Vlogging for Business: Drive Growth Through Visual Storytelling
October 23, 2023
If you were to look for information on a specific subject or do some research on something that really matters to you, what would you find more interesting?
A blog? An 1800-word, essay-style piece that you're reading now.
Or….
A vlog? An engaging piece of video content that serves the same purpose, gets the point across more quickly, and might even leave you with a few laughs.
According to Business Wire by 2026 the digital video advertising space is expected to value $155.18 billion.
65% of Internet users worldwide watched some type of video-on-demand including both, short-term and long-term content.
Taking the statistics above into consideration, I would say that the answer to my question is “A vlog”, am I right?
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I personally prefer video content over written content, especially user-generated video content such as selfie videos. And there are several reasons I have that preference.
Amongst those reasons are:
- Video is a lot more entertaining
- I retain information a lot more if I hear it and see it
- I can relate a lot more to video because, most times, another human is engaging with me as the viewer
I’m pretty sure many of you feel the same way about video content.
As a matter of fact, I can positively say that almost 100% of you would say you prefer video.
Why am I so sure?
Well, being a content marketer I’m always looking to stay up to date with the current trends. I want to know what people are looking for and how my audience wants to absorb the information.
For the most part, we all have at least a general idea of whom we want to target or whom we think we are targeting with our business. At first glance, we may cover broader groups like “men over 40” or “single moms under 35”. While those categories are relevant, it is when you start to break it down even further that you get to see exactly who is responding to your content and how they like it.
Demographic information like lifestyle and interest, age, and location also play a significant role. You can use the Google Analytics tool to really break down your audience into demographics to pinpoint where your focus needs to be. So if you realize that your audience is mainly people under 35 and they prefer vlogs, you should give them more vlog content. You could create a YouTube channel and give them more engaging content.
It’s not enough to understand what their likes and interests are but most importantly understand how they consume information.
During the past few years and specifically during the last few months, I noticed a trend in vlogging. All of a sudden, everyone was talking about including video as part of their content strategy.
I even heard someone say 2019 was “the year of video.”
Taking all of this into consideration, recently, I wrote a different blog on 4 of the most effective content types to engage with your audience, and guess what? Video is one of those 4 most engaging content types.
In this blog, I will talk about three specific things about vlogging:
- The definition of vlogging
- Reasons why you should start vlogging
- Vlogging tips to consider for you to create amazing video content if you’re just starting
So, first things first.
What is vlogging and how does it work?
A vlog is literally a blog in the form of a video, when we talk about a blog we are talking about written content. However, when we talk about a vlog, we are talking about audiovisual content.
When people talk about vlogging or video bloggers, they usually refer to the type of vlog where people (mostly influencers such as Youtube content creators) post videos of themselves talking to the camera on a regular basis; they usually do it on a daily basis.
The best thing to help you record high-quality content is obviously a professional camera (a popular choice would be a Sony video camera) and professional video editing software. But if you’re just starting, you can use your phone. Last-generation phones come equipped with high-end cameras, so they will do just fine.
There are two techniques that people use to vlog:
- The talking head technique: The talking head technique is a video where you put the camera on a tripod to help the video stay steady throughout the recording.
For this technique, you don’t necessarily have to have a tripod, you can use anything that helps you stabilize the camera really. Here are some weird but useful things you can use: a standing fan, a pile of books, a table, a bench, or literally anything that has the right height and is steady enough to hold a camera or phone. So you can get creative here!
While the talking head technique is one we have seen survive throughout the decades on our local news channels and talk show interviews, it might not be the best route for the vlog. There are a few limitations that come with it. For example, if you have a lot of content to share, you’ll start to find it difficult to keep your audience’s attention.
Try techniques like tilting and panning or varying the distance between the speaker and the camera throughout the vlog. A lot of talking head videos overlook these simple tricks and miss out on watch time and engagement.
Another way to get over this hurdle is by using more than one camera when shooting. With multiple cameras, you can get the same shot from different perspectives, and this can break up the monotony of a simple talking-head video.
A lot of creativity goes into video production today. And with millions of interactive video content available online and multiple social media platforms dedicated to video content, it’s too easy for your audience to find a more engaging video if you don’t hit the mark.
- The “follow me around” technique: This technique refers to when the vlogger holds a vlogging camera with his/her hands and films clips throughout a specific period of time (a day, a trip, an event, etc.).
This is a technique that I personally feel is a lot more empathetic with people. It makes you more human, and it shows your audience that you’re just like everyone else.
Most of the vlogs I’ve seen are more about a person talking about themselves, their journey in life, or a particular topic on which they’re subject matter experts.
Today, I’ll focus on talking about the business side of vlogging and why business owners should start vlogging to engage with their audience and connect with them in a much deeper way.
So, if you’re a business owner and are looking for ways to connect with your target audience.