Equipment
You’ll need a camcorder or a webcam. Not the cheap ones, either, the good ones. You’ll need microphones and a proper video and audio card for your computer, too. You’ll have to invest time to learn how to use all these shiny new gadgets.
Want animation? You’ll have to invest in Flash or After Effects. Want a sound track? An investment in Adobe Sound Studio or Premier would be in order. Even a program as simple as Camtasia costs a few dollars.
Did I mention you need to learn how to use this stuff too?
Video blogging definitely does have some good aspects to it, and it can be fun once you’re properly set up and the camera’s rolling. If you’re interested in doing it, then make the commitment to do it right – and the rewards can certainly be worth it.
Your turn: I know you video bloggers are out there. How was your experience? What would you say are the pros and cons? What was your biggest frustration getting set up?
17 Responses to “What You Need to Know Before You Start a Video Blog”
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The pros and cons for video are two sides of the same coin.
The entry bar to good video is higher, but that means good videos can make people sit up and take notice. It just means though, that when you do do a video, you really need to make the shot count, just because you will be investing so much time and money into those 3 minutes of footage compared to that 500 word text post. So the ROI issues become more prominent, and you need a good strategy for your video. You really need to ask “why am I doing this”, and have a good answer.
However, there are a lot of shortcuts people can take to make good video, but they take time to learn. Putting together a good video is all about learning these things that seem so simple once you know them, but you’d never of thought of them without some experience or good advice.
For myself, I’d say the most frustrating thing with video is just the effort it takes to get rolling. I’m currently putting together my first video, and it is taking a rather long time. It’s just a lot more technical than text blogging.
That said, text blogging can be quite technical as well if you really want to get into it. There are so many text techniques you just do not see around very much that can add to a post, like drop caps and pull quotes. I spent the entire last weekend getting those two working on my own blog, and while they add heaps to the posts, they did take some hefty research and consideration of typography.
Patrick Vuleta´s last blog ..Using the law to protect your own land
What happened to just do it..you make video sound so tough, yes, it’s great to have good cameras and say the right thing..blah blah blah, but first just do it.
Make bad ones, funny ones,
here’s one where I didn’t use a camera, or remote mics or whatever, yes, It’s not Steven Spielberg but I think it has a point and gives the viewer something more than a pdf to open.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbwUk3yzmvQ
Anyway, my opinion, just have at it..you guys are funny, original, I bet you will make great videos, just have some fun.
Video really is a must for a new blogger is he wants to differentiate himself in a very saturated field of “text” bloggers. I have experienced that with some videos I have published, as it makes your blog more unique and personal to your readers. It is easier to remember the blog, the blogger, easier to subscribe and easier to buy products from.
Don’t neglect the text though, people still like to read what you have just said in the video and Google also prefers text. I find that publishing a video and also including a text introduction and text conclusion in the same blog post works best.
Marko Saric´s last blog ..How to minimize your blog costs to improve your blogging revenue
@Patrick: Videos are time consuming, and even the shortcuts aren’t so short at times. I’ve been working with video and audio for years now, and there’s still no fast easy way to do it. There’s a huge learning curve involved and no matter how you slice it, it’s an investment.
@Joe: Sure, you can “just do it”. That goes for anything. The thing is, if you’ve already carefully cultivated a reputation for being the best in your field, a half-assed attempt won’t do. Nothing wrong with experimenting at all, but your overall image has to be taken into consideration and there’s a fine line between funny and looking foolish, wouldn’t you think?
@Marko: Hm, I have to disagree. There are plenty of ways to set yourself apart from the rest of the herd without making video blogging a must have. It’s really a matter of the right tool for the job. With products or graphic sites where tutorials are best presented in a video format, then yes, a video blog could be very powerful. A blog about copywriting? Not so much.
This is why I don’t do video. I don’t want to be a talking head in my kitchen and I haven’t the time, interest, skills or equipment to do the job the way I’d want to do it.
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome´s last blog ..Starting Life Someday-Free: Bud Hennekes Interview
Sure Harry,
I think my comment there was a bit of a ramble and hardly taking a shortcut to the point.
I guess by “shortcuts” I mean little tweaks that can be used to add things fairly easily but you don’t think of them when starting out.
Like how to properly use contrast to fix up bad footage, how to make a home made teleprompter without spending $10,000 on a commerical one, which plugins to use, how to add lower thirds etc. There’s a whole lot of little touches that can be done fairly easily once you know how, but those starting out won’t know of them unless they get some experience or professional instruction.
There are so many things to learn, it is like a whole new discipline, so most bloggers when starting video it is like going right back to when they first started blogging again. Just like when I first started text blogging, I had no idea how to use image editing programs, but now I use photoshop for each post.
As to experimenting and just doing it, I think the best approach is to start by making videos for a non-commerical audience, like home videos for family or friends. I haven’t yet implemented videos on my main site, but I have practiced a fair bit on other projects where I could “just do it” and fail miserably if I had to. It would be a little foolish, in my mind, to use a main professional or business site as a testing ground, especially if that site is built on a “quality” brand.
Patrick Vuleta´s last blog ..Using the law to protect your own land
Yes on video. Yes on just going for it. Yes it can be a hassle. Yes it is worth it.
My site is very hands-on oriented and I’ve been doing video for over a year. Although I don’t host it on my site (instead on YouTube) the freedom it gives me in writing posts and showing things to the readers is well worth the effort.
With a Mac and Flip camera I’ve put up posts within 59 minutes (I timed it). The quailty might make some (probably most) pros wilt, but they are not the audience I’m trying to help. Raw and rough make the information more real.
Fire, shoot, aim . . .
Mike´s last blog ..15 Passenger Vans And Rowing Shells Don’t Mix Well
Harry,
I’ve thought about video blogging, perhaps I might include it sometime soon. Mixing it up every now and then keeps things fresh and what not. You’ve shown that video blogging isn’t for everyone. It’s gonna require some time, know how with new apps, but practice will bring improvement. Then again, back to your note, some just don’t fit the profile. I wouldn’t mind, I think that’s because of past experiences speaking and acting in front of crowds. There’s always a little rust to shake off, but it’s worth giving a go at some point.
Best,
-Mig
Miguel | Simply Blog´s last blog ..What is Remarkable Blog Content?
@Alex: “…And you may tell yourself this is not my beautiful house!…”
Sorry, Talking Heads moment, couldn’t resist. Hey, it’s better than Max Headroom. But yeah, I hear what you’re saying and if you’re going to do it, do it right.
@Mike: 59 minutes?? Oh, wait, I misread…I must need coffee, I read it as the video being 59 minutes! Duh, pay attention Harry.
There’s no doubt that there’s quick and easy ways to produce a video, again, it all depends on your audience and what kind of image you’re trying to cultivate.
@Miguel: Working with video does take a lot of practice, just like anything else. When I used to do video and animation on a daily basis I could whip through the programs like nobody’s business. Now? It takes me an hour or so to get reacquainted with everything before I can even start the project!
Personally though? I’d rather be behind the camera than in front of it.
Hi Harry. I’ve been using video on my site for about 6 or 7 months now. There is definitely a learning process like you say.
The first thing you have to look at is your computer. I had a custom built gaming computer which was fast . . . when I built it 5 years ago. I downloaded TipCam, a free screen capture program, and created my first video only to see my CPU wasn’t fast enough.
I literally built an entire new machine just so I could do video blogging.
Also, a couple things to consider on what to do once you have your video created. Do you host it with sites like YouTube, Blip.tv (I think is the best for resolution), or host it on your own server.
The advantages to social sites obviously are that they can drive traffic to your site, whereas is if you host it yourself YouTube won’t do anything for you.
If you host the video yourself, you need to also check with your web hosting provider to see if they allow videos to be played while also downloading at the same time. Some host make people wait until the entire video is downloaded before it can be viewed. Like you said, bandwidth needs to be looked at, but so is CPU usage.
If you have too many people watching videos on your site simultaneously, you’re going to run into all sorts of issues if you’re on a shared server. Not only will your site slow to a crawl, but your hosting company might suspend your account because it’s using too much CPU time.
As far as just doing it, I’m on the fence about that one but I definitely agree with what you said. If you’ve built up some form of authority, you don’t want to put out something a teenager might do next door. You’re suppose to be a professional. Even funny, low-key videos are done with a certain professionalism.
John Hoff – WpBlogHost´s last blog ..New Regulations For USA Bloggers May Be Around The Corner
I forgot to add one thing on SEO for video blog posts.
Typically, if you add content to your video post it’s going to be shorter than the normal text post.
For pure tutorial videos, I’ve done many with no text at all.
I’ve found the best results SEO-wise for my video tutorials by making sure I use a good SEO keyword phrases in my titles to make sure people find my tutorials.
Whatever someone would type into Google to find your video, that’s what your video’s title should be if you care about SEO.
John Hoff – WpBlogHost´s last blog ..New Regulations For USA Bloggers May Be Around The Corner
I have been using video for over a year now and while granted it may not be the best, it gives me a way to let the home buyers know what I find during my home inspections.
Bonnie Lelak´s last blog ..$1,000 in Free Gas & Groceries – Schedule your home inspection online.
I have thought many times about creating a video blog, but it all comes down to time. I just wouldn’t have time to create new videos to post up, plus it’s easier to come up with written content and better for SEO. But I think as technology advances and Google becomes smarter about indexing pages, video will be a lot more popular than text-based alternatives.
Jake Rocheleau´s last blog ..30 Inspirational and Creative Education Website Templates
Oh, sadly, I have not tried making a video blog. I think I’m too shy to show myself to online users. I’m going to have to stick with just blogging. (Though I would really love to learn how to edit and make videos).
And thanks a lot for the tips! I learned a lot.
UPrinting´s last blog ..12 Water Inspired Web Designs
Certainly it’s a bit more difficult to make videos than write text, but it’s probably worth the marginally greater investment of time and effort. The success of YouTube and “YouTube celebrities” attests to that. Maybe it’s still not *necessary* to post videos to generate buzz or capture attention, but it’s certainly a fairly easy way to do so. Use of free sites like AdWido also facilitate this and make it even easier to get the audience one might need.
Does anyone have a good source for accurate legal information about video blogging in Canada? I haven’t had issues at most locations but some stores are being, for the lack of a better word, bullish.
I started making videos last year and loved it. And because I can’t do anything in a small way and because I’ve wanted to have my own ‘show’ for years, I just went for it.
I gained confidence by making short videos. I am teaching myself everything. It’s a serious snowballing learning curve, to mix metaphors.
I launched my weekly show, Juju Infusion, a few weeks ago and have three episodes completed. It’s hella time consuming but tons of fun. I can’t believe how fun it is.
I think I’ll improve with time and practice. It’s better for me to put something out there rather than try to be perfect.
I may not be able to sustain a weekly 10-minute show. But I know I’ll keep making videos, because it’s a blast.
Like any marketing tool, it only works if you can get into it.